Eco Factor: Sustainable building includes photovoltaic panels and rain-harvesting system.
Located on the coastal site next to a mangrove swamp, The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's new research campus in Panama is designed by Kiss + Cathcart. The building is designed with an intention of exerting minimum environmental impact while providing an exemplary scientific facility. The building includes laboratories, classrooms, conference rooms and support spaces built on a raised platform shaded by an overhanging patched roof. The linear plan provides gateway for the natural ventilation and daylight to reduce the need for artificial lighting.
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Photovoltaic panels are installed all over the roof, interspersed with clear glass so that daylight could enter inside. Further, the angles of the roof have been molded in such a way that the rainwater could be directed toward a tank, which is located at a central point. Thus, the building generates most of the energy required itself and further, rain harvesting system brings it closer to a zero-impact idea.
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Via: KissCathcart
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