The Innovation Center of the Rocky Mountain Institute, located in the town of Basalt, Colorado, is designed to stay true to the non-profit organization's stated mission to promoting sustainability.
This building is equipped with high-quality quad-pane glass that helps to trap thermal energy, while massive sunshades help moderate temperature and reduce glare. The structure also benefits from a durable envelope that means there is no need for pipes to be treated to be protected against freezing, another eco-friendly plus.
The windows themselves are high-performance quad-pane glass; two panes are simply films that help trap thermal energy. And large exterior sunshades which move according to data collected from weather sensors installed on the building are used to help moderate temperature and control glare. (Again, think of the skier metaphor—these are the goggles.)
One of the most interesting and eye-opening features of the Rocky Mountain Institute's brand new building is the fact that while it is possibly the most energy-efficient and eco-friendly building ever constructed in this particular sort of climate, it is still about nearly as big as typical commercial buildings in the USA. This fact goes a long way towards proving that energy-efficient buildings can be embraced more in the commercial sector, including in urban settings.
Thermal Energy-Trapping Buildings
The Rocky Mountain Institute's Building is Aptly Eco-Friendly
Trend Themes
1. Thermal Energy-trapping - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced materials and technologies to enhance thermal energy-trapping capabilities in buildings.
2. Eco-friendly Buildings - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create sustainable building designs and materials that reduce energy consumption and promote environmental conservation.
3. Energy-efficient Commercial Buildings - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement energy-saving solutions in commercial buildings to reduce environmental impact and operating costs.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture and Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate sustainable practices and advanced technologies into architectural designs for energy-efficient buildings.
2. Construction - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop and utilize eco-friendly construction materials and techniques to enhance the energy efficiency of commercial buildings.
3. Renewable Energy - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce renewable energy solutions, such as solar panels and geothermal systems, to power energy-efficient commercial buildings.