Strategies related to the reduction in energy consumption have touched all fields and, from the global level to the national one, programmes are launched for the purpose of stimulating researchers and implementing measures which could lead to significant reduction in energy consumption. Reducing the energy consumption of the real estate concentrates on construction industries, housing and office buildings being those aimed at. Therefore, the concept of “depot of the future” has been launched in which maintenance and train modernisation works are executed in a green environment.
Swedish real estate company Jernhusen has launched a competition – “Train depot of the future”, for the purpose of creating new ecological concepts for maintenance depots with architectural qualities high enough to prove that the entire railway system, including (real estate) facilities are environmentally friendly. This is important especially since the railway transport is promoted as the most ecological mode of transport and the railway industry develops, therefore it needs new concepts for reducing the energy consumption in the buildings where it carries out its activity.
Within the programme, YAJ Architects presented a proposal for the future of the industrial buildings, by developing the concept of “zero energy for the industrial architecture” consisting of solid concrete structures, heating via solar panels in combination with geothermal heating, pre-climatized fresh air supply, and sensor-driven natural ventilation through motorized skylights.
“The buildings of our proposal are hybrids meant for aerodynamic high-speed trains. The buildings are wrapped by what we call “green tracks” (architectural features represented by vegetation and solar panels) in a graphic pattern inspired by the parallel and diverging rails in the depot. The elements could serve as racks for both solar panels (on the roofs), and for the façade. They consist of bundles of metal lamellas mounted at a distance from the building. Circular windows ventilate and, at the same time, let natural daylight into the building”, explains Jonas Nyberg, YAJ Architects.
The energy consumption of the building is almost zero. The solid concrete structure serves as thermal mass that buffers heat and cold. Both heat and cold peaks can thereby be evened out, providing a stable and comfortable indoor climate over the day and seasons. This means cutting the otherwise hefty energy peaks every time a train set is transported into and out of the depot buildings. “Heating and cooling is done water-borne by means of solar panels with geo-energy stores to embedded pipes in the concrete floors and walls. The buildings are naturally ventilated via sensor controlled, motorized skylights. Supply air is led through channels in the station platforms, where the air is pre-climatized: in summer the supply air is cooled, in winter warmed, by the surrounding ground, explains Tore Strandgård, Energy Consultant in Incoord Energy.
With these green features, along with an architecture characterised by green systems implementation, a significant difference is made between classical and environmentally friendly depots.
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