JTS engineering blog

The U-Bora Towers development is a signature style offered by Aedas to the important financial center of Dubai that is straddled between the East and West. The design has given equal attention to its three different uses – office, residential and retail podium, in order to maximize their opportunities and viabilities within the site’s context.

The architecture offers something to everyone and complimentarily balances its three major components of office, residential and retail in order to maximize the sites vibrancy. As Business Bay will become the one of the prime commercial centers in Dubai and the Middle East, the prominence and convenience of the U-Bora Towers will become a valuable asset to the diverse and dynamic region.

The design of the complex is generated by the response to the site condition which primarily entails residential lake side frontage, which stays low to maintain a suitable residential scale and offers prime lake views. On the other hand the office tower maintains an urban commercial response in a form of a sculptured, Grade A office tower which forms an urban anchor by sitting itself on the corner of the busy intersection. The juxtaposition of the tower and the residential block also achieves the maximum viewing vantage for both the office and the residence. Finally the lower residential built form is punctured with a lakeside urban gateway and various access stairs, these rejuvenates the urban fabric around the building by drawing the people to the podium level landscaped garden which acts as the lung for the development.
The office, retail and podium components are glued together with a 10,000 m2 public, densely landscaped deck which has accessibility from all three exposed sides of the project. Two monumental stairs lead up from either side of the office tower with a third passing through a large ‘gateway’ within the residential block down to the water edge to the south.

Office Tower

The office tower position is rotated from the orthogonal at the street level to help focus the office space down the future view corridors toward the water and past the surrounding developments. As the tower increase in height, its four faces respond directly to their three dimensional context. They all twist at varying degrees and angles to re-orient their faces to maximize available views. The entire tower is served by a centralized core to maximize usable areas and the surrounding views. Two slots on located separately on the east and west facades provide a relief for the form and they are also indicative of the three zones within the tower. They are also specially lit to accent the form and curvature of the building. The three zones are divided based on the low, mid and high elevators zones, making it more efficient to circulate up to the different tower levels.

A glass canopy surrounds the piazza and street facing sides to provide a covered path connecting with the podium. The base of the tower has a 5 storey tall atrium which opens up as an inviting lobby for the offices above. Some of the program in this lobby atrium includes cafes, prayer rooms, public facilities and circulation. The tower has two levels of mechanical spaces which are located between level 26 and level 27, and between level 40 and level 41. A double floor roof mechanical space also serves the tower. For the facade, insulated glass units are used to clad the faces of the tower. These units are thermally efficient and sufficiently fulfill the local thermal insulation requirements of Dubai. At the same time, the color and reflectivity of the glass is chosen to make the tower stand out aesthetically in its vicinity.

Podium

The office, retail and podium components are glued together with a 10,000 m2 public, densely landscaped deck which has accessibility from all three exposed sides of the project. Two monumental stairs lead up from either side of the office tower with a third passing through a large ”gateway” within the residential block down to the water edge to the south.

There are two basement floors are used for parking and mechanical spaces. Above, the podium splits up into two different masses: the main podium and the retail island. Its material palette for the façade is made up of mainly stone and glass. The southern podium façade is also partially covered by aluminum louvers to provide shading and ventilation. The podium is consisted of 5 floors, which is made up of retail shops, supporting facilities, residential facilities, residential lobbies, loft offices and parking. Double storey high retail shops surround the north and south sides of the site on ground floor. Loft offices are located along the north face in level 2, elevated above the retail and street activities. These offices have direct access from the office tower lobbies and parking. The top of the podium sits a roof terrace, with water features, landscaping, lighting features, open spaces for the public and amenities serving the residential building above. Positioned on the northeast part of the site is the piazza. A retail arcade surrounds the podium parameter, activating shop fronts and encouraging street activities.

It provides shading and protected access to the ground floor retail, creating links between the main podium to the retail-island and public piazza. The retail-island, which includes shops and restaurants, is highly transparent with glass facades and it’s topped by a restaurant pavilion on the P5 podium deck level. Water and lighting features are located on this public piazza, making it a vibrant part of this development.

The parking strategy provides sufficient parking requirements for all retail, office and residential units. The two basement floors, level 1 to level 3 parking are used solely for commercial uses. Ground floor has a mix of residential and commercial parking. And level 4 parking is used for the residences directly above. Vehicular access to the podium is served by two exits and entrances along the north side on ground floor. One is located on the western edge of the project site close to the adjacent property and another one sits in the middle of the development near the base of the office tower. Vehicles will enter from these two access points and redistribute in different podium levels, serving all the support facilities, retail, office and residences. Two drop off areas are also are located along the northern street with one serving the podium and the other serving primarily the office tower.

