Innovative Way of Cooling Buildings

A new building in the Netherlands utilizes surrounding water to regulate its indoor temperature. The Volkerak Rijkswaterstaat Building was designed by architectural company DP6. It has a ground floor roof enclosed with grass, an architecture that lets abundant air to circulate, and a heat pump system to control the temperature inside. In addition, it has a heat pump attached to the water lock and facilitates cooling of the building’s interior. Andreas Wonisch/flickr The building can be found in a big landscape of water and grass. It appears angular and slanted. The grass roof of the ground floor offices provides natural insulation. The other floors are finished from timber and glass for a clear view of the scenery and the water locks. It was constructed for the Rijkswaterstaat DI, Netherlands’s government agency in charge of water management and public works.