Kirchberg

After a few hours of rest, we started our exploration. For architecture students, Kirchberg is probably the best place to study the latest trend of eco friendly modern architectures. Stringing both sides of avenue John F. Kennedy, the main street of Kirchberg, are glass buildings exposing the inner structures and offices in them, towers featuring gardens in middle section, and buildings made of materials that breath to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption.

Furthermore, this district embodies the live, work, and play urban layout. Entertainment complexes, residential buildings, office towers, schools, and manicured parks are within walking distance from each other. It is purposely designed to reduce the energy consumptions by its inhabitants. Ornamental sculptures adorn open spaces in between buildings. The works of international eminent architects are well represented here.

The purposeful and sophisticated urban planning with the emphasis on providing a sustainable living reminded me of the similar eco initiatives that Audi has pioneered for many years. The sportiness of this A4 may be easily recognizable. But its efficiency becomes evident upon driving it. It is not one or two things that Audi does to improve the efficiency of its cars, but rather an array of research and development in various areas covering aerodynamic, power plant, electrical system, body and mechanical construction, and manufacturing process and recyclability. It is worth noting that Audi is ahead of regulatory requirements with its recycling program.

This A4 has only less than 0.28 coefficient of drag (Cd). The Audi AG Wind Tunnel Center in Ingolstadt has a lot to do with this impressive Cd. Here, in a facility covering 10,000 meter square and housing three giant wind tunnels, car models are evaluated and tuned for minimal drag. Hot spots under car models, along roof lines, and at corners are eliminated. Less resistance means less energy is required and less CO2 produces. According to EU standard cycle, the decrease of 0.04 Cd reduces the CO2 emission by 3 grams per kilometers.

Losing weight also lowers fuel consumption. While Audi has been well known for its leading role in the use of aluminum, it is also making advances in the new high performance and ultra-hardened steel technology. At Ingolstadt plant, the boric alloy steel blanks are slowly heated in a 23-meter oven. When the temperature of the blanks reaches more than 900 degree Celsius, a robot places the glowing red blanks immediately in the specially designed press equipped with water-filled cooling pipes.

The shock-cooled process shapes the microstructure of the pressed piece in such a way that it exhibits three times greater tensile strength than the original material. One single wire of ultra-hardened steel with a cross section area of one millimeter square can suspend a 150 kilogram load. This enables Audi to use less steel in its cars without scarifying rigidity and safety. The saving on CO2 emission is not only on the road when the car is driven. Ingolstadt plant is now produces 21 percent less CO2 by utilizing the new ultra-hardened steel manufacturing process.

Major European Institutions can be found aplenty in Kirchberg, and they make Luxembourg the third capital of the European Union. Another important point of interests here is the Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean. One can just admire its sensational cluster of glass prisms and sweeping curves for hours. Heading downhill along sneaky and narrow road behind the museum, we arrived at the Drai Eechelen fortress, one of the few remaining fortresses that used to ring the city. From this vantage point, we could see the historic old city of Luxembourg perching on a plateau across a green gorge.

Kirchberg

After a few hours of rest, we started our exploration. For architecture students, Kirchberg is probably the best place to study the latest trend of eco friendly modern architectures. Stringing both sides of avenue John F. Kennedy, the main street of Kirchberg, are glass buildings exposing the inner structures and offices in them, towers featuring gardens in middle section, and buildings made of materials that breath to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption.

Furthermore, this district embodies the live, work, and play urban layout. Entertainment complexes, residential buildings, office towers, schools, and manicured parks are within walking distance from each other. It is purposely designed to reduce the energy consumptions by its inhabitants. Ornamental sculptures adorn open spaces in between buildings. The works of international eminent architects are well represented here.

The purposeful and sophisticated urban planning with the emphasis on providing a sustainable living reminded me of the similar eco initiatives that Audi has pioneered for many years. The sportiness of this A4 may be easily recognizable. But its efficiency becomes evident upon driving it. It is not one or two things that Audi does to improve the efficiency of its cars, but rather an array of research and development in various areas covering aerodynamic, power plant, electrical system, body and mechanical construction, and manufacturing process and recyclability. It is worth noting that Audi is ahead of regulatory requirements with its recycling program.

This A4 has only less than 0.28 coefficient of drag (Cd). The Audi AG Wind Tunnel Center in Ingolstadt has a lot to do with this impressive Cd. Here, in a facility covering 10,000 meter square and housing three giant wind tunnels, car models are evaluated and tuned for minimal drag. Hot spots under car models, along roof lines, and at corners are eliminated. Less resistance means less energy is required and less CO2 produces. According to EU standard cycle, the decrease of 0.04 Cd reduces the CO2 emission by 3 grams per kilometers.

Losing weight also lowers fuel consumption. While Audi has been well known for its leading role in the use of aluminum, it is also making advances in the new high performance and ultra-hardened steel technology. At Ingolstadt plant, the boric alloy steel blanks are slowly heated in a 23-meter oven. When the temperature of the blanks reaches more than 900 degree Celsius, a robot places the glowing red blanks immediately in the specially designed press equipped with water-filled cooling pipes.

The shock-cooled process shapes the microstructure of the pressed piece in such a way that it exhibits three times greater tensile strength than the original material. One single wire of ultra-hardened steel with a cross section area of one millimeter square can suspend a 150 kilogram load. This enables Audi to use less steel in its cars without scarifying rigidity and safety. The saving on CO2 emission is not only on the road when the car is driven. Ingolstadt plant is now produces 21 percent less CO2 by utilizing the new ultra-hardened steel manufacturing process.

Major European Institutions can be found aplenty in Kirchberg, and they make Luxembourg the third capital of the European Union. Another important point of interests here is the Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean. One can just admire its sensational cluster of glass prisms and sweeping curves for hours. Heading downhill along sneaky and narrow road behind the museum, we arrived at the Drai Eechelen fortress, one of the few remaining fortresses that used to ring the city. From this vantage point, we could see the historic old city of Luxembourg perching on a plateau across a green gorge.