Huishan North Bund in Shanghai Achieves Distinction for Sustainable Design
New Buildings by Perkins Eastman Awarded LEED Gold, China 3-Star Rating, and BREEAM Excellent Certifications
International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman is proud to announce that Huishan North Bund, the new mixed-use redevelopment and marina situated on Shanghai’s Huangpu River, has achieved distinction for comprehensive sustainable design from the China Green Building Assessment Standard (GBAS), the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). These certifications are a first on all counts for Perkins Eastman’s work in China. On a broader level, this official recognition reinforces the fact that an increasing number of developers are investing in sustainable and eco-friendly design in China.
With “front row seats” facing Shanghai’s iconic Pudong skyline, the 255,000 sm (2.8 million sf) redevelopment comprises the marina, riverfront esplanade, public plaza, underground retail concourse and eight new office buildings. Of the buildings submitted for certification, all have achieved LEED Gold from the USGBC, and multiple have earned a 3-Star rating (the highest possible rating) from the China GBAS and BREEAM Excellent or Very Good certifications.
Beyond its individual certifications, Huishan North Bund has set the benchmark in China for comprehensive sustainable design on a large scale. Among the myriad features that contribute to its appeal, the most noteworthy is the new 12,000 sm marina and lock, the first of its kind in Shanghai. As the redevelopment’s focal point, the marina underpins the complex’s District Energy System. As river water flows in and out of the marina, it functions as a heat sink, serving a submerged HVAC central plant and pump room that utilize the cold river water for heat rejection from the buildings – obviating the need for cooling towers; supplemental cooling is provided through ice-making from captured rain water.
The marina also doubles as the development’s reservoir, collecting 100% of storm water from green roofs and the ground plane. Further, the marina backs up the greywater reuse system which serves all on-site office buildings as well as site-wide irrigation. The marina creates a year-round micro-climate, which benefits the surrounding plaza through evaporative cooling during the warm months, and as a moderating body during the cold months.
Principal Ming Wu, who led the design team along with Associate Principal Mathew Snethen, says that “For more than 150 years, this sequestered docklands site cut the city off from its riverfront. But former commercial maritime uses have given way to new “highest and best” uses; Huishan North Bund is now Shanghai’s next great place for all to enjoy. The city has been reconnected with its waterfront, and best of all, while sustainable design is at the core of everything we did there, the components that make it so are hidden in plain sight.” Functioning as a mini-multi-modal transit hub, Huishan makes direct connections to two subway lines via its retail concourse, cross-river ferry service, and multiple bus lines on nearby Dong Da Ming Road.
Within the office buildings, high ceilings (up to 5.5m floor-to-floor), shallow core-to-exterior-wall depths, and offset cores maximize daylight penetration. Further enhancing the functionality and comfort of the workplace, all buildings feature raised floors, motorized operable windows, increased fresh air ventilation, low-flow sanitary fixtures, and high performance facades that control the absorption of sunlight and reflected light.
Huishan North Bund was joint venture between developer Franshion Properties and owner Shanghai International Port Group, whose new headquarters and trading facility are located on-site. Design of the site was awarded to EE&K Architects in 2008, prior to the firm’s merger with Perkins Eastman. The development officially opened to the public in 2014.
About Perkins Eastman
Perkins Eastman is among the top design and architecture firms in the world. With almost 950 employees in 14 locations around the globe, Perkins Eastman practices at every scale of the built environment. From niche buildings to complex projects that enrich whole communities, the firm’s portfolio reflects a dedication to progressive and inventive design that enhances the quality of the human experience. With work in 46 states and more than 40 countries, the firm’s portfolio includes transportation and public infrastructure, high-end residential, commercial, hotels, retail, office buildings, corporate interiors, schools, hospitals, museums, senior living, and public sector facilities. Perkins Eastman provides award-winning design through its offices in North America (New York, NY; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; San Francisco, CA; Stamford, CT; Toronto, Canada; and Washington, DC); South America (Guayaquil, Ecuador); North Africa and Middle East (Dubai, UAE); and Asia (Mumbai, India, and Shanghai, China).
