Green-roofed and Solar-powered Floating Office planned for Rotterdam

Powerhouse Company is an award-winning architecture office based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Their story begins in 2005 at low scale at Rotterdam and Copenhagen. They since grown into a multidisciplinary office of around 100 professionals, with international studios in Beijing, Oslo and Munich. They are led by founder of the company Mr. Nanne de Ru.

Now a splendid project is coming to the Rotterdam port, through Powerhouse Company. Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) is a, green-roofed and solar-powered office which floats on sea water. The project is led by former UN-Chairman Ban Ki-moon, Bill Gates, and Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva.

Headquarter for the Global Center on Adaptation will be established in this building. The aim of the organization is to do research and train people to sustain against bad weather changes in the world.

This is a timber office which will remain in the port for 5 to 10 years. The design offers some unique feature including water powered heating and cooling system. The three storied, prefabricated office will have overhanging roofs to give its glazing shades and nice look. Furthermore, it includes a swimming pool, large terraces and a restaurant.

“Designing a sustainable, floating office building was a very challenging commission and we approached it in an integrated way,” says Nanne de Ru, Powerhouse Company founder and architect. “By using the water of the Rijnhaven to cool the building, and by using the roof of the office as a large energy source, the building is truly autarkic [self-sufficient]. The building structure is designed in wood, it can easily be demounted and re-used. The building is ready for the circular economy.”

FOR is expected to begin construction  in coming spring and officially inaugurated by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Mayor of Rotterdam in late 2020.

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