Rio Branco 12 Bioclimatic Skyscraper – New Standards for Environmental Offices in Brazil

Rio Branco 12 (RB12) is expected to be one of the most modern new buildings in Rio de Janeiro. The luxurious office tower will be located in the flourishing urban area of Porto Maravilha, where it will serve as a visual example of environmental development.
Designed by French-Brazilian firm Triptyque and built by French construction firm Natekko, the RB12 will reveal many new design strategies, including a bioclimatic facade, active use of solar energy, and fuel cells that will make the structure fully self-sufficient in terms of energy use.



The Rio Branco 12 office tower on Rio Branco Avenue will have 21 floors. Porto Maravilha will become a new urban commercial district with more than 5 million square meters of space, new roads, a public tram line and many new green spaces. The eco office tower was designed by Triptyque, will be built by Natekko and funded by MMC Investimentos, a company that works to create affordable housing and green São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.



RB12 will be both luxurious and sustainable, with developers hoping to set a new standard for building development. The facade has been carefully designed to increase the comfort of people inside and to improve energy efficiency. Shading panels carefully monitor the quantity and quality of daylight entering the building, while external landscaping creates lush hanging gardens that also help filter the light. Cooling of the tower will be achieved using natural ventilation and cooling beams. Special cranes with low pressure will minimize water consumption, and wastewater will be processed for use in landscape irrigation in the adjacent green area and in roof gardens.



The tower will be completely non-volatile, using both solar panels on the facade and new fuel cell technologies that allow the use of methane. RB12 will be the first commercial building in Brazil to use photovoltaic panels to provide 100% electricity. Construction of the project is expected to begin in 2015.

Source: www.ecobyt.ru/