W4 - Reflection on "The Quest For Height" (REVISED) (TE2.1, TE2.3, TE2.5, TE4.2)

REFLECTION OF THE QUEST FOR HEIGHT

From my cumulative understanding of the quest for height that I gained from the three weeks of review on the topic, I have come to the completion of the assignment where I shall elucidate my summary to answer the main research question:

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF INFUSING A HIGH RISE BUILDING WITH A SINGLE CONTINUOUS SPIRAL FOR ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN?

At the start of the first week, I was interested in understanding the consistent use of the continuous spiral throughout the evolution of tall building design. I was also interested to the fact that the design evolution of tall buildings has led to the emergence of sustainable and eco-friendly design in the coming of the 21^st century.

This has led me to do an extensive reading on Ken Yeang, who is a prominent green architect during the late 20^th century, and his most anticipated skyscraper design, the Nara tower in Tokyo, where the use of spiral design is fairly evident in his attempt to achieve eco-friendly approaches in his design. After studying on the spiral design approach on the Nara tower, I was able to indicate the factors that Yeang dealt with through the spiral design:

1.   Structural

2.   Spatial element

3.   Wind factor

4.   Vertical Landscaping

I later engaged in a thorough search for other tall buildings that use the same spiral to achieve sustainable and eco-friendly approach in week 3. Unfortunately, my disorganized weekly posts and the lack of skills in time management have led me to the sharp-divergence of the research objective. The consequential lack of time has restricted me from engaging in numerous relevant case studies. As a result, I only managed to bring myself to the discovery of the use of continuous spiral design in Norman Foster’s Swiss Re Tower in London for his attempt to achieve a green design in the tall building.

COMPARATIVE CASE STUDIES

By comparing the two buildings’ distinctive spiral approaches in dealing with the same factors in design, I was able to indicate the consistency of the role of continuous spiral as an eco-friendly design approach. The comparison is shown below:

1. Structural

The Swiss Re Tower - rooted in a radical approach – technically, architecturally, socially and spatially. Generated by a radial plan, its energy-conscious enclosure resolves walls and roof into a continuous triangulated skin, allowing column-free floor space, light and views.

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.

Tokyo-Nara Tower - The service cores of the building are orientated according to solar conditions.

- Laid along the East-West axis, these lift and service cores absorb a significant percentage of heat gain.

- The cooler facades on the North-South axis are left open by clear glazing and atrial voids.

•- The sheilding and glazing systems are orientated to solar gain.

- Those sides of the building along the East-West axis are more solidly glazed, with cast and perforated metal       cladding (a preferred material for reflective, weight and structural qualities).

- The North-South axis can be identified by open louvres, tiered sunshades and clear glazing. This is as a             consequence of lower exposure to the sun.

  

2. Minimizing of wind resistance 

The Swiss Re Tower - The building widens in profile as it rises and tapers towards its apex. This distinctive form responds to the constraints of the site: the building appears more slender than a rectangular block of equivalent size; reflections are reduced and transparency is improved; and the slimming of its profile towards the base maximises the public realm at ground level. Environmentally, its profile reduces the amount of wind deflected to the ground compared with a rectilinear tower of similar size, helping to maintain pedestrian comfort at street level, and creates external pressure differentials that are exploited to drive a unique system of natural ventilation.

3. Vertical landscaping

The Swiss Re Tower - The plants, mostly a mixture of lichens and grasses, are expected to grow out of the panel and envelope the facade. Needless to say, the benefits of the panels are many: shading, increased internal daylighting, thermal insulation, reduced water consumption, energy generation for the entire building, recycling of materials, reduction of toxicity in the interior spaces.

Tokyo-Nara Tower - It is an energy efficient building that applies concepts of vertical landscaping mixed with ecodesign. the spiraling tower serves as well as holding ground for a large mass of planting that is used as a cooling system for the building. The mechanical systems and the foliage will work in a symbiotic relationship, where the hanging gardens, sky courts, terraces and other green areas will filter and clean the air, improving interior ventilation, while robotic arms will maintain the plants.

4. Social focus spaces (sky court, informal meeting area)

The Swiss Re Tower - On the top level which is the 40th floor, there is a bar for tenants and their guests featuring a 360° view of London. There is a marble stairwell and a disabled persons' lift which leads the visitor up to the bar in the dome.

