At over 2 million GSF, Beijing Parkview Green (PVG) is one of China\'s largest sustainable architecture projects. PVG is made up of four buildings, including two 11-story and two 20-story towers (Blocks A-D) that house retail area, offices and a six-star hotel - all of which are enclosed in a "Microclimatic Envelope" (ME) comprised of glass and plastic (ETFE - ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene). As a separate, non-structurally tied edifice, the ME operates in concert with the buildings at the site, providing benefits in energy conservation, solar reflectance, and stormwater management, while providing insulation value to the structures within. If you think of a glass covering on a cake stand, you have a pretty good idea of the nature of the ME. We are seeking an interpretation that characterizes the volume within the Microclimatic Envelope as the equivalent of "outdoors". This area, which will contain plantings and sculpture and visual access to daylight, will provide aesthetic and visual pleasure to the inhabitants of the project consistent with the intent of the credit. We plan to count all of sightlines out of the building envelope windows, some of which look out onto the "outdoor" plaza within the ME, others which look out through the ME, as outdoor sightlines for the purposes of complying with this credit.
The project team describes four buildings which are enclosed in a glass and plastic covered structure (ME), and requests that views into the ME be considered views to the outdoors for the purpose of this credit. The area within the ME, as described, cannot be considered an outdoor environment; the environment inside the ME is a sealed interior space similar to a fully glazed atrium space. Exterior environments are different in that they have natural airflows, sun, rain, moisture, and biological content, which result in unexpected and random movement patterns. However, interior spaces that have direct line of sight through the ME will qualify. For compliance with this credit, floor plans with feasible tenant layouts and sections views must highlight direct line of sight to the outdoors. Applicable Internationally; China