Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 67

In gas mode, CO2 emissions are no higher than the amount
of CO2 that was used to produce the synthetic natural gas.
“This is a great step in the right direction,” says Ahlmark.
He also tries to implement this sustainability philosophy
in architecture.
“The Crystal” is an oce building belonging to a financial in -
stitution designed by SHL architects that has won awards for
its energy-saving design : a glass building, suused with light,
which rests on the ground on a single visible lower edge, and
therefore appears to hover over the city square. At the time of
construction, its energy consumption of 70 kilowatt-hours per
square meter was 25 percent lower than the guidelines estab-
lished by the Danish government. “We wanted to bring as
much daylight as possible into the building to save valuable
energy,” explains Ahlmark. The facade consists of three layers
of glass with natural ventilation. Ventilation windows let air
into the building at night, and this air is then used to cool the
building during the day. Additional cooling is provided by
water from the harbor. The toilets are flushed with rainwater,
and the photovoltaic system generates the electricity to
operate the complex facade system. “The construction industry
is a big environmental polluter,” explains the architect.
“We as architects have a responsibility to think outside of the
box, but we also have the opportunity to achieve great things
through innovation.” He says this as he steers the g-tron
through the downtown area. “A beautiful design is no longer
enough in itself ; it must also be ingenious.” Ahlmark’s oce
has its own research department. “There, we are working on
new types of solar cells, and on a new acoustic ceiling, which
we are installing in the Concert Hall in Malmö. We invent our
own building materials.”
We turn onto the harbor waterfront. “The highlight of the g-tron
is that it looks like a normal A3 Sportback, but it is packed full
of the latest technology,” says Ahlmark, as we drive towards the
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