Residential Block

16 floors make up the residential building. The architectural form is unique with a void puncturing through to create an iconic urban gateway for the development. It deliberately does not compete with the surrounding towers in height and instead keeps low and focused to the adjacent water body to the south. By designing the block as a linear bar rising from 12 stories at the tower end to 16 stories at the western end, a significantly greater percentage of units get an uninterrupted view of the water. Three major service cores support the residential building. Residents have access to the private residence podium roof, which is where the resident’s swimming pool is located. Simil-timber and metal panels are used to cover the facades, and each floor is extended with balconies. These balconies are protected by glass balustrades and they also help to shade the apartment units. Internally, units are laid out on each sides of a double loaded corridor on each level. Unit types are divided into studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments. Operable glass doors are used to also maximize views.

Landscape

The landscape of the U-Bora Tower is designed as an extension of the architecture. The main design element, a dynamic sweeping gesture, responds to the geometry of the two buildings and serves to magnify the curve of the residential block. This sweeping gesture is intended energize the landscape and provide engaging and powerful outdoor spaces. The major elements of the landscape design are as follows:

Entry Plaza

The ground-level entry plaza is intended as dignified forecourt space for the commercial tower. The plaza is an uncluttered stone-paved open space with a sculptural centerpiece in the form of a stainless-steel misting fountain.
The fountain introduces movement and sound into the plaza as well as providing a cooling mist. At night the mist will appear as a glowing cloud. A small grove of randomly arranged tress provides a shaded seating area and acts as a counterpoint to the hard edges of the plaza. An array of recessed LED strip lights provide a dynamic gesture that emphasizes the connection between the plaza and the Business Bay Lagoon beyond.

Podium Event Space

The podium-level event space serves as an open space for a variety of event functions and primarily serves the commercial tower. The event space enjoys easy access to the tower, the business center, and ground level via 3 exterior stairs. Utility connection points will be provided to accommodate temporary events. Adjacent to this area is a shaded seating area with benches, water elements and shade trees. Access has also been provided to the a future adjoining podium level.

Podium Terrace Garden

The Podium Terrace garden serves as a transition between the podium level and level of the residential block transfer slab. The transition is made with a series of gently-rising planted terraces that allow for seating and viewing over the event space. Sets of broad steps connect to an upper shaded seating area.

Residential Shade Gardens

Shady outdoor areas occupy the space beneath the residential tower block. These spaces take advantage of the shaded enclosed environment to create a series of semi-private lushly-landscaped gardens. These gardens also serve as entrances into the residential block. These gardens feature tropical planting, benches, broad stepping stones and water features that serve to separate the private residential spaces from the public area. Theses garden spaces are intended to be cool relaxing gardens that serve as a respite from the heat and sun of the pool deck.

Pool Terrace

The pool terrace is a bright, sunny, open activity area that provides a setting for poolside activities. The central feature is a large infinity-edge swimming pool with an integral jacuzzi. The swimming pool acts as a reflecting pool, effectively reflecting the views of the Business Bay development. A large wood deck acts as a framing element for the infinityedge pool and provides a comfortable walking surface for the areas around the pool.

Additional amenities will include a luxurious spa and fitness centre, private car parking, a children’s play area along with business centres, meeting rooms and prayer rooms. With all these features, living and working at U-Bora will be an exciting, life enriching experience.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Without question, energy-efficient and sustainable homes are legitimately gaining popularity. A very high percentage of new homes built this year – I have seen estimates as high as 40 to 50 percent – will be “green.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, almost 17 percent of all single family homes built in the United States in 2008 qualified for the Energy Star label.

Unfortunately, green home demand still does not approach the demand for conventionally-built homes; and without proper education and marketing, sustainable design and building may not emerge from the housing recession as solidly as some would hope. There are many obstacles that stand in the way of total acceptance and an increased market share.

How “green” is “green?”

There are many local, regional, and national green-building certification programs – private sector and government initiated – that provide systematic approaches for mandating, quantifying and verifying sustainable building practices, but all of the programs are not created equally.

Reputable and accredited third-party certification is essential to providing credibility and withstanding the skepticism that has emerged in response to over-saturation and complexity.

However, recognition can be somewhat misleading as a result of the multitude of green certification levels within each program. The ability in most programs to achieve certification is based on a total score with a limited number of prerequisites and few restrictions in place to enforce how additional points are accumulated. Naturally, individuals seeking certification will follow the path of least resistance for each particular project, which may result in inconsistent performance within each certification level or program.

While obtaining certification is ideal, there are also many builders and owners of existing or new homes that are incorporating green-building elements for improved energy efficiency, marketability, and so forth without seeking formal certification or third-party verification. Even when intentions are commendable, there are no guarantees that the tradespeople getting the directives are performing the work correctly and meeting owners’ expectations or substantiating builders’ marketing efforts. Many builders may be attending trainings and making claims to stay relevant, but reverting to their old ways, or simply building to code, on the job site.

Also, the current economic climate may be contributing to a misrepresentation of the overall, long-term demand for green homes. Large quantities of builders are employing green building practices in an attempt to increase marketability and overcome competition in this dismal residential market.

