LEED Platinum Headquarters Is Beacon For Sustainable Construction

February 16, 2015

Project: Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) Headquarters

Location: Ankara, Turkey

Architect: AVCI Architects, Istanbul

Building Type: Corporate Buildings, LEED PLATINUM

Completion Date: 2014

GKD Metal Fabrics Product: Omega 1510, Omega 1520, Omega 1530

The Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) is one of the most powerful associations within the Turkish construction industry. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in their new LEED Platinum (the highest LEED certification) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. In addition to a unique thermal labyrinth for climate control, the headquarters’ solar managed façade was constructed using metallic GKD metal mesh.

The TCA sees itself and the construction industry as having a special responsibility for the environment, as well as the climate. By planning the new headquarters in a sustainable way from the very start, its aim was to reflect this responsibility and at the same time serve as a role model for the entire industry. The design team, lead by AVCI Architects of Istanbul, focused on creating a building that would serve as an example of truly sustainable architecture. The TCA’s mission of building transparency is taken literally in the design with the façade engulfed in a transparent building material. The mesh itself was stretched tightly over the glass façade at different thicknesses surrounding the exterior based on solar intensity.

A narrow plateau made from dark basalt stone and the modular, staggered floors give the complex its floating appearance. A glazed atrium in the entrance area links together the individual floors of the building and the public areas with the conference and showrooms on the ground floor. Open staircases with glass balustrades lead to the upper floors, where restricted access areas such as the administrative departments are housed. Besides glass, natural materials such as wood and stone dominate the interior.

Located below the underground parking garage, the building houses Turkey’s first and only thermal labyrinth, which serves as the building’s primary climate control functionality. The cellar rooms interspersed with concrete walls are used to make the local temperature differences between day and night of around 60-70 °F in summer utilized for air conditioning – a solution devised by the experts from Atelier Ten in London, who were responsible for environmental planning and consulting.

The warm outside air streams into the cellar through chutes and cools down naturally as it passes through the labyrinth. Thick steel pipes embedded in the concrete walls and ceilings conduct the cooler air into the building. Finally, the air conditioning can be controlled as needed by chilled beams in the individual rooms. Besides the thermal labyrinth, the new headquarters’ photovoltaic system, treatment of rain water and process water, and automatically controlled LED lights are further evidence of the TCA’s exemplary function with regard to sustainable construction planning.

As a means of solar management, to address the heavy influx of natural light penetration, the architects turned to GKD stainless steel mesh. 75% of the building’s envelop is comprised of GKD Omega mesh. Each side of the building features a different Omega type mesh, varying in thickness based upon sun intensity. The goals were to not only reduce solar heat intake into the building, but to also make the most of the natural light penetration.

Working with the thermal labyrinth, the stainless mesh envelope reduces the need for additional climate control. Additionally, the mesh allows an appropriate amount of daylight to enter the interior, so little artificial lighting was required. The sustainability of the material is reinforced by its low maintenance and complete recyclability at the end of its useful life. Thanks to the numerous material advantages, the woven skin thus substantially supports the achievement of the highest LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Besides these functional properties, the mesh from Düren also won over the architects because of its optical qualities. To give a seamless effect to the hanging façade, the individual panels were pulled taut next to each other without frames. The ends of the mesh are bent through 90 degrees and secured horizontally below and above the glass building elements with springs. This virtually invisible fixing in accordance with the architects’ wishes reinforces the filigree appearance. The transparency of the mesh allows the building users to maintain a visual dialogue with the outer world and thus underlines the effect with maximum comfort. Whereas during the day, the shiny stainless steel mesh reflects the ambient light as a link to the outside world, at night it makes the complex, which is illuminated from the inside visible from far and wide. And so the semi-transparent skin means that the new TCA headquarters in Ankara really is a beacon for sustainable construction.