Sustainability is the ability to change. To achieve a comprehensive sustainability in architecture is to see a building as a living, breathing machine, capable of growing and adapting to its surroundings. The roof acts as an engine for the program, actively processing the immediate environment by collecting solar energy, employing a miniature wind-turbine-rack system, and channeling and collecting water beneath it’s vegetative-infill layer. Systems can be added and upgraded easily, allowing the building to respond to constantly advancing technology and increasingly efficient alternative energy components. Integrating passive lighting and air movement techniques is as important as selecting appropriate materials and building systems. The glass thermal envelope utilizes natural air flow to help heat and cool the enclosure, while providing filtered panoramic views and day-lighting throughout the structure, as translucent metal screens stretch across the long east and west faces.