Tokyo-Nara Tower - Located at regular intervals, the skycourt oases provide inhabitants with environmentally sound ‘breaks’ in the built structure. These green parks, suspended high above the city, would benefit from fresh air, and be constantly maintained as part of the buildings own system. They would act as Tokyo-Nara Tower’s lungs, breathing life into the floors above and below, via the atrial voids.

5. Indoor natural ventilation

The Swiss Re Tower - The swirling striped pattern visible on the exterior is the result of the building's energy-saving system which allows the air to flow up through spiraling wells.

Tokyo-Nara Tower - Most visually apparent is the vertical landscaping – spiralling around, through and within the built form. This element performs many important functions: -the verdant foliage acts to cool the building, both by way of shading and by chemical photo-cooling, -the fringing of floors and atrial spaces allows careful planting to control air movements within the built structure.

6. Spatial interaction

The Swiss Re Tower - Atria between the radiating fingers of each floor link together vertically to form a series of informal break-out spaces that spiral up the building. These spaces are a natural social focus places for refreshment points and meeting areas – and function as the buildings lungs, distributing fresh air drawn in through opening panels in the facade. This system reduces the towers reliance on air conditioning and together with other sustainable measures, means that the building is expected to use up to half the energy consumed by air-conditioned office towers.

COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

The findings that I have collected from the comparative case study between Foster's Swiss Re tower and Yeang's Nara tower in the use of the continuous spiral to deal with the structural, spatial element, wind factor and vertical landscaping is as shown below:

1.  Continuous vertical landscaping on the façade

·    a continuous flow of vertical landscapes along the façade can provide ease of maintenance and well-distributed greeneries

2.  Dynamic spatial interaction within and between floor levels

·   connectivity in terms of visual, spatial and atmospheric permeability as well as flexibility in the transition of public to private space

3.  Semi-indoor natural ventilation

·    Semi-indoor spaces located along the continuous spiral receive wind from all direction. The continual character of the spiral allows different air pressure to circulate the wind from the lower level to the top level of the buildings

4.  External wind contact on the building

·    The continuous spiral allows smooth flow for the external contacting wind to flow across the building, minimizing wind resistance on the building. This contributes to the stability of the tall building

5.  Spaces that act as social stimulus

·    The continuity achieved by the characteristic of the spiral connects open spaces from different levels in a shared space. The social ambiance from different levels stimulate human activities to wrap around the building

What are the consequences of infusing a high-rise building with a single continuous spiral for eco-friendly design?

Continuity and flow - Natural mimicry in the design of eco-friendly tall buildings through direct approach of geometry

Vertical consistency - Well-distributed eco-friendly elements for all floor levels in tall building design



Reference List:

Isabelle Lomholt (2014), The Gherkin – Swiss Re London. 

Retrieved from http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/swiss-re-building

Jorge Chapa (2014), London's Famous Gherkin Building Goes Green – Literally. 

Retrieved From http://inhabitat.com/gherkin-gets-a-green-roof/

A View On Cities: Gherkin 30 St. Mary Axe. 

Retrieved from http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/gherkin.htm

T.R. Hamzah & Yeang (2006), Europaconcorsi: Tokyo-nara Tower.
Retrieved from http://europaconcorsi.com/projects/17299-T-R-Hamzah-Yeang-Tokyo-nara-Tower/print

Helene Alonso (2007), Visions of the Future: Interviews + Art – LSC. 

Retrieved from http://helenealonso.com/portfolio-item/visions-of-the-future-architects-design-tomorrow%E2%80%99s-skyscrapers/

Ivor Richards (2007), Ken Yeang: Eco Skyscrapers. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.my/books?id=QitFFq7Ybg0C&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=tokyo-nara+tower&source=bl&ots=7iNYVqv6Je&sig=b_12sqQOdCyPZphqmPt3yLHzrVE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qZCMU6WzCszo8AXfuIKwAw&ved=0CF8Q6AEwCw#v=onepage&q&f=true

Nicolas Munoz (2009), The Ecosophic Turn: Tokyo’s Nara Tower. 

Retrieved from http://cart411.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/tokyos-nara-tower/