Building canopies are one way to ensure that a building is sustainably minded and this is proven by the latest project of US firms Miller Hull Partnership and Lord Aeck Sargent. The job is located on the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology, a public research university in Atlanta, and is known as The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. The name pays homage to the project’s funders—the Kenanda Fund, a private family foundation that has dedicated itself to supporting socially and environmentally-conscious initiatives.
Officially, the building falls in the category of “regenerative buildings.” This means that the building is structured in such a way that it creates more resources than it consumes. In the Kendeda Building’s case, this means more water and energy. The energy, in particular, is generated by 900-plus solar panels that constitute the building’s canopy.
Image Credit: Jonathan Hillyer and Gregg Willett
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Regenerative Buildings
- Creating buildings that generate more resources than they consume, particularly energy and water.
- Building Canopies
- Installing canopies that contain solar panels to produce energy for the building.
- Sustainable Design
- Designing buildings with an emphasis on social and environmental consciousness.
Where This Applies
- Architecture
- Creating innovative building designs that prioritize sustainability.
- Renewable Energy
- Developing and improving technologies that generate renewable energy, particularly solar power.
- Green Building
- Implementing sustainable building practices and materials in construction projects.
