The “green energy” firm Envision Energy is a leading Chinese
wind turbine manufacturer whose core business includes research and
development, manufacturing, sales and maintenance.The Envision Energy Headquarters is located a
few hours from Shanghai near the Yangtze River, in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province,
China.The new three-story 3,000 SM
headquarters is sited directly adjacent to the assembly facility which
fabricates the rotor component of their wind turbine system and
programmatically supports its broad range of employees — from skilled laborers to executive directors. The program
includes offices, dining facilities, gallery and exhibition space and an
employee recreation lounge which houses a karaoke room, theater, gym, massage
room and game room.

Envision requested a
headquarters that exposes all stages of their operations and celebrates the
role of wind as the world’s fastest growing clean alternative energy source. Therefore,
the concept of wind energy and movement is key in the development of the
building’s massing, exterior skin and interior organization. The mass of the building is cut into two glass
volumes that slip against one another along a north/south axis.This shear movement produces a 10-meter
cantilever creating the main entrance on the north side of the building and a
roof terrace on the south side of the building.The passage of air is a significant interior sculpting
agent — initiating at the main entrance, it carves
a triple height atrium space that provides natural light, visually connects the
inner program of the headquarters and embodies Envision’s brand. The building’s core is blue, further
representing the brand.

The perforated metallic exterior skin is a solar veil
derived from an airfoil diagram which translates to the building’s sectional
quality. Both sections of the bisected exterior skin flow around a crucial design
feature — the central, airfoil-shaped “Envision Eye” which links the
headquarters to the adjacent assembly facility.This connection relates the two buildings to one another without
compromising their distinct identities and functions.
Through carefully
calibrated circulation, the headquarters curates Envision Energy’s products and
mission and gives a clear narrative of how wind turbine technologies drive
renewable energy. Beginning in the atrium, visitors are presented
with an exhibition of Envision’s products, operations, monitoring and fabrication.The tour continues through the “Envision Eye” which
contains monitors tracking Envision’s turbines globally and extends into a
pedestrian bridge connecting the base of operations to the assembly facility.This journey gives the visitor both the macro
and micro view of “green energy.” The design of the new Envision Energy
headquarters reveals the critical role wind power plays in converting the world to
clean, renewable energy by physically and metaphorically
connecting employees and visitors with this powerful natural resource.