Seeking the suitable and sustainable skyscraper

Antony Wood
CTBUH Executive Director GACCoM Green Building Seminar UIC, Urbana-Champaign, 13 Nov. 09

Tall Buildings and Place: The shortfall of Tall?

1896, Fisher Building, Chicago, Burnham & Co

1930, Chrysler Building, New York, William van Alen

Shortfall 1: The Commercial Design Approach

1958, Seagram Building, New York, Mies van der Rohe & Philip Johnson

Shortfall 2: The IconicSculptural Design Approach

2003; Swiss Re Tower, City of London Foster Associates

1969, Commercial Union Building, London Gollins, Melvin Ward & Partners

Canary Wharf / Docklands Development; early 1980s to date

Typical Towers at Canary Wharf

1991; No.1 Canada Square, London Cesar Pelli Associates

1985; World Financial Centre, New York Cesar Pelli Associates

Tall building-scape, Jakarta

Tall building-scape, Seoul

1990; Thaniya Plaza, Bangkok Plan Associates Co Ltd

1990; Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, Bangkok Rangsan Torsuwan Architects

Literal Cultural Symbolism

1997; Menara Batavia, Indonesia Architects Pacific Group

Literal Cultural Symbolism

2004. Taipei 101, Taiwan CY Lee & Partners

Literal Cultural Symbolism

1998. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai. SOM

Abstract Cultural Symbolism

2007. World Financial Centre, Shanghai. KPF

Abstract Cultural Symbolism

1997. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur. Cesar Pelli Associates

Abstract Cultural Symbolism ?

1984. Menara Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur. BEP Architects

The Rise of an Environmental Consciousness in High Rise design

1932. Broadacre City, Frank Lloyd Wright 1956. Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright

1984. National Commercial Bank, Jeddah. SOM Architects

Dubai World Trade Center Dubai, U.A.E., 1978 JR Harris & Partners,

1993. Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah Nikken Sekkei Architects

Harry Seidler in Australia

1986. Riverside Centre, Brisbane. Harry Seidler

1989. Capita Centre, Sydney. Harry Seidler

Charles Correa in India

1983. Kanchanjunga Apartments, Bombay. Charles Correa.

Bioclimatic Skyscrapers the work of Ken Yeang..

Design features: - Skycourts / Skygardens - Vertical Landscaping - External louvres for solar shading on hot facades (i.e. east / west) - No shading on north / south facades for daylighting - Lift core used to reduce solar gain to internal space (positioned on east side) - Naturally ventilated low energy Lift Lobbies, with view - Naturally ventilated / lit toilets / ancillary areas. - Structures for positioning of solar arrays etc.

1992. Menara Mesiniaga, Kuala Lumpur Hamzah & Yeang.

1993. Mbf Tower, Penang. Hamzah & Yeang.

1995. Tokyo-Nara Tower Hamzah & Yeang.

The rise of green as a material

1983. Trump Tower, Swanke Hayden Connell

1994. ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall, Japan. Emilio Ambasz and Associates

2007. Newton Suites, Singapore. WOHA

Green or Grey?: The Aesthetics of Tall Building Design

1997. Commerzbank, Frankfurt. Foster Assoc.

1999. Frankfurt Max Tower. Hamzah & Yeang.

The work of Norman Foster .

1997. Commerzbank, Frankfurt. Foster Associates

2003; Swiss Re Tower, City of London Foster Associates

Sustainable Technologies .

1999. Conde Nast Building. New York. Fox & Fowle Architects

2008. Bahrain World Trade Centre. Atkins

Sustainable Technologies .

2009. Pearl River Tower. SOM

2008. The New York Times Building, New York. Renzo Piano

Challenges: Tall Buildings & Sustainability the Case Against

The age of skyscrapers is at an end. It must now be considered an experimental building typology that has failed
Kunstler & Salingaros, in Roaf et al (2005)

Factors: Construction & Operation Internal Environment / People Urban

Challenges: Tall Buildings & Sustainability the Case Against Construction & Operation
Higher embodied energy in constructing at height structure, materials etc. Greater wind loading at height (impact on size of primary structure, faade design etc). High energy consumption in operation elevators (up to 15% of bldg energy use), services etc. Higher energy consumption for cleaning and maintenance (e.g. replacement of faade silicon joints). Energy consumption is a small percentage of total costs (salaries etc) little incentive for owners / operators / developers. Implications of Power failure (impact on vertical circulation, safety etc). Recycling potential / urban impact of demolition / disposal of materials after demolition.

Challenges: Tall Buildings & Sustainability the Case Against Internal Environment / People
Less net usable area to gross area and restrictions on internal planning; vertical circulation core etc. Anti-social internal environment lack of open, recreational, communal space (esp. in residential). Sealed environments at height thus requirement for air conditioning, artificial lighting etc. Safety and Security fears (especially post 9/11) including safety during construction. Increased travel time (wasted time?). People suffering from vertigo building occupation / human rights legislation?

