#architecture fun

[weeglasasian]

Used to store money. Now they store German beer here. But the building still look majestic!

[wherearchitectureisfun]

Zollverein School of Management and Design

SANAA | Essen, Germany | 2006

Hot (30° C) pit water was constantly being pumped out of the nearby mine shafts from depths of over 1,000 meters; removed continuously to prevent collapse of mine walls below. Unfortunately the hot water (energy) was not being used for anything. In fact, the water had been dumped continuously into the River Emscher for years.

Luckily the Zollverein School building was allowed to take advantage of the excess heat energy. Using a water to water (likely glycol filled to prevent freezing) heat exchanger, project engineers designed a system of radiant tubes that spreads the heat energy from the mine over the facade and floors of the building. The system significantly reduces the need for insulation on the exterior walls of the building. It also allows the walls to be only as thick as the structure itself. An added bonus is that the system can be used to pipe cool water through the building in the hot months of the summer thus cooling the building radiantly.