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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Beijing-based Decode Urbanism Office has designed a tower with a façade composed of multiple wind-driven generators.
Thousands of wind turbines will produce enough energy to power the entire building. At night, the diamond-shaped generators are lit with thousands of LED lights incorporated into the building envelope. The 350-meter (1,150-foot) structure, in Taichung City, China, will house the city’s Department of Urban Development, as well as commercial activities. The tower’s façade, inspired by the plum blossom — China and Taiwan's national flower – reacts to changes in direction and intensity of the wind, creating a truly dynamic visual effect. Similarly, mechanical wind power generators have LEDs, illuminating the façade and producing a pulsating flow of light, whose intensity and color adjust to correspond to changes in temperature and season.
The wind harnessing capability, along with the lighting that responds to local atmospheric conditions, makes this conceptual tower a true “decoder of nature.”
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Sustainability in architecture reveals itself in many forms, some more subtle or hidden than others. It’s much more complicated an issue than just green lawning your building, but sometimes that’s just what you need to get your message across.
The House in Travessa do Patrocínio by RA\\ does just that. The narrow townhouse is situated in the center of Lisbon, in a neighborhood with little access to green spaces. To compensate for this, the architects draped the house with lush green facades that cover 100 square-meters of wall space. The facades are integral components to the architecture, and are planted with approximately 4,500 plants sourced from 25 different local varieties, all of which require little maintenance. The result is a vertical garden that functions as an urban “lung” within the pavement-heavy area, helping to rid the residential street of excess noise, carbon, and other pollutants floating about. Though small and humble in proportion, the architects hope that the house is an “example of sustainability for the city of Lisbon,” a new urban model applicable at all scales of building.
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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This house, designed for a thirty-year-old couple and their mother, is a typical tube house constructed on the plot 4m wide and 20m deep. The front and back façades are entirely composed of layers of concrete planters cantilevered from two side walls.
The height of the planters are adjusted according to the height of the plants, which varies from 25 cm to 40 cm. To water plants and for easy maintenance, automatic irrigation pipes inside the planters are used. Named “Stacking Green”, this tropical and unique house has façades filled with vital greenery.
The structure is a frame widely used in Vietnam. There are few partition walls in order to keep the view of green façades from every point of the house. During the day, the light varies- in the morning and afternoon, sunlight enters through on both façades, creating beautiful shadow effects on the stone walls.
The green façade and roof top garden offer protection from direct sunlight, street noise and pollution. Natural ventilation also allows the house to save a energy in the harsh climate of Saigon. With an ecological approach, the design references the bioclimatic principles of a traditional Vietnamese courtyard house...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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The city of Almere has a sheep population of about 80 sheep. The sheep are mobilized to keep the powerful weed “acanthus” or “bears-breech” that grows in the “vroege vogel” – forest and “kromsloot” – park in Almere under control.
To centralize and house this population, a sheep stable was needed. The stable is designed with an a-symmetrical homogeneous cross-section. The part of the building where the sheep reside is relatively low; the high part is situated above the (public) pathway and the hay storage section, making it possible to store a maximum amount of hay. This shape also creates a natural flow for the air inside the building, which is refreshed by two slits at the foot of each long side of the building. The detailing of the corner of the building, where the long façade ends and the gable starts, is extremely important for the overall experience of the architecture of this building. It emphasises the cross sectional shape of the building, and finishes the long façade of the building, which starts as a façade and slowly becomes roof...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Revisiting traditional construction techniques, French architecture studios JKA and FUGA have converted an 1826 farmhouse into a luxury villa. Conceived as a sundial and exposed in its four façades to the path of the sun, Villa Solaire responds to its environment while maintaining historic integrity.
Located in the district of Pied de La Plagne, Morzine, France, the volume was singled out by the municipality as a landmark for traditional architecture. Seeking to preserve its appearance while allowing light to enter the building, the architects used a traditional technique of decorative cut-outs within the uniform wooden cladding in a simple and contemporary pattern.
"Throughout the year, the surrounding roofs and buildings cast their shadows on the façades," state the architects. "The pattern within the cladding is designed to respond to the path described by these shadows". JKA and FUGA further explain that the house was conceived as a sundial, exposed in its four façades to the path of the sun: thus the name Villa Solaire...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Chicago-based architect, Jeanne Gang, just unveiled the latest project planned to border New York City’s beloved High Line. The 180,000 square-foot office tower with ground level retail will replace an existing, disused meatpacking plant along 10th Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. It will feature a glass facade that is intelligently shaped to avoid the disruption of light, air and views from the High Line. The gem-like façade displays the exciting architectural potential of expanded notions of solar-driven zoning—and a skyscraper that enhances the public life of the city in ways that a stand-alone icon cannot. Dubbed the Solar Carve Tower, the mid-rise structure is currently pending city approval and is planned for completion in 2015.
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Splitterwerk Architects have designed a building that, when completed, will be powered by algae bioreactors that capture and release energy.
