Building for the future: A United Nations showcase in Nairobi

When the United Nations outgrew the office accommodation at its 140-acre Gigiri compound in Nairobi, it was clear that any new building had to meet several challenges head-on. It needed to be energy and water efficient, to reduce and recycle, and to maximize sustainability without compromising the quality of the working environment. The new office facility in Nairobi, which houses the headquarters of both the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), may well be a first in sub-Saharan Africa. With 6,000 square metres of solar panels, energy saving lighting, natural ventilation systems and other green features, the office is designed to generate as much electricity as its 1,200 occupants consume.read more: http://www.unep.org/gc/gc26/Building-for-the-future.pdf