Some individuals may be inadvertently purchasing these homes due to availability, affordability, or other related reasons. Optimistically, this scenario will help to perpetuate further acceptance and demand.

However, it is possible that many of these homes are marketed as green with few substantial changes, or that home buyers will make purchases of quality green homes without a proper understanding of the home’s features or how to market the home for sale in the future. In addition to evaluating authenticity and demand, it is also important to understand potential reasons for resistance to green building.

Market Resistance

Green home communities, traditional neighborhood developments, lifestyle centers, and other new urbanist or sustainable developments, as well as autonomous green homes definitely have appeal and strong consumer demand in many areas throughout the country. A large number of green homes and homes in or near sustainable developments are pre-sold and the communities are flourishing and extremely successful.

However, in many instances these homes still only appeal to individuals in a niche market – for example, not dissimilar to general appreciation or contempt of condominium living in a city’s urban core versus more conventional arrangements. In order to reach broader acceptance, the industry must genuinely assess and understand the elements that influence decision-making.

What are the most important issues that dictate an individual’s willingness to purchase a home:  cost, quality, energy efficiency, proximity to work and amenities, livable area, lot size, fancy finishes, length of investment, resale value? All of these are reasonable and largely depend on demographics, but the overriding sentiment is that most people prefer to live the way that they have always lived, or better.

In order to increase demand, the green building industry must work to alter expectations while also continuing to provide traditionally accepted deliverables and increasing quality.

Many people currently purchasing or renovating homes are very interested in lessening their impact on the environment, but there is an inherent resistance to change. When it comes to green building, the general public is undereducated and discouraged by the complexity, the overuse of “green” terminology, and the anticipated cost. Inadequate research often leads to uniformed decisions regarding design and construction.

Many people begin projects claiming that they want to incorporate green-building practices and make their homes as energy efficient as possible. In the end, most efforts are add-ons and not an integral part of the process, lessening the effectiveness and undermining the economics.

Another critical component of the equation is realtor training, awareness, and involvement. In many areas, the real estate industry seems to be lagging behind other industry segments. Recently, more training opportunities and credentials, such as NAR’s Green Designation, have become available and it is imperative that real estate professionals are educated and able to convey applicable information and make generalized comparisons between green and conventional homes. Many realtor databases now make sustainable features searchable, but significant progress still needs to be made.

Long term, energy-efficiency ratings, provided by energy assessments that will be as common as conventional home inspections, as well as building certifications will provide an unbiased mechanism to evaluate and compare available homes, but there must be a way for realtors to market and consumers to evaluate homes as the number of green properties continues to grow.

Above all, sustainability must be client driven. Consumer demand will dictate builder practices, fuel the evolution of certification programs, force realtors and developers to provide information, and continue to change the residential industry.

Providing Solutions

Certification, verification and marketing must reach a higher level of standardization, professionals must continue to change perceptions regarding economic constraints, and everyone involved must work to inform consumers and ensure that green building remains relevant without becoming diluted.

Currently, there are multiple certification programs competing for market share, many professionals obtaining credentials to stay competitive, and, fortunately, a large number of previously inactive consumers and developers that are now beginning to make decisions regarding building or purchasing homes. Now is the time to take advantage of the market conditions, but it is very important that all sectors of the industry work collectively.

Green homes and sustainable developments must be definable, verifiable, marketable, and ultimately make sense to consumers on all fronts – including economics, comfort, quality, location, and design – in order to gain a more significant market share. By placing the focus on providing high-quality, well-built new or renovated homes that are designed and constructed as interrelated systems, saving the environment and decreasing societal impact simply become a desirable byproduct.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Please join us:  JTS Engineering Srl Team! — At the 4th annual edition of the Verona Green Building Expo- (5-7 of May).  Our super cool stand will be located among the coordinated (and quite creative)  Green Building Council Italia neighborhood- number D8.3 (across from the bar).

We will be exhibiting some of our projects and stressing the importance of sustainable building design and engineering.

For more information or to enter our guest list please give us a call! +39 045 630 5869  or email to info@jts.vr.it

See you there!

Greenbuilding, the international exhibition and conference on energy efficiency and sustainable architecture, constitutes a major appointment for anyone interested in shifting architecture and building in the direction of efficiency and technological innovation.

The event, now in its fourth year, represents a showcase of market excellence for promoting low-carbon construction, a key element for respecting the Kyoto Protocol, in the context of the latest building trends internationally.

Greenbuilding, as well as presenting its customary exhibition of novelties in sustainable and ecological living, offers four technology focus areas: these themed spaces are dedicated to particularly topical subjects in order to enhance exchange between exhibitors and visitors. They will cover lighting & domotics, architecture in wood, geothermal energy and professional software.

