The Olympics headquarters is one of the greenest buildings in the world

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) 500 employees will now be housed in a new building in Lausanne, Switzerland–and it just might be the most sustainable building in the world at present.

So what makes this building eco-friendly?

• a green roof
• 95% of the building materials are reused or recycled
• a rainwater collection system
• solar panels
• self-shading, meaning it’s designed in a way that reduces the need for air conditioning while still allowing daylight in

Construction on the building, which was designed by Danish firm 3XN and built in collaboration with IttenBrechbühl, began in May 2016 and cost $147 million. 3XN provides more details about their idea for the IOC’s headquarters on their website.

Photo by Adam MØRK/IOC