Green Hamburg House under way

SHANGHAI: Construction of an eco-friendly house, an energy self-sufficient building with "zero gas emissions", began yesterday at the Shanghai Expo site here.

Hamburg House, Germany's only Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) pavilion, is being designed to create a perfect environment for urban living, in line with the Expo theme of "Better City, Better Life," said Anja Hajduk, Minister of Urban Development and Environment of Hamburg.

With a total investment of 4 million euros, the project covers 570 sq m, with an exhibition area of about 3,000 sq m. It would incorporate "both living and office functions to showcase how we could enhance the experience of urban living through resource and energy conservation," the minister said.