Quadrate
Research and Laboratoy Building of EPAU, Algiers
The design concept is an answer to the contemporary challenges presented in sustainable construction. It is an attempt to lend the building a viable future regarding economical, ecological, socio-cultural and technological aspects.
The interior courtyard is the heart of the building and functions as a meeting place, circulation area and as the location of the wind tower. The wind tower provides the building with fresh air. The fresh air is first directed into the subterranean level where it is filtered and conditioned by a heat exchanger. As needed it is either warmed or cooled and is then piped through the ventilation shaft to the individual interior rooms where it enters per floor ducts. Located on the roof are the solar collectors used to heat water. The water serves as a storage medium for the cooling and heating of the interior. A capillary piping system located in the walls and floor serves this purpose.
The design is based on a sustainable concept that cleverly combines historical principles with today’s technology and employs natural resources such as the sun, wind and rain to create a highly modern and innovative building.
Mandate
University of Architecture and Urban development