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May 4, 2007
Coolth
What is "coolth?"
Here are a few potential definitions ...
| coolth [koolth] n. 1. A measure of coolness or hipness, the unit of measure being the "Melbourne" e.g. "Quentin Tarantino's coolth was measured in the lab at exactly -10 degrees Melbourne" 2. The opposite of warmth, as in the coolth that is distributed through the natural heating and cooling system in Melbourne's CH2. |
I have to admit - Melbourne is one cool city - and Melbourne may set the standard of coolness against which all cities are measured (leaving out San Francisco and New York to be fair), but the actual definition is #2 above.
The building mentioned in yesterday's post is, in fact, Melbourne's CH2.
My cousin is one of the city's town planners and I have it on his authority that it is the most sustainable office building in the world.
Whether this is true, or how such things are actually measured, I have no idea.
As far as I know, there is no Billboard Top Ten of sustainable office buildings, but this building sure has some clever technology that opened my eyes to the potential ways to solve the world's energy problems.
Visit the above site for a more in depth treatment, but here are just a few of the interesting features I was told about while getting a private tour ...
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Water and air are trapped in "shower towers" ...
... and the naturally cooled water is distributed through the building via ceiling panels so that the occupants can experience natural "coolth."
And we're really just scratching the surface. This picture shows the (recycled, of course) timber louvers that move with the sun. And if you look closely, you get a glimpse of the energy-generating yellow wind turbines on the roof.
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From the photovoltaic cells and the solar hot water panels on the roof to the recycled timber modern art reception desk on the ground floor - the "coolth" of this building is a super-frosty -1,000 degrees Melbourne.
And the people who work in this building should consider themselves blessed. The climate is absolutely perfect all year round. The use of natural light and shade makes it feel like you're walking into a science fiction film about a world that got it right.
What more could you ask for?
When this building will start paying the city back serious dividends in just 10 years, why are less sustainable office buildings even being made?