Green and Positive Building: Snøhetta Completes Sculptural, Energy Positive ‘Powerhouse’ in Telemark, Norway

Brief 

Snohetta has completed a building in Norway that it says will produce more energy than it consumes over its life span. The building’s concrete slabs help store thermal heat during the day and release it slowly at night.

Insight

As part of the powerhouse series, snøhetta realizes a sustainable model for the future of workspaces in telemark together with collaborators R8 property, skanska, and asplan viak.

as snøhetta’s 4th energy positive building, ‘powerhouse telemark’ reduces its yearly net energy consumption by 70% compared to similar new-construction offices, and by producing more energy than it will consume over its entire lifespan — setting a new standard for the construction of environmentally sustainable buildings.

through standardized interior solutions and co-working spaces, tenants can scale their office spaces as needed, granting much needed flexibility in a global context where remote working solutions continue to increase in demand.snøhetta and its team design ‘powerhouse telemark’ to propose a new model of sustainable building typology. the energy sector and building industry account for over 40% of global industry’s heat-trapping emissions combined.

as the world’s population and the severity of the climate crisis continue to grow, the collaborative team at snøhetta, R8 property, skanska, and asplan viak, introduce powerhouse workspace in telemark, norway as a challenge to work across industries to build more responsibly.