Illuminazioni is back for Greenbuilding 2010: a biennial appointment dedicated to excellence in construction. A specially created showroom space featuring a unique layout to put on show the best technologies, applications and innovative materials for energy efficiency and sustainable architecture.

Alongside the exhibition event, Greenbuilding proposes a rich programme of conferences, seminars, courses and special events to give trade professionals a valuable update on emerging issues in construction.

The event will be held in conjunction with Solarexpo, one of the most important trade fairs dedicated to renewable energy globally.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Think about this… Total construction time for the exterior shell of a 4000 sq.ft. home is estimated at about 1 week…

Green – reducing carbon footprints by approx. 80%
Fast - reducing construction schedules by between 67% and 75%
Strong - able to resist hurricanes, earthquakes and floods
Flexible – infinite variety of shapes, uses and finishes
Inexpensive - reducing construction costs by, and average of 50%

BINISHELLS

Surrounded by well-manicured shrubs Victorian porches and wrought- iron patio furniture Dante Bini’s stately house is the last place you would expect to find one of the most innovative architects of the past 40 years.

“I love all architecture all of it” Bini says defiantly. Though he has lived on and off in the United States for more than 25 years his thick Italian accent still curls words like smoke each sentence drifting in unexpected directions toward the next. “This house this is old. But when it was built it was of its time.” He walks past the pool his bright orange ascot a focal point against the gray trees and brown hills of St. Helena behind him. In a chocolate-brown leather jacket slacks and shined leather boots he looks much more the Mission District hipster on a night out clubbing than a 72-year-old grandfather. “Me I live today. I want to be the architect of now of our time.”

Being contemporary has never been a problem for Bini. In fact it usually takes the world a few decades to catch up to him. “At first people may have a hard time of really seeing how these things can work how they can really help ” he says describing his latest — and what could be his greatest — invention yet: a house that builds itself in less than 20 minutes. “But soon they will see.” And if history is any judge they will.

Bini first gained world recognition in 1967 when he used a gigantic balloon and a robot to build a 50-foot tall concrete “Binishell” dome at Columbia University in less than two hours. He described the construction process as “Pressing a button. That’s it.” Thirty years later more than 1500 Binishells stand in 23 countries throughout the world. Houses schools libraries gyms shopping malls — more domes have been made using the Bini system than any other method in history.

What attracted so many to the Binishell was not only its sleek Space-Age design — a kind of igloo-meets-tortoise shell aesthetic — but the incredible cost savings and baffling simplicity of the construction process. A Binishell begins with a circular concrete foundation. A giant balloon — what Bini calls a “pneumoform” — is spread on top of the foundation upon which is laid a web of steel springs. As much as 36 tons of concrete are then poured on top of the springs and balloon. Through an apparent gap in the laws of physics an air pump using 1.5 PSI of pressure — about the same pressure it takes to puff a cigarette — fills the balloon and raises the concrete into a dome. Two hours later a perfectly rounded stable dome structure stands built with minimum labor at a cost many factors less than any other method. After the concrete cures the pneumoform can be removed and reused to build more Binishells.

“There are hundreds thousands of Binishells maybe more. I don’t really know” Bini says nonchalantly scooping up clam linguine at a table that overlooks the Technicolor-green grass of the Meadowood Country Club. His sharp loud voice draws raised gray eyebrows from the few other patrons waiting silently at empty tables their salmon-colored sweaters tied in tight knots around bright white polo shirts. “I don’t control the Binishell construction anymore — the license is sold the patent has lapsed. It is time to move on. ”

And for the past decade Bini has been moving on into equally adventurous designs: He’s built a self-erecting tent for the U.S. Army; a house that folds itself into shape like a giant origami; space stations; a self-constructing “Binitent” party tent. Recently he consulted with a Japanese firm about building in Tokyo Bay a “City of Air” — a pyramid structure constructed by robots that would house more than 750000 people. (The latter was featured in a recent episode of the Discovery Channel’s “Extreme Engineering.”)

But alas these are things are of the past. Or so Bini keeps insisting. He is here to tell us about what he is working on now affecting lives of people today of designing the future.

“There are thousands millions of people who need shelter each year people displaced by natural disasters war ethnic cleansing immigrants” Bini says. “Where do they live? They have no homes.”

Using the same balloon techniques he employed to create concrete domes Bini’s latest invention is the Binishelter a super-low-cost self-erecting house used for disaster relief that can be easily moved from location to location and takes less than a half-hour to build. “This is a technology that is totally new — there is nothing like it” says Bini excitedly.

The Binishelter requires only three workers and can be constructed out of bamboo clay wood Sheetrock bark — whatever material is at hand. The shelter can also be customized into large two-story buildings that could house schools or into to single-family homes or even combined into massive housing projects depending on the needs of the community. “The big benefit is that the people who live in the Binishelter help construct it. They design it they decorate it. I call it ‘self-help’ housing.”