Splitterwerk Architects have designed just such a structure, dubbed BIQ, which will be the very first of its kind. Covered with a bio-adaptive façade of microalgae, the distinctive building has been designed for the International Building Exhibition in Hamburg, and is slated for completion next year. The building is covered in bio-reactive louvers that enclose and allow the algae to survive and grow faster than they would otherwise, while also providing shade for the building's interior. Additionally, the bio-reactors trap the heat energy created by the algae, which can then be harvested and used to power the building. Once completed, it will be a resource for scientists and engineers for future research. The project is a collaboration between Spitterwerk Architects, Strategic Science Consult of Germany, ARUP and Colt International...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Upcoming weather for Abu Dhabi shows a week of temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 0% chance of rain. In such extreme conditions, architects practicing environmental design as their top priority are up against a tough battle. Never mind that the sand can compromise the structural integrity of the building, the intense heat and glare can render a comfortable indoor environment relatively impossible if not properly addressed. For Abu Dhabi’s newest pair of towers, Aedas Architects designed a responsive facade which takes cultural cues from the “mashrabiya”, a traditional Islamic lattice shading device. Completed in June 2012, the 145 meter towers’ Masharabiya shading system was developed by the computational design team at Aedas. Using a parametric description for the geometry of the actuated facade panels, the team was able to simulate their operation in response to sun exposure and changing incidence angles during the different days of the year. The screen opperates as a curtain wall, sitting two meters outside the buildings’ exterior on an independent frame. Each triangle is coated with fiberglass and programmed to respond to the movement of the sun as a way to reduce solar gain and glare. In the evening, all the screens will close...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Kengo Kuma and Associates made this wonderful detailed green facade on mixed-use building in Odawara, Japan. The green building, built in 2011, has 5 floors with parking in the basement and ground floor. Other floors are occupied by the school, offices and residence with the rooftop terrace. "The façade of the building is covered with planters made of aluminum die-cast panels, which provides space for facilities. The 3 (up to 6) aluminum panels, which also form planters, are made in monoblock casting. Each panel is slanted, and its surface appears to be organic, of which cast comes from decayed styrene foam. Equipment such as watering hose, air reservoir for ventilation and downpipes are installed behind the panels so that the façade can accommodate a comprehensive system for the building."
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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The world's first algae-powered building is being piloted in Hamburg. Designed by multinational firm Arup, features panel glass bioreactors on a facade containing microalgae that generate biomass and heat, serving as a renewable energy source.
The systems provide insulation for the building- 129 bioreactors have been fitted to the southwest and southeast faces of the building. They are controlled by an energy management center in which solar thermal heat and algae are harvested and stored to be used to create hot water.
Jan Wurm, Arup’s Europe Research Leader, said: 'Using bio-chemical processes in the facade of a building to create shade and energy is a really innovative concept.
'It might well become a sustainable solution for energy production in urban areas, so it is great to see it being tested in a real-life scenario.'
The news comes after Arup announced their vision for the future of skyscrapers which suggested that buildings would be 'living' buildings powered by algae that respond automatically to the weather and the changing needs of inhabitants...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Paris-based architects Badia-Berger Architectes have recently completed the University of Versailles Science Library, in France- an efficient building composed of three juxtaposed volumes intersected by a series of voids. The building acts as a connector inside the university campus, uniting the eastern sloped park and the western sporting grounds, which determines that it doesn't have a main façade, rather, a central position from which its multidirectional nature stems. The library is comprised of three juxtaposing volumes intersected by a series of voids, which allow for abundant daylight to pour into the building, as well as creating a series of transparencies between the two connected terrains — the park and the sporting grounds. The three separate volumes harbour respectively the entry hall, the reading rooms and internal spaces. "The shape is an expression of our perception of the program and our response to the requirements of a low energy building," state architects Marie-Hélène Badia and Didier Berger, "fully acknowledging lighting and thermal comfort as well as highlighting the site's contrasts."
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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The PNC Financial Services Group hopes to exceed LEED Platinum requirements while promoting a healthy workplace with a recent development – the Tower at PNC Plaza. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, the building will be 800,00 sq.ft (74,322 sq.mt) with a construction budget of approximately US $240 million.
The "breathing" design created by architecture firm Gensler moves away from the traditional closed air-conditioned environment and has the lofty aim of becoming the greenest skyscraper in the world.
Employees in the 33 floor glass tower will access daylight and fresh air. The PNC Tower design recognizes that the Pittsburgh climate can provide increased levels of natural light onto the floorspace along with improved regulation of temperatures for much of the year without using traditional, energy-intensive HVAC systems. The Tower hopes to achieve this with a double-skin facade of two panes of glass separated by an enclosed cavity, allowing external air inside. The facade features operable doors and windows that admit fresh air into the building during optimal conditions, while a solar chimney is another passive system- it pulls air in through the open windows, the air then travels across the floors, is heated and exhaled through the roof shaft.
