In line with the 2010 World Expo theme, "Better City, Better Life," representatives from the German city of Hamburg presented their Passive House in Shanghai. The pavilion uses as little energy as possible while still maintaining operation at its full potential. The North German metropolis, which has been awarded the title "European Green Capital 2011," gives visitors a close look into German high-tech engineering and offers a cultural program that showcases Hamburg's assets. More than 600,000 guests are expected to have visited Hamburg House by the end of the Expo on October 31.

The pavilion doesn't have an air conditioning system, but a pump allows air to flow in a natural way throughout the house via pipes, keeping the house cool in the summer and warm during the winter.

Designers took advantage of the moderate temperatures in the ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs of heating and cooling systems. And on top of the pavilion there is solar power generator, which is the main source of the building's electricity.

Temperatures in the pavilion rest at a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius year round, and its energy use is only 10 percent that of an ordinary building.

Another feature, the 3D Wish Tree, which runs through the entire building, serves as a tour guide to visitors, showing Hamburg residents' ideals for urban life and the government's response to that wish. Interactive programs in the pavilion present visitors with a panoramic view of Hamburg.

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