CASE STUDY THE EDGE, AMSTERDAM 7 Read the text and answer the questions below. The Edge is a 40,000m office building in the Zuidas business district in Amsterdam. The building demonstrates that a vibrant working environment can be combined successfully with achieving the highest levels of sustainability. The building is not only energy neutral but also energy positive. The Edge uses 70% less electricity than comparable office buildings. The roof and the south-facing facade incorporate the largest array of photovoltaic panels of any European office building, and an aquifer thermal energy storage system provides all of the energy required for heating and cooling. Occupancy, movement, lighting levels, humidity and temperature are continuously measured using smart technology the building systems respond to maximise efficiency. But the real outcome of The Edge is not just the reduction in water and energy use of its own users, but also the project s role as a feasible, high quality example of new technologies, new ways of designing, and new ways of working. The atrium acts as a buffer area between the workspace and the external environment. Excess ventilation air from the offices is used again to air condition the atrium space. The air is then ventilated back out through the top of the atrium where it passes through a heat exchanger to make use of any warmth. Rain water is collected on the roof and used to flush toilets, and irrigate the green terraces in the atrium and other garden areas surrounding the building. to achieve: realizzare aquifer thermal energy storage system: sistema di deposito dell energia termale di falda idrica array: assortimento buffer area: zona cuscinetto feasible: fattibile to flush: pulire (con lo sciacquone) occupancy: capienza outcome: risultato 1. What kind of building is the Edge? 4. How is energy produced? 2. What is the Edge a demonstration of? 5. How is energy efficiency maximised? 3. What does the sentence the building is energy positive mean? 6. What is rain water used for? BIO AND MAN-MADE CONSTRUCTIONS 89