UN office in Nairobi sets pace in green design

Unep’s headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi, has been designed as a model for other buildings. The offices are the airy walkways full of plants, coupled with natural lighting coming down through the central atrium that runs the entire length of the building.

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), buildings are responsible for a third of global energy use and contribute a large portion of greenhouse emissions.

Estimates suggest that by the year 2020, these emissions will rise to 11.1 billion tonnes. Interestingly, the manufacture of construction materials has been cited as a key contributor to the high rise of carbon emissions.

To reverse the trend, architects are coming up with designs that are not only energy-efficient but that contribute little to carbon emissions.

While every other new building in town prides itself on being the latest to add green features, it is only prudent to find out how UNEP’s own headquarters in Nairobi have been designed as a model for others buildings.

What strikes you upon entering the new offices in Gigiri are the airy walkways full of plants, coupled with natural lighting coming down through the central atrium that runs the entire length of the building.

This is made possible due to the building’s North-South orientation that not only helps it achieve maximum light intake but also mitigates against solar gain.

About 6,000 square metres of solar panels that cover the rooftop are able to generate enough energy for the building’s 1,200 users.

The water features at the entrance of each block are fed by harvested rainwater from the roof.

Excess waste water is treated at an on-site aeration facility that is then used to maintain the expansive gardens.

“This building is beautiful, comfortable and efficient. But more than any of that, this building is a living model of our sustainable future,” Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, said during the official opening of the building four years ago.

According to him, the design of the UN office in Nairobi will be replicated at the UN headquarters in New York when they are renovated. Well, this is what is expected of a building that houses the global body responsible for environmental matters.