The construction of LAD HQ, the high-tech sustainable office building for Lankuaikei Agricultural Development, has reached its highest point. The 11-storey building is located in Lin-gang New Town, to the southeast of Shanghai, where it will become one of China’s greenest, smartest sustainable buildings, providing an agricultural oasis in a rapidly developing urban area.

Image © MVRDV

In its current state, the structure hints at a number of the key features that will define the finished building. On the south side, the floors are terraced, stepping down to a small courtyard that will serve as the building’s main entrance. A public route will rise up along these terraces, providing spaces where LAD can showcase their work to interested visitors. Meanwhile, the columns protruding from the top of the building will eventually support the curving technological roof, which will shade the building from direct sunlight while supporting solar panels.

The building is conceived as a “sustainability machine”, confronting a wide variety of challenges both indirectly and directly, with high-tech and low-tech solutions. Through material selection and life-cycle analysis, the embodied carbon of the design will be 40% lower than a typical comparable construction. The roof structure and terraces aid in efficient natural ventilation. This ventilation and the shading strategies reduce energy requirements. Thanks to the aforementioned solar panels, the building will therefore be almost energy-neutral in operation.

Image © MVRDV

The terraces collect rainwater to irrigate the greenery, which extends all the way to the top floors, providing biodiversity and healthy working environments to the building. The design even indirectly contributes to public education and agricultural production, thanks to its role in facilitating the mission of LAD and the exhibition spaces that help manifest their vision.

See more of LAD HQ’s design here.