The Tower will consume less than 50 percent of the energy a typical office building uses and will save PNC at least 30 percent on its energy costs...
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Lauren Moss
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BIG, Raymond Jungles, Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, Esrawe, Desimone + HNGS, transform the Coconut Grove Waterfront with twisting towers in Miami Florida, USA.
Developed by Terra Group, the Grove at Grand Bay residences, at the former site of the Grand Bay Hotel and minutes from downtown Miami, seeks to breath new life into Coconut Grove. With construction scheduled to begin the fourth quarter of 2012 and completion at the end of 2014, the project seeks LEED Silver Certification, the first of its kind in Coconut Grove. Rising 20 stories, the towers will showcase 96 residences with panoramic views from every angle as they readjust their orientation to capture the full breadth of panoramic views from sailboat bays and the marina to the Miami skyline. The interactive movement of the two towers creates a new dancing silhouette on the Grove’s skyline.
Whether in the shade of the buildings’ twisting facades or inside, residents will fully experience and relish living amid the open air. The gardens and architecture will fuse seamlessly at the amenity levels, maximizing indoor outdoor living experiences unique to the South Florida climate. Views down into the gardens, towards the surrounding canopied neighborhoods, and beyond Sailboat Bay will offer peaceful, verdant backdrops to elegant residential interiors and vast balconies...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Abu Dhabi’s new inspiring architectural design might lead to even further research into the world of transforming interior and exterior environments with ingenious creativity. Al Bahar Towers housing the Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters are now part of Aedas Architects' portfolio, rising tall to shape a new era in modern office building design. Inspired by a traditional Islamic lattice shading device named “mashrabiya”, the interesting geometric shapes enveloping the towers offer a powerful visual impact while intelligently protecting the interiors from excessive heat gain. Each of the 25-story high twin office towers in the United Arab Emirates will accommodate approximately 1,000 employees, who will be working in an inspiring, environmentally appropriate atmosphere...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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As part of the master plan designed by HENN, the new Nantong Urban Planning Museum is located prominently along the central river. The museum is characterized as a floating volume, resting on a glass pedestal, with space for special exhibitions, a café and bookstore. The overall dominant form which cantilevers above the glass entry contains the primary exhibition space, offices, and conference rooms.
Its distinctive façade is composed of two layers: the inner thermally seals the building envelope, and the outer is a reticulated metal structure with varied panels. The façade’s diamond-shaped grid is comprised of seven different panels that allow for varying degrees of opening from 9%-60%. This provides for the controlled regulation of sunlight in fine increments, to accommodate the needs of the interior program. The exhibition spaces are therefore, characterized by a predominantly closed façade with minimal openings, and the offices with maximum levels of natural daylight...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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“Every day, 77,000 carbon-emitting vehicles fly past the Congress Parkway interchange, polluting the air. This project creates a gateway over the corridor that filters air and fuels a new breed of car for its residents.” Aimed to increase public awareness and improve public health, the CO2ngress Gateway Towers absorb the CO2 emissions from passing cars, which is fed to algae grown in the building. The algae then helps with the processing of biofuels which supply the building residents’ eco-friendly cars. The two towers split and converge at the top to create an iconic gateway to the city. A bridge joins the two towers and contains a public restaurant with views of neighboring buildings. Pedestrian connections are landscaped at the base, giving a human scale to a car-centric urban identity. Additionally, the double-skin facade helps reduce traffic noise and offers enclosed balconies. Natural cross-ventilation of the units is enabled through the building’s atrium. The terraces are enclosed by bio-reactor tubes which grow the algae responsible for biofuel processing...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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The corporate headquarters, designed by Annkit kummar of the Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA), uses the principles of integrating nature and architecture. The proposed Headquarters of LIDA assimilates greenery into the building by providing terrace gardens and recreational space to the employees. The central courtyard together, with its vertical voids, aids in the wind flow throughout the building, keeping the entire mass cooler during the summer. The 2 voids on the façade and the central courtyard provide a prevalent cross breeze throughout the central atrium, keeping the temperature inside lower, compared to the heat outside. The wind flow through the front and side vertical voids creates a cross breeze and establishes the micro-climate at the interior.
The entire mass of the proposed headquarters is covered with horizontal louvers, as the prevalent heat conditions in Lucknow require intelligent façade features to keep the building cooler. The glazing used through-out the façade would be solar glass which would prevent heat from going in thereby keeping the balance of temperature...
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Scooped by
Lauren Moss
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Opened last month in the coastal city of Yeosu, South Korea, the 2012 International Exhibition’s theme, “The Living Ocean and Coast,” is a way for attendees to examine challenges and solutions to development on oceans and coastlines. As the architect of the expo’s thematic pavilion, Vienna-based Soma Architecture designed a kinetic media facade to act as a counterpart to the show’s location by the water and to its multimedia presentations. Working with Stuttgart- and New York-based structural engineering firm Knippers Helbig as facade consultant, the team developed a constructible solution for building one of the largest adaptive structures in the world...
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