Passive environmental engineering/Earth-friendly environmental engineering/Abeno Harukas/Takenaka Corporation

Passive environmental engineering

Ventilation and lighting systems that utilize natural energy

Eco Void

Voids throughout the building create passages for light and air and connect the outside with the interior.

VOID1 Hotel Void

«Hotel: Day and Night»

During the change of the seasons, temperate air from the outside is drawn into the eco void in spring and fall. The air goes through the void and slowly flows into the hotel’s corridors. The air inside the void removes heat from the corridors and is released from the top.

VOID2 Office Void

«Office: Day and Night»

The mid-season’s temperate outside air percolates through the void and slowly flows into offices including the areas set aside for relaxation.

«Office: Night»

The nighttime cool air is drawn into offices and through night purge ventilation cools the office area to reduce the next day’s A/C energy consumption.

VOID3 Department Store Void

«Department Store: Day and Night»

At the department store where many people gather, air-conditioned air is not wasted. It goes through the void and is reused to cool machine rooms.

«Department Store: Night»

In the department store, air-conditioning is necessary even during the winter. The building is sufficiently cooled by the night purge ventilation to reduce the next day’s A/C energy consumption.

Comfortable and energy-conserving space created by double glazing

Double skin

Making the building’s exterior a glass curtain wall creates a spectacular view. An air flow window system is utilized that does not convey the heat from outside into the interior due to the double skin structure of float laminated glass and low-e multi-layered glass. High thermal insulation roll screens are installed between the two layers of glass to reduce the air conditioning load.

Comparative simulation with a single skin system