“Oh there is another advantage” Bini says. “It floats.”

A system of inflatable “sausages” can be installed beneath the house which can be attached to an anchor allowing the shelter to float like a buoy above the water. As floodwaters subside the house would drift back down to the ground. “It might not land in the exact same location but it will be close” Bini admits.

A floodproof house that erects instantly and can be easily mass-produced in remote locations seems an especially prescient invention in light of the recent Asian tsunami that has left hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people homeless. And though Bini admits that his shelters would not survive a wave the force and size of the Asian tsunami he says they would be effective against other water-related devastation. And he stresses his shelters could be built now: quickly cheaply and safely.

Shortly after the tsunami in Asia Bini wrote Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office offering to work for free on a disaster-relief program for the devastated areas. The governor’s office wrote right back and both parties have since been in close contact.

“Me I am nothing” Bini says. “I can’t build this alone; I need the support of the government or nothing will happen.” Because shipping construction supplies would not only be prohibitively expensive but also impossible in some remote locations without roads or infrastructure Bini’s proposal for Asia is to build factories in the areas hardest hit that would produce the two components needed for the Binishelters: walls and roofs. He says these factories could be very quickly and inexpensively constructed “like airline hangars” or by converting old unused structures. “This way each country uses its own materials; they employ their people. Giving these poor countries money to go spend on materials made in other countries? We should not even consider this.”

Bini says that with any other construction method it could take years to provide shelter for all the people displaced in Asia. With self-erecting Binishelters produced with materials native to the environment the costs and time frame could be cut ten-fold.

This is it” Bini says. We’re back at the house sitting in a formal living room beside a coffee table. “This is the Binishelter.” On the table is a pile of brown plastic scraps and knotted strings lumped on a piece of yellow- painted plywood. The model has a started-the-night-before-the-final kind of careless immediacy and dishevelment. After two hours of hearing about how this invention will change the world I feel suddenly deflated. Bini senses this and says reassuringly: “This it’s just a model you see.”

He grabs the black rubber hand pump of a sphygmomanometer attached to the back of the model and starts squeezing. A white balloon emerges in the center of the pile of brown plastic and knotted stings. “Watch this.” The balloon pushes against the brown plastic sheets pushing them upward. The strings once knotted begin to separate forming a perfectly symmetric grid. A few seconds later each piece has interlocked perfectly with the next — and the pile of random crap has magically transformed itself into a self-supporting little house. “This is rough but you get the idea yes” Bini says. “It works just like this but of course you know it is much bigger” he says clearing up any confusion I might have.

The Binishelter’s simplicity and adaptability interested Mark Thomas project superintendent of James Nolan Construction Inc. in Napa. “The price and time savings are incredible” Thomas says. Bini and Thomas are negotiating building a Binishelter in Napa in the spring. The projected cost will be around $20000 per unit including plumbing electrical doors and windows. Bini envisions Binishelters being used by field workers throughout Wine Country vineyards.

Binishelters could be especially effective for the urban poor. Years after a devastating event and after aid has been depleted emergency housing usually stays intact. This housing — never intended to be permanent — soon decays but the inhabitants have nowhere else to go. As the population grows residents build on creating unsanitary unstable urban shantytowns that breed crime and disease. The city-size slums of Rio de Janeiro Bombay and Nairobi are just a few examples. Right now more than 1 billion people live in slums — 32 percent of the global urban population. This number is expected to double in the next 30 years.

“These people they need shelter basic shelter. We must do something” Bini says. He has offered Binishelters royalty-free to governments or to nonprofit organizations or entities who wish to build them. “Everything is ready. With financial support and some political support I could begin making these tomorrow. We could begin helping these people.”

It’s now dark in Bini’s living room. The still silent formality of the house is shattered by the farty exhales of the “pneumoform” balloon Bini deflates as he dismantles the model house on the coffee table. He directs me to the backyard. “That door” he points to a white door on the second story of the house. “That cost $120 at Home Depot — very cheap.” He turns: “But you know how much it costs to install it?” This is a nonrhetorical question and Bini waits still his arms crossed for an answer. “Twelve hundred dollars!” he blurts. “This kind of thing is ridiculous and people will not take it for long; they can’t afford it.”

Bini thinks the same mechanical revolution that hit the auto industry 30 years ago is destined to happen in construction. In Japan it already has: Construction firms like National House have produced more than 500 modular homes every month — one every 24 minutes — through a largely robotic workforce. Another firm Sekisui uses robots to assemble more than 300000 components completing 85 percent of a house in 40 minutes. “To the Japanese robotic construction isn’t the exception it’s not a future hope … it is becoming the standard.”

Bini hits a button that mechanically opens the gate at the front of the driveway. He turns and walks briskly back toward me as I get in my car to leave: “Listen in the very short future we will have a mechanical revolution in construction — it is unstoppable” these last words he delivers with a Charlton-Heston-in-”Soylent Green” intensity. “The old generation takes a while to accept innovation like this but the young people they are thirsty for this they accept and believe in innovation.

