We've been doing some research into 'Green Design' this week, and this was one of the building I was looking at. The 'School of Art, Design and Media' in Nanyang, Singapore, by CPG Consultants.
I really like the form, the grass roofs appear to flow out of the landscape, like rolling hills. Practically they create a green space for students, whilst reducing the rate of water run off from the roof, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and producing oxygen.
The two arms of the building wrap around the site allowing exciting glimpses between interior spaces. By doing so they also shade each other, reducing heat gain through the glazed walls and defining a cool shaded sunken courtyard, complete with cooling water feature (which is also apparently used to treat greywater). This reminds me of the traditional design of houses in the middle east. Cold air sinks, so at night this sunken courtyard will trap cold air, cool the surfaces of the building and help mediate the high day time temperatures.
Smart.
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