Breeam
With the world’s highest
rating awarded to an office
building by BRE, the global
assessor of sustainable
buildings, The Edge combines
numerous smart technologies
in tandem to create an
adaptable and intelligent
working environment. It
demonstrates that the pursuit
of a vibrant and collaborative
work environment can come
together successfully with
achieving the highest level of
sustainability possible for a
building.
BREEAM helped achieve
an office building that is
not just energy neutral but
even energy positive. It uses
70% less electricity than
comparable office buildings.
The roof and the southfacing facade incorporate the
largest array of photovoltaic
panels of any European office
building, and an aquifer
thermal energy storage
system provides all of the
energy required for heating
and cooling. A heat-pump was
applied to the aquifer thermal
energy storage system
which significantly increases
efficiency.
Occupancy, movement,
lighting levels, humidity
and temperature are
continuously measured and
through the application of
smart technology including
ethernet-powered LED
connected lighting, the
building systems respond to
maximise efficiency. But the
real outcome of The Edge
is not just the reduction in
water and energy use of its
own users, but the project’s
role as a feasible, high quality
example of new technologies,
new ways of designing, and
new ways of working.
Each façade is uniquely
detailed according to its
orientation and purpose.
Load bearing walls to the
south, east and west have
smaller openings to provide
thermal mass and shading,
and solid openable panels for
ventilation. Louvres on the
south façades are designed
according to sun angles and
provide additional shading
for the office spaces, reducing
solar heat gain. Solar panels
on the south façade provide
enough sustainable electricity
to power all smartphones,
47
laptops and electric cars.
The north façades are highly
transparent and use thicker
glass to dampen noise from
the motorway. The atrium
façade is totally transparent,
allowing views out over
the dyke and steady north
light in; and acts as a buffer
between the workspace and
the external environment.
Excess ventilation air from the
offices is used once again to
condition the atrium space.
The building integrates
an Ethernet-powered LED
lighting system, which
combines 30,000 sensors
to continuously measure
occupancy, movement,
lighting levels, humidity and
temperature, allowing the
building to automatically
adjust energy use.
Two 129m deep wells reach
down to an aquifer, allowing
thermal energy differentials to
be stored deep underground.
Rainwater is collected on
the roof and used to flush
toilets and to irrigate the
green terraces in the atrium
and other garden areas
surrounding the building.
architecture
Speaking of the new
building Cees van der Spek
at the Edge said: “Due to
BREEAM’s acknowledgment
as the most widely used
certification method, and
The Edge currently being The
World’s Most Sustainable
office building (according to
BRE) and most connected
office building in the world
(according to Bloomberg),
companies from different
continents such as Sony, BCG,
Microsoft and developers
visit The Edge to learn from
it. More than 10.000 people
have visited The Edge in
2015.”
For more information please
visit www.breeam.com.
The BREEAM assessor was
DGMR – www.dgmr.nl
The Edge was assessed
under the BREEAM NL New
Construction standard
operated by the Dutch Green
Building Council. For more
information visit
www.breeam.nl