Construction works on the highly anticipated Expo City 2017, designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), are well underway in Astana, Kazakhstan. The 429-acre master plan responds to the Expo theme "Future Energy" by incorporating buildings that will operate as power plants, generating energy from solar panels and wind turbines to power themselves and the rest of the campus through an innovative smart grid.

The project focuses on using renewable energy as the primary source for infrastructure and daily operation of the buildings. Each element of the design aims to encourage and support the idea of clean energy across the project, which will feature exhibition and cultural pavilions, a residential development, commercial areas, educational and civic facilities, as well as parks and parking.

Located at the very heart of the campus, the sphere-shaped Kazakhstan Pavilion will be a true symbol of the “Future Energy” concept. Its transformative skin will reduce thermal loss and reduce interior solar glare, at the same time increasing the building’s energy output through integrated sustainable systems such as photovoltaics.

Each building was designed to reduce energy use and increase the amount of clean energy that can be harvested. “The building forms are the direct result of a considerate and thorough design process, which AS+GG practices as ‘Form Follows Performance,” said AS+GG partner Adrian Smith, FAIA.

In addition to the excellent energy performance of individual buildings, the architects ensured that the entire development will be interconnected by including a smart energy grid, smart recycled water grid, integrated waste management system, and inter-seasonal underground thermal energy storage. After the Expo, the site will be converted into an office and research park for international companies and entrepreneurs.

Article by Lidija Grozdanic inhabitat.com
Photos by A.O. Tercan