De Bilt, 30 July 2014 - Grontmij, a listed consulting & engineering company with a strong European presence, has been appointed by E-Topia Investment Holding Group to design an International Financial & Technology Centre (IFC) in Wuhan, China. Grontmij will also contribute to the improvement of the natural environment in this urban area, through the design of an integrated mobility concept and green public spaces. For Grontmij, this assignment is worth € 4.3 million.

In the past 2.5 years, Grontmij has been advising local government on the upgrade of an 8.8 hectare mixed use area in Wuhan's East Lake High Tech Development Zone. Grontmij has now been appointed to deliver a feasibility study, a conceptual urban design and a schematic and preliminary architectural design for this area. The contract is being carried out in a consortium with the CITIC General Institute of Architectural Design and Research.

Sustainable new buildings & quality of life improvement
Grontmij's design includes a new IFC with a 220-metre top quality office tower, a five-star hotel, a shopping mall and a residential building. The total floor area is 554,000 m2, including 160,000 m2 of underground retail outlets and parking facilities.

Another important aspect in Grontmij's design is the improvement of the quality of life in this vibrant area, with a major public transport hub. Heavy local traffic not only causes regular congestion, but also increases air pollution. Grontmij is proposing an integrated and intelligent mobility concept to relieve traffic pressure and to optimise the transfer of passengers from bus and metro. These plans include separation of traffic flows of vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Grontmij's plan to improve the area's livability and provide recreational areas for local inhabitants also includes the integration of high-quality public green spaces.

Sustainability by design
Li Bin, managing director of Grontmij in China: "'Sustainability by design' is key in all of Grontmij's work and it will also be the leading principle in this assignment. Not only are we designing buildings with low energy requirements and a minimum use of natural resources, we are also taking into account the physical and social context and the natural environment when designing the urban area and the buildings. Economic sustainability is also a focus point: the proposed development should achieve long-term economic success for the region and we're proud to contribute to that."