W4 - Quest For Height: Assignment 1 Presentation (TE2.1, TE2.3, TE2.5, CC3.4, C4.2)

W3 - The Quest for Height: The Rotating Spiral (cont'd) (TE2.5, C4.2)

THE ROTATING SPIRAL FOR VERTICAL LANDSCAPING

2. PRACTICALITY

While there are several spiral tower design concept worldwide, there is none that uses rotating spiral as an approach to achieve vertical landscaping on skyscrapers, despite its potential as an ecological-friendly approach. 

In order to understand its practicality, I began by studying the basic load transfer of the whole structural system with the emphasis on the roof garden of each floor, based on the building's structural diagrams available from my research.

Sketches of Yeang's structural studies illustrating (left) the initial idea of how the primary structures, cross-bracing and their supporting beams connected to each other to carry the floor plates and (right) the final product of the initial idea.

Retrieved from Ivor Richards "T. R. Hamzah & Yeang: Ecology of  the Sky" (2001) page 75.

  
By understanding the structural configuration of the tower, I was able to indicate the main structures that are used to transfer the load of the vertical landscapes located at different axis of the rotating floor plates. This information is essential for the construction of my conceptual model of the tower structure.

Left: Diagrams showing the location of the vertical landscapes of each rotating floor plates.
Right: My sketch on how the landscape's load is transferred through the main structure frame from each floor to the ground.
(Retrieved from Ivor Richards "T. R. Hamzah & Yeang: Ecology of  the Sky" 2001, page 72.) 

W2 - The Quest for Height: Yeang's Vertical Landscaping Strategies - The Rotating Spiral (TE2.5, C4.2)

Ken Yeang's practice has always been governed by two principles:

1. the acknowledgement of the scarcity of both natural resources and time, as well the extensive degradation of natural environment that cannot continue if future generations are to have appropriate access to natural resources
2. the belief that all those concerned with building design can, with the application of ecological principles, make a significant contribution towards a sustainable future through 'green' approach that evolved from a comprehensive method.

The structural system used in Nara Tower embodied the fundamental factors of these two principles, taking into considerations the amount of irreplaceable materials necessary for building construction while at the same time optimizing the impact of its eco-friendly design approach through the building form.

THE ROTATING SPIRAL FOR VERTICAL LANDSCAPING

1. THEORY
For Nara tower design, Yeang used the same theoretical ideas from his 1992's Mesiniaga, where both his Nara tower and Mesiniaga contain the principle of "a vertical spiral of boundless dimensions".

Yeang's original sketches describing the design principles of Mesiniaga  Menara ( IBM ) green tower. 
(Source: http://archidialog.com/tag/mesiniaga-menara-tower/)

Yeang's approaches in dealing with the built form, vegetation, orientation and shading devices.
(Source: Menara Mesiniaga Project Brief. Extracted from http://www.akdn.org/architecture/pdf/1356_Mal.pdf)

What Yeang wanted to achieve in applying this approach is the abundant foliage that assists in cooling the building mass. In theory, the spiral space configuration allows floors and atrial spaces to have planted fringes that essentially contribute to the control of air movement within the overall structure. An abstract model was done to explore its functional application:

My abstract model of a rotating spiral tower design based on Ken Yeang's approach, along with my analysis relating to the use of vertical landscaping. 

Other factors needed to be taken into consideration can be referred from Chris McCarthy's engineering studies on the Nara tower design, where he developed a vertical graph that illustrates different floor's sensitivity towards external elements. The elements that are most relevant with the rotating spiral design include temperature, daylighting, wind velocity and frequency, air density and humidity.

McCarthy's engineering studies on the Nara tower. 
Retrieved from Ivor Richards "T. R. Hamzah & Yeang: Ecology of  the Sky"
(2001), page 73.

From this study, McCarthy proposed both active mechanisms and passive design approach responsive and adaptable towards the external elements that differ in different height. His proposal involved:

• the subdivision of blocks stacked upon each other
• the structural thickness reduction with height
• the use of composite material
• energy centres for each blocks
• nominal energy provided by wind power, water power, solar power and waste power

McCarthy's remarks concerning the atmospheric character surrounding the higher level of the building:

"In general, the higher the building unit the less it will experience seasonal change and it will exist in a wider and cooler climate with greater solar radiation. However, even though the climatic change occurs within a smaller margin, it will happen more rapidly than we are used to at ground level."

His engineering studies effectively influenced Yeang's rotating spiral approach for Nara tower in terms of the axes for the floor plates in different floor levels, spatial configuration of its public spaces and services, the hollow characteristic of the tower and the means in which the construction process is implemented. 

In theory, the rotating spiral approach appears to cover every aspect that needs to be taken into consideration when designing spaces higher than the normal altitude of habitable space.

For week 3, I shall construct a conceptual model that illustrates Nara tower's structure to study and demonstrate the practicality of the rotating spiral as a method for vertical landscaping.

W1 - The Quest for Height: Ken Yeang's Ecology of the Sky. (TE2.3, TE2.5, C4.2)

I am interested in skyscrapers.

The Coruscant Skyscrapers of Star Wars, an example of skyscraper design that most people are familiar with. (Source: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Skyscraper?file=Coruscant_skyscrapers.jpg)

BRIEF INTRO: WHAT SKYSCRAPER IS ABOUT. 

A skyscraper is a type of building that covers vertical dimension to provide habitable spaces, usually for commercial, office and residential use. Dating back to the 26th century BCE, the evolution of tall buildings started off as uninhabitable structures that functioned as cultural, social and religious emblem (the Great Pyramid of Giza). It was not until the 30th century BCE when multi-storey buildings were used as living spaces, although almost impractical and highly uncomfortable considering the great numbers of stairs to climb and the insufficient water pressure technology used at that time. The design of tall buildings eventually developed its practicality due to the inventions of water wheels, cast-iron structures and elevators (19th century Oriel Chambers). 

Starting from the 1930s, skyscrapers began to be built at a global scale, with the help of steel-framed structures and reinforced concrete frameworks with curtain glass and/or stone walls. The modern skyscrapers embrace the international style, and remain to function as commercial and residential complexes that act as an economic rationale for high land-value regions. 

WHAT SKYSCRAPER ISN'T ABOUT: 

Since the production of skyscrapers represents a great amount of embodied energy and emits a considerable amount of greenhouse gas, the poor engagement and objective of its existence cannot be taken lightly. The "form follows function" agenda in skyscraper design in the contemporary context prohibits the use of irrelevant motives, while recommends practicality to the extent of environmental friendly approach. 

Retrieved from Ivor Richards "T. R. Hamzah & Yeang: Ecology of the Sky" (2001).