Use of natural light, passive and active energy saving systems, relative position to the sun, air flow, leaf moistened air….

This doesn’t sound like “business as usual” for a municipal building. But the Noain City Hall in Navarre, Spain designed by Award winning Zon-e Arquitectos stems  logically from the fact that the region leads Europe in its use of renewable energy technology. 

The outer layer of this somewhat mushroom shaped structure is a grid of steel bars separated from the inner translucent glass and polycarbonate layer by several meters.  Ivy has been planted to grow up and over the building. Using this grid as a support, the plant forms a seasonal filter, absorbing solar radiation in summer and as an insulating system in winter. Additionally, being a deciduous plant, the ivy will be an unparalleled design feature as it changes from vibrant green to flaming red along with the seasons.

The rending above envisions the building with full growth, while the firm’s website offers a series of photos showing the ivy in its slow and steady progress.  Even if the architects have run the gauntlet of bureaucracy and a building is completed, it’s clear you can’t rush Mother Nature.