Concept: As part of an ongoing research into generative design in general and contemporary architecturally design in particular, the tower project combines progressive, digital design techniques, biologically inspired form-finding and contemporary engineering concepts to develop the genotype of an adaptive tower, that could potentially be deployed in various scales, shapes, environmental and programmatic scenarios for a whole range of projects. The aim is to provide and test ideas for a vertically organized, architectural system made of building sets and and sub sets that are geometrically associated and therefore can easily being modified, changed and adapted to suit a variety of potential programmatic requirements and site conditions. Features such as built volume, floor area, footprint and the overall shape can hereby be changed through parametrically morphing the whole system from one shape into another, while maintaining its spatial, technical and aesthetical functionality through keeping the system in one morphological family of potential forms.
Structure and Space: The common experience in highrise structures is that of isolated levels, defined by generic slabs, penetrated by cores and columns and bounded by a detached curtain wall. Instead of a modernist, linear array of slabs, the project tries to investigate how to increase spatial qualities in architectural highrise typologies through increasing the vertical and horizontal porosity inside the building. The design approach here is to avoid that sort of experience through playfully embedding, combining, interlacing and blending spatial units, levels, building sets and subsets into each other throughout the tower. Structure and space, all building sets and subsets form one fluid entity.
Skin: Another focus in the project is the development of the building’s skin. The idea is to develop a cellular, light-weight shingle system made from composites, that works as an self shading, environmental filter, providing light, thermal insulation and natural ventilation to a certain degree. Through its flexible materiality, it is working as a cladding rather than as a curtain wall. The cells of the facade are attached to the main structural layer of the building, allowing to omit an additional structural layer for the facade.
Program: Through interlaced sets of cores, exoskeletons and the cellular facade, the tower is highly flexible and capable to house a multilayered program with the possibilities of open plan arrangements as well as that of cellular spatial arrangements. The structural concept allows for a high degree of horizontal and vertical interconnectivity through bridges, double height areas and void spaces. Conceived as a slender, twