Located in the Cloche d’Or, the construction of Alter Domus’ headquarters took two years.
The building is 11 floors high and two basements deep and houses 9,000m2 of new offices. As the exclusive tenant of the building with a 12-year lease, Alter Domus was able to design the interior to suit its own needs. On each floor, there are two open space areas, dotted with meeting rooms, as well as comfortable café and kitchenette areas. Throughout the building there are also four loggias that provide terrace space.
Betic was involved in all the special technology. The building is connected to the city heating system. The production of cooling energy is centralised and installed on the roof. Reversible ceilings were also installed. The plate heat exchangers installed on each distribution column and on each floor provide increased comfort.
The dehumidification system in the ventilation units guarantees operational reliability and high energy efficiency. At low temperatures in winter, neither the reversible ceilings nor the ventilation system require air conditioning. The plate heat exchangers recover the energy from the waste air.
On sunny days in winter, cooling may be required in various areas. The air condenser pump is then switched on and ensures a comfortable temperature for people inside the building by varying the fan speed. 2 ventilation units are installed on the roof, to supply the building with fresh air. The air is taken in via 2 vertical ducts and the air is treated by filtration before recovering part of the heat thanks to the plate heat exchangers. This system allows around 75% energy recovery.
The lighting, mainly composed of LEDs, is adjusted according to the external luminosity and the number of people inside. For the office areas, each light fitting has its own electronics and a specific treatment to guarantee everybody’s comfort.
On the ground floor there is a customer entrance which opens onto a small double-height atrium providing access to the meeting rooms reserved for welcoming clients. A little further on is the training area with its modular rooms for flexible working and reception.
On the 9th floor, a VIP reception area has been included. Also on this floor, in the room on in the corner of the building, widely visible from the outside and which boasts a double height, as the “boardroom”. This place provides a panoramic view of the new district. A great deal of attention was paid to the choice of furniture. For example, all work tables are height-adjustable in the interest of good ergonomics. Throughout the building, relaxation areas have been set up based on three different themes: library, nature and games.
The sobriety of the architecture, the quality of the materials used and the flexibility of the functionalities make this building a sustainable project in line with the development of a new district conceived as a new extension of Luxembourg City.
