Steven Holl’s LEED Platinum Horizontal Skyscraper Completed!

<br> Create a long, thin <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/08/bubble-shaped-skyscraper-is-a-freshwater-factory/">skyscraper</a>, make it <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/sustainable-building/">green</a> and gorgeous, and then turn it on its side. That was the thinking behind Steven Holl's recently completed <a href="http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?id=60&amp;worldmap=true">Vanke Center</a> in China. Not only is the mixed-use building green, diverse, and <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/06/18/tsunami-memorial-winner-mountains-of-rememberance/">tsunami</a>-proof -- it's also in the running for <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/15/leed-platinum-vancouver-convention-center-has-north-americas-largest-green-roof/">LEED Platinum</a> certification.

<a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/tag/steven-holl/">Steven Holl</a>'s well-known design aesthetic and green credentials have made him a favorite here at Inhabitat.

Underneath the horizontal skyscraper is a landscaped area with a number of water features which give the impression that the building is floating on water.

The different programs are connected by a public path that cuts across the landscaped gardens, which were inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Burle_Marx">Roberto Burle Marx</a>'s work. Thanks to its elevated structure, the project is able to give back a public space to the city.

The complex' green features include car parking spaces for <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/tag/electric-vehicle/">electric vehicles</a> with built-in charging stations. Additionally, The doors, floors, and furniture are made from bamboo, and the carpets are composed of recycled material.

High-performance glazing has been installed in the building's facade, while <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/solar-power/">solar panels</a> will provide 15% of the office's electricity. All of these combined features are elevating the building towards LEED Platinum status.

The horizontal skyscraper's sophisticated <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/10/06/brad-pitt-unveils-floating-house-for-make-it-right-foundation/">elevated structure</a> also functions to protect it from damage in the event of a tsunami. The project has received a 2010 Honor Award from the <a href="http://www.aia.org/">American Institute of Architects</a>. <br> <a href="http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?id=60&amp;worldmap=true"><strong>+ Vanke Center</strong></a>

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A 3D rendering of the building.

While initially the program called for a number of smaller structures, each with their own program, Steven and his team decided to create one large superstructure <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/09/tower-city-is-an-ecotopia-stacked-upon-stilts/">propped up</a> on eight legs.

The 1,296,456 square-foot building is less than 35 meters high. Lengthwise though, the building is a long as the <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/04/20/empire-state-building-to-receive-eco-renovation/">Empire State Building</a> is tall -- a distance of about 440 meters.