“We should not build like the Romans. We should be the builders of our times.”

BINISHELL LEED PLATINUM PROTOTYPE

blogged by: Jake Shea

Project credits:
Client: Gale International
Project: Gateway Center at Songdo City
Location: Incheon, South Korea
Architect: KlingStubbins

Songdo International Business District (IBD) is being developed on 1,500 acres of reclaimed land in South Korea along Incheon’s waterfront, 40 miles from Seoul and just seven miles from Incheon International Airport. Developed by Gale International and Korea’s POSCO E&C, this master-planned metropolis is a model of sustainable, city-scale development and innovation.

The Gateway Center, which is defined by six office towers over three city blocks, will be become one of Songdo’s premier office complexes. The heart of the city’s business district will consist of the Gateway Center and the three adjacent blocks to the north that make up the International Plaza.

The six towers of the Gateway Center will create a striking silhouette in the emerging New Songdo City. Although the towers are essentially square in plan, they are clad in undulating and flowing reflective glass surfaces that will clearly mark the gateway into the New Songdo City.

“Sky Plane” Concept

The curvilinear surfaces and fluid forms create a natural design progression along Park Avenue. Starting from the F-1 and F-2 blocks, the design of the successive blocks escalates in expression and departs from the Cartesian geometry of a typical office building.

Gateway Plaza

The project will create a unique and vibrant complex that synthesizes Korean aesthetics in the context of modern architecture while respecting the guidelines of the master plan and the emerging context of this new city.

The Gateway Center will be a LEED Silver Certified project. The Center will incorporate innovative technologies to reduce and conserve energy and material and create a healthy and sustainable environment.

At the core of the Songdo IBD master plan is a public green space named after Central Park in New York City and is anchored at one end by the Northeastern Asian Trade Tower (NEATT), which, when constructed, will stand as Korea’s tallest building. Surrounding the core are various commercial residential districts designed to be a lively pedestrian area in the spirit of great “hub” cities around the world. The Gateway Center’s location adjacent to the park and the tower marks the beginning of the central office district and contributes to the master plan “sky plane “ concept.

The 3,400,000-GSF, mixed-use Gateway Center is comprised of three blocks: F6-1, F6-2, and F7. The Center is situated at the southernmost point of Park Avenue, on the western edge of Central Park. As a result, the Center is a figural gateway into the New Songdo City. This arrival experience is formed by the multi-level Gateway Plaza located on the southern edge of the site. The Plaza is defined vertically by two of the six towers comprising the Center. These towers sit atop a four-story retail base and an underground parking facility.

The flowing forms of the towers are derived from the symbolic understanding of the site, recognition that the New Songdo City is at the boundary of the sea and land and that the Gateway Center juxtaposes new and old, life and work. These dualities are integral to the national identity of Korea and are embodied in the yin and yang of the Korean flag. This curve forms the basis of the formal creation of the tower design.

Towers A, B, and C are situated to define the street edge along Park Avenue, while Towers D1, D2, and E form a counter geometry that is reflective of the residential street grid to the east. Stretched between these two groups of buildings and anchored by the Gateway Plaza is an urban park that connects the entire Center.

Towers A and B are linked by a shared retail base with an atrium at the center that provides a public front door to the complex. Infused with natural light and enlivened by the surrounding retail shops, this environment along with the pocket park between F6-1 and F6-2 affords pedestrian connections between Park Avenue and the Park, and begins the transition from the activity of the city streetscape to the relative calm of the Park.

Located at the southern edge of the Gateway Center, Tower C offers a more singular presence and is envisioned as a potentially desirable location for a corporate headquarters. The mixed use program is further defined by Towers A, B, and C being strictly for office use; while Towers D1 and D2 are designed as officetel (residential apartment). Tower E is a unique hybrid condition and consists of both office and officetel.

The towers and podium have rooftop gardens sheltered by high glass screen walls. The gardens will offer the building occupants refuge from the city below throughout the year.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Samoo Architecture has revealed its plans for what could be called the Eden Project of the South. Part of the upcoming National Ecological Institute(NEI) of South Korea site, The Ecorium Project will provide optimum conditions for a large ecosystem across 33,090 sq m of floor area.  As in Cornwall’s Eden Project the Ecorium Project is comprised a series of interlinking domes, although in this case the domes are wedge-shaped greenhouses. High technology tracks the sun and adapts the internal environment appropriately to create a global eco-environment across the spaces. No shade is used, only shade simulation by arrangement. The exterior is finished in metal panel, low iron low-e double glazing, wood and plexiglas. “The National Ecological Institute, South Korea is intended to do comprehensive study of the converging eco-systems of nature, human and climate to ensure safety, stability and the harmonious coexistence of competing agendas,” said a spokesperson for Samoo. “The NEI will play a important role as a think tank for research and policy making.

