Echo TU Delft
Echo Building at TU Delft Campus is a new landmark of sustainable and transparent design on the TU Delft Campus. It exemplifies sustainable architecture and innovative design. Octatube was responsible for engineering and constructing the continuous glass facades that define the building’s transparent character.
Flexible eductional space and sustainable innovation
Echo serves as a multifunctional, cross-faculty educational facility designed to accommodate a variety of teaching methods and study preferences. The building houses seven teaching rooms, most of which feature adaptable layouts to support diverse educational activities. As the first energy-producing building on the TU Delft Campus, Echo contributes to the university’s long-term sustainability goals. Additional amenities include food and beverage facilities, numerous informal seating areas, and a secure bicycle storage area located in the basement.
Circular design principles
Designed by UNStudio, Echo adheres to circular construction principles and meets the advanced sustainability ambitions set by TU Delft Campus. The building incorporates photovoltaic panels, advanced insulation systems, and thermal energy storage, resulting in a fully energy-neutral performance.
High-performance glass facades
The building’s transparent envelope is composed of large-format glass panels, most of which are supported only at the top and bottom. The largest panel measures approximately 2.6 by 5 metres and is over 5 cm thick, with individual weight reaching up to 1,200 kg. The panels are coated to provide an optimal combination of desired transparency and solar control, ensuring comfort and energy efficiency. The typical structure of the glass panels is 12/14/12.12.4 (approximately 51 mm), comprising toughened and semi-toughened glass.
Bespoke aluminium profiles and solar control elements
The glass panels are framed in bespoke thermal aluminium U-profiles developed by Octatube specifically for Echo. Custom-designed gaskets accommodate high compression forces and floor deflections up to 40 mm. Deep aluminium canopies are integrated into the facades to provide horizontal solar shading and block excess solar heat.
Green façade with dynamic light filtering
To further control solar gain, Echo features a dynamic light barrier system. Vegetation climbs cables between the canopy levels, creating a living green façade that naturally filters daylight while contributing to the building’s sustainable aesthetic.
Minimal Structural Support for Maximum Transparency
On the second level, large glass panels are stabilized using slender steel 'swords' that are attached to floor and to ceiling. These minimal structural elements are designed as small and thins as possible to preserve the visual transparency of the facade. The west façadeincludes a striking double-height glass façade without a canopy, supported by precision-engineered, sharp-edged steel tubes.
Partners: TUDelft | BAM | UNStudio | Arup | Buiting steel construction
(Photography: Evabloem)