Challenges: Tall Buildings & Sustainability the Case Against Urban Factors
Impact on urban scale; cities that dont want to be tall? The poor ground floor interface Wind downdrafts Overshadowing (solar rights / right to light) Wind rights (ventilation?) Overpopulation in certain localities / greater demand on existing urban services and infrastructure. Climate Change will increase all these pressures on high rise wind, storm, solar, power failure etc .

Challenges: Tall Buildings & Sustainability the Case For

Efficient land use in population concentration reduced suburban spread / loss of

countryside. Denser cities = reduced transportation (and consequential impact on environment). Reduced size of infrastructure networks (urban / suburban, power, services, waste disposal etc). Proximity of residence and workplace; therefore less travel time (less wasted time?). More of the ground floor / urban level can be dedicated to public use e.g. retail. Standardisation of floor plates and use of materials prefabrication efficiencies? Higher wind velocities at height = greater potential for harnessing wind energy. Potential for natural ventilation through increased stack effect etc. High thermal mass potential for use in natural ventilation / heating / cooling strategies. Potential for good internal daylighting (and thus reduced energy). Increased quality of life at height view etc? The potential for secure communal / recreational spaces at height, away from traffic, pollution etc. Increased legibility of the city urban signposting etc. Life-cycle costing; re-use of building structure, services etc in refurbishments.

The U.K. Factors:

- longer life expectancy - smaller household size (single person households, divorce rate, children outside marriage, etc)

Results:
- a government demand of 2.6million new homes by 2020 - An annual requirement of 189,000 new homes

Models for the Future?

2004. Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait SOM Architects

the high energy, gas-guzzling fully glazed office block is at the end of an era faade design is on the frontline of a change
Ken Shuttleworth

2005. The Spiracle, Leeds

2007 Project. COR tower, Miami..Oppenheim Architects

2010. O14 Tower, Dubai, Reiser + Umemoto Architects

2009. Torres de Hrcules, Cdiz, Spain. Rafael de La Hoz Castanys

2009. Torres Porta Fira, LHospitalet de Llobregat, Spain. Toyo Ito / b720 Arquitectos

2009. The Met, Bangkok, Thailand. WOHA

Design Research; CTBUH + Illinois Institute of Technology + University of Nottingham + others............

London, 2002-06

Chicago, 2007-08

Mumbai, 2009

1981; Natwest Tower (Tower 42) City of London Richard Seifert Architect

Physical Responses to Site

2004. Building As Frame

2008. Minerva Tower. Nicholas Grimshaw Architects

Office Environmental Section

2004. Building As Frame Design response. Typical Floor Plan

Residential Facade Section

View Looking Down

Environmental Responses to Site

2007. Wind Farm

Physical & Environmental Responses to Site

2002. SkyBox version 1

North

Office?

Residential?

Conceptual Layer 1: Relationship between core, function & climate

City View

Differing City View at higher level

Conceptual Layer 2: Relationship between floor plate & context

Conceptual Layer 2: Relationship between floor plate & context

Conceptual Layer 3: Structural blocks

2007. SkyBox version 2

2007. SkyBox version 2

Environmental Responses to Site

2007. Solar Thermal Tower

Solar Power Station, Seville, Spain

2007. Solar Thermal Tower

2007. Solar Thermal Tower

Environmental Responses to Site

2007. The Chicago Aquifer

2007. The Chicago Aquifer

2007. The Chicago Aquifer

Challenging traditional functions

2006. Sports Tower

Responses to Programme
Vertical Farm

2006. Vertical Farm

2007. SkyFarm

2007. SkyFarm

2007. SkyFarm

Responses to All...........
Pavements in the Sky / Skybridges

1998 - Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur. Cesar Pelli.

1927 - Metropolis. Erich Kettelhut. Still from Fritz Langs film.

1908 - The Cosmopolis of the Future. Harry Petit. From Kings Views of New York

1997 - The Fifth Element. Luc Besson. Still from film.

2009. Linked Hybrid, Beijing, China. Steven Holl Architects

Urban Enrichment Hong Kong

Cultural Responses to Site

2009. Yatra Towers, Mumbai

2009. Annapurna Tower

2009. Gyana Tower

2009. Bhangar Tower

2009. Swadeshi Tower

2009. Swadeshi Tower

Cultural Responses to Site

2009. Yatra Towers, Mumbai

A new Vernacular for the Skyscraper? Seven Design Principles for future Tall Buildings . 1. Should vary with height not be just vertical extrusions of an efficient floor plan. 2. Varying Texture and Scale essential should be designed as many small buildings harmoniously together, rather than one piece of iconic sculpture to be viewed from afar? 3. New functions to be introduced 4. Communal, open, recreation space vital 5. More facade opacity (and variation / texture) in skin / cladding 6. Organic matter (vegetation) to become an essential part of the material palette. 7. More physical, circulatory, social and programmatic connections (skybridges!).

Tall Buildings have an opportunity to lead the way for the benefit of the entire construction industry, due to the financial and professional expenditure involved and thus the opportunity for incorporation of experimental technologies etc......

www.ctbuh.org www.ctbuh.org/designresearch.htm awood@ctbuh.org