Additionally, this institution will foster and nurture the general public’s awareness, educate and the importance of the environment through exhibitions and education programs.” The Ecorium Project will form the core of this programme and outwardly expresses both its importance in the directive and its synergy with nature. Sinuous, leaf-like lines are used and echoed within the landscaping.

Seen from above the structure would appear as a tributary river. The wider NEI plans are currently enduring the tendering process but will eventually see a large wild plant reserve, wetlands reserve, visitors centre and railway join the Ecorium to create a public haven for the study of nature.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Plans have been floated for a new superscraper in Miami that could steal the world’s tallest crown from Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Despite Miami’s financial woes, having a reported 100,000 plus properties in foreclosure according to the Miami Herald, Kobi Karp has submitted designs for Miapolis – a ‘city within a city’ planned for Watson Island.

The 160 storey building would be more than 183 metres higher than the Burj Khalifa if built and would house an amusement park, observatory, restaurants, 1.96 million sq ft of shops, over 1000 apartments, 1 million sq ft office space and a 792 room hotel. The project has been around for more than a decade but it is reported that developer Guillermo Socarras has been in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration to secure approval for the height of the tower.

But is this really the way to solve Miami’s financial problems? The business plan found on the official Miapolis website proposes that the skyscraper will be more than a rival for the Burj. It claims that the superscraper will create 35,000 permanent jobs, pay off $39 million debt owed to the City and inject $2.5 billion annually into the local economy.

“Miapolis is an economic engine…” states the Miapolis website, “and a sensible and rational solution for the local economy by resolving the Jungle Island debts while producing $942 million annually in tax revenues, and no taxpayer funds required. More importantly, Miapolis creates 46,000 construction and 35,000 permanent jobs.”

The project is currently looking for funding from investors.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Completion Year: 2010
Site Area: 10,635 m²
Project Area: 214,100 m²
Building Height: 309.60 m
Number of Stories: 71

Project Awards

2008 • Spark Awards • Green, Carbon-Lowering & Environmental Category: Gold Award

Guangzhou City in southern China is no stranger to development. Over the past decade, the region has seen explosive development with buildings going up so fast that many returning to the region after a long absence say that they don’t even recognize their own city. As one would expect with such rampant development, pollution and energy consumption have exploded along with the building boom. But as China begins to take an abrupt about-face regarding its environmental policy, more and more environmental initiatives are being passed along with more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly buildings being designed and constructed in the country. The Pearl River Tower is one of these structures and, so far, is on track to becoming one of the world’s most energy-efficient skyscrapers.

Pearl River Tower, è il primo grattacielo “verde” che sfrutta al massimo le energie rinnovabili.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the 71-story Pearl River Tower is a great example of a building design where the main objective is energy-efficiency. So often these days many architects, and their so-called ‘green buildings’, merely ‘bolt on’ green features after a design is either already fully formed or constructed. While more effective than a conventional building on its own, ‘bolt on’ green features like solar panels, wind turbines, etc. on their own can only do so much. It’s the equivalent of modifying a low-end car to go faster. Yes; it can be done, but in the end it’s never going to perform as well as a car designed to be fast.

Progettato dallo studio di architettura statunitense SOM (acronimo degli architetti Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) sarà destinato alla compagnia Cinese National Tabacco.

Beyond Energy-Efficiency

The Pearl River Tower is designed to be more than just energy-efficient; it’s designed to provide itself all of its needed operational power. That’s right, a net-zero skyscraper. While claims such as this one have been made in the past, it appears the Pearl River Tower has the design and equipment to achieve this lofty goal.

The building’s unique curved design is intended to focus the strong prevailing southern winds that blow through the region. Orientated to face these winds head-on, the Pearl River Tower’s sculpted facade will increase the speed of these winds (by two-and-a-half times) and channel them through two main slots in the building where wind turbines will be located. Because of this focusing of wind and higher speeds, it is estimated the vertical turbines will produce up to 15 times more energy than they would if they were standalone units.

69 piani per 303 metri d’altezza, la Pearl River Tower sorgerà nella città di Guangzhou a 180 km da Hong Kong ed ha la paricolarità d’esser stata progettata seguendo diversi principi ecosostenibili.

Morfologicamente sorprende per alcune fessure presenti nella facciata atte ad incanalare le correnti d’aria in apposite turbine eoliche per produrre energia pulita destinata ai sistemi di riscaldamento, ventilazione e condizionamento dell’aria dell’edificio.

