FINLAND – Urban Environment House

The leading thought in designing the Urban Environment House was to pursue environmental friendliness through longevity. In terms of energy efficiency, the Urban Environment House is nearly a zero-energy building, and a portion of the renewable energy used in the building is produced on-site with solar panels. In addition, a 5,000-square-meter green roof with more than 22,000 plants, such as herbs and shrubs and decaying wood for fungi and insects, was placed on the roof.

The building is connected to district heating and district cooling networks. Heat distribution is implemented through water circulating system. Radiation panels in the ceilings give off heat in the office space. In the office premises, the cooling of the rooms is also implemented with radiant panels.
The building has a mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation system with efficient heat recovery. The control is based on presence and necessity, where ventilation is enhanced based on indoor CO2 concentration and temperature.
The building is connected to city electricity distribution network as a medium voltage connection. Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the building for its own electricity generation. The planned power of the system is 42 kWp.
All luminaires used are LED luminaires. For lighting control, the building has a KNX-based bus control system covering the entire house.

More information about the building is available at https://lma.fi/projects/urban-environment-house

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