2012-05-16
Green car park reduces car dependency
The Fullriggaren parking garage is now inaugurated - an innovative step towards a more sustainable society. FOJAB arkitekter has, on behalf of Parkering Malmö, designed the parking garage Fullriggaren in Västra Hamnen in Malmö. The parking garage has its own electricity supply and a free car pool for residents. With solar cells and wind turbines, the building will cover a large part of its own energy needs.
The goal is for the parking garage to use half as much energy as a conventional parking garage. Energy-efficient LED lighting, 145 square meters of solar panels on the façade and two wind turbines on the roof will achieve this. On a sunny and windy day, the surplus electricity will be used to charge electric cars. A beautiful green wall of about 500 square meters will add greenery to the area and have a number of positive environmental effects. The plants neutralize carbon dioxide emissions and bind particles in the air. Bright yellow birdhouses will contribute to the development of flora and fauna in Västra Hamnen.
Car sharing reduces the need for parking spaces
Residents in the area are offered five years of free membership in a car pool, which has prompted the municipality to make a radical decision: to reduce the total number of parking spaces in the area.
- It is important to us that our projects are characterized by an environmental and sustainability mindset. We believe this can be one of many ways to reduce car dependency. The car pool provides access to a car when you really need it but does not encourage a car-based lifestyle," says Anders Eriksson, architect and contract manager for the Fullriggaren parking garage.
The history of the area as a source of inspiration
The ideas of sustainability and good environment are also reflected in the architecture. Fullriggaren does not look like a traditional parking garage with concrete floors stacked on top of each other, but has a clear vertical design language in the facade. Västra Hamnen's history of large-scale shipbuilding has inspired the choice of steel and concrete as building materials.
The Fullriggaren parking garage is the latest in a series of innovative parking garage projects commissioned by FOJAB arkitekter from Parkering Malmö.
- It is an inspiring collaboration on a number of projects that are characterized by innovative thinking about social and resource sustainability and architectural design. But this is probably the first time we have been commissioned to design for people, birds and bats," says Anders Eriksson.