The Bells And Whistles

In addition to its super-velocity wind focusing design, the building incorporates a number of other design features and systems that fulfill energy-saving and energy-production roles. Many of these features also serve multiple purposes which saves both space and money. Some of the more unique and notable elements of the structure are:

• Slab integrated cooling system that circulates cool water through the floors of the building acting as a cooling radiator. This method is much more energy-efficient than forced air cooling and saves space as well. So much so that the building owners were able to add an additional 5-stories to the building without increasing its originally designed and approved height.
• Reclaimed energy through routing each floor’s exhaust air into the south side’s double-layer curtain-wall cavity. This thermal barrier of hot dry air can then be reused on the mechanical floor for passive dehumidification.
• High temperature fuel cells for excess energy storage.
• Outer skin of the facade has incorporated glare control as well as integrated solar PV for energy production.
• In-floor air displacement HVAC
• Double-decker elevator

La torre è stata costruita considerando un orientamento ottimale per catturare tutta la luce solare del giorno e, in più, è dotata di diversi pannelli fotovoltaici e di un doppio rivestimento di vetro per un isolamento termico maggiore. La ventilazione interna è naturale e segue i principi base dell’architettura bioclimatica.

Il progetto è ancora più interessante se pensiamo che se fosse stato progettato anche ad un solo isolato di distanza avrebbe avuto, come affermano gli architetti della SOM, una forma ed un orientamento totalmente diversi.

SOM has publicly stated that there were plans to make Pearl River Tower a positive energy structure (produce an excess of electricity), but because there’s no facility in Guangzhou to feed self-generated power back into the grid, the plan was abandoned. Situations like these highlight the speed at which China continues to develop and the inability of the infrastructure to keep up with the rate of development. The Tower is slated to be finished later this year.

The Good: A 71-story skyscraper capable of providing for all of its electrical needs. Beautiful design.

The Bad: Structures like the Pearl River Tower are unfortunately the exception in China and certainly the rest of the world. It remains to be seen if the energy commissioning on this structure will match its lofty stated claims of energy self-sufficiency. Supposedly it’s the HQ for a Chinese tobacco company!

The Bottom-Line: An amazing feat of design, engineering and construction that shows just because something is big doesn’t mean it can’t be efficient.

Il design dell’edificio dirige e gestisce i venti prevalenti facendoli diventare “braccia invisibili” che aiutano a rendere più rigida la torre. Il “grattacielo della nuova era” progettato per produrre più energia pulita di quella che consuma sarà terminato nell’autunno del 2009, in Cina, e sarà uno dei grattacieli più sostenibili del mondo.

blogged by: Jake Shea

Pernille Christensen, a research associate in the Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate and Ph.D. student in planning, design and the built environment; associate professor Doug Hecker; and assistant professor Martha Skinner of Clemson’s School of Architecture, collaborated on the SEED Project, working to develop a method to convert the shipping containers into homes.

The original idea was inspired by housing crises that have followed large hurricanes in the Caribbean and United States. However, Hecker said shipping containers would meet those needs in an earthquake zone, too.

“Because of the shipping container’s ‘unibody’ construction they are also very good in seismic zones and exceed structural code in the United States and any country in the world,” Hecker said. “They have also been used in other countries as emergency shelters in the case of earthquakes. As the SEED Project develops this will certainly be an area that we incorporate. With a few simple cuts at the port, a storage container can be turned into something that is livable and opens to the site.”

Faculty and students sought a way to put displaced people in emergency housing that could be sturdy and safe on a permanent site. Putting families back on their own land quickly is key to the idea. Families displaced by disaster often do not return to their permanent homes for years, if ever, but the Clemson researchers are looking for strategies to implement the SEED Project as quickly as possible, ideally having a modified container on site within three weeks.

“You get people back in their communities and it strengthens those communities,” Christensen said. “They work on their home, not a temporary shelter, and then they work with their neighbors to rebuild the neighborhood. It leads to a healthier and safer community. And these are places often in dire need of better housing.”

Many Caribbean countries import more containers than they export, which leads to the surplus of containers in those nations.

“The project has a double mission: to address the local need of providing adequate housing for people in need while solving a global problem of recycling — giving purpose to empty containers that would otherwise be discarded,” Skinner said.

As part of this research, the group is studying the cycles of natural disasters by looking at the larger picture through mapping and logistics to understand how containers move, available surpluses and ultimately coordinating the cycles of natural disasters with the ebb and flow of container supplies worldwide.

The SEED Project also includes plans for using another surplus item, 55-gallon steel drums, as a way to create a starter garden — from seed — on the roof of the container homes as a way to get food crops started when the ground may be contaminated by stormwater. Water also would be filtered through the drums before being used in a water pod comprised of shower, sink and composting toilet.

A prototype emergency container home is under way on the Clemson campus, and the project has been awarded an Environmental Protection Agency P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) grant to make the container part of the 2010 National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in April. The research team plans to build a prototype in the Caribbean in the next year.

The research was partially funded by Container-It of Atlanta, Sargent Metals of Anderson and the Intermodal Steel Building Units Association. Clemson also is collaborating with Tri County Technical College’s department of welding.

blogged by: Jake Shea