Sustainable by design 2050

Rambøll Head Office

Architect

DISSING+WEITLING architecture

Engineers/Specialists

Rambøll Danmark

Location

Western Europe - Denmark - Ørestad, Copenhagen

Climate Zone

temperate

Design status

build

Date of completion

2009

Type

Office

Site area (m²)

8900

Footprint (m²)

6400

GFA (m²)

40000

NFA (m²)

38000

NFA/GFA

0.95

Density

4.494

Gross Volume (GV) (m³)

210000

Building Costs

134000000 EUR

Building Costs / m² GFA

3350

Building Costs / m² NFA

3526.316

Building Costs / m³ GV

638.095

Primary Energy (kWh/m²a)

83

Heating Energy (kWh/m²a)

18

Cooling Energy (kWh/m²a)

64

Cooling / Heating-System

Cooling system:
Traditional compressor cooling supplemented groundwater systems Comfort Cooling, 2.2 MW in two refrigerating, R717 (Ammonia) Server Cooling, 360 kW delivered by a machine, R717 Groundwater cooling delivers cold water in summer for server cooling (+ a little for comfort) Compressor cooling works in winter and deliver heat to the building At breakdown on the server cooling system, we have a backup from the comfort system.

Heating system:
District heating with heat exchangers, 4.5 MW. Heating by radiators along façade. Hot water is heated also by district heating.

Use of renewable ressources - low tech

others

Use of renewable ressources - high tech

solar heating, heating pump, geothermal energy use, other

Key Sustainability aspects

public spaces, accessability for disabled, recycling and reuse, ecological building materials, integrated planning process, participation of users in planning process, low cost design

Sustainability rated

BREEAM

Social and ethical responsibility

The project has driven by Rambøll's strategic decision to re-locate all of their Copenhagen staff in one building. In the pursuit of a "One Company" understanding the new head office had to integrate the most flexible types of office spaces, meeting as well as conference rooms and create an overall atmosphere of open communication. The goal has been to make room for innovation and actively encourage networking across different sectors. The new Rambøll Head Office had to communicate a transparent and responsible organisation with a holistic approach.

Ressource efficiency and environmental impact

Nowadays the reduction of CO2 emissions and the integration of climate friendly solutions are paramount in any modern building. Several steps have been taken to guarantee an extremely energy efficient building. The large extent to which daylight is used is exceptional and results in a significant reduction of electrical energy. The use of district heating in combination with ground water cooling results in a considerable reduction of cooling needs up to 85%. In the total assessment of all energy saving measures, such as transport, water as well as general health and well-being, the Rambøll headquarters achieve a rating similar to Excellent-BREEAM.

Economic lifecycle perfomance

As part of the requirements set in the project specifications, design life for each component in the building has been defined and a method statement has been worked out covering the procedures for replacement of damaged or otherwise defective materials or components, and materials and components that have a design life less than the design life of the main structure which will therefore require replacement during the life of the facade.

Contextual performance and impact

The company spends most of its energy costs on transport. These exceed that of its buildings by a factor of nearly 2 to 1. Hence, the decision made to locate alongside a major public transport intersection in Ørestad close to Copenhagen's airport. However, in order to reduce the need to travel Ramboll is investing in video conferencing technology. Within the new office every meeting room and some open workspace areas have large flat screen and camera facilities to allow staff to communicate electronically. Reducing the carbon footprint of companies means that building facilities and work practices need to be well connected.