The passive design that gives the building its extraordinary shape

with many angles and sloping walls ensures natural lighting and

shading in the interior. A natural ventilation system with 150 controllable

faade openings reduces the cost of mechanical ventilation. The triple-

glazed windows, which have a g value of 0.3, maximize the buildings

insulation. Rainwater, as well as graywater and blackwater (waste water

having different levels of contamination), are collected and purified right

in the Crystal so that the building does not lose a single drop of water.

The advanced Desigo building automation system from Siemens

controls and monitors all building operating parameters, while the

Siemens Advantage Operation Center (AOC) in Frankfurt, Germany,

handles remote maintenance. The Crystals users and visitors can see

the latest energy and water consumption figures on Green Building