The Global Environment Research Center was designed to the mandate of the client, the National Institute of Environmental Research, of ‘realizing a building of the future’ in its answer to a call for ‘Low Carbon, Green Growth’. A sloped strip of greenery runs between the buildings, offering additional benefits of minimizing energy losses from the northern side of the main building and serving as an eco-friendly amenity space. The center generates 100% of the energy requirement for electricity and heat; employs various passive-house technologies to avoid use of fossil fuel; and utilizes renewable energy sources, making it the first ‘Zero Impact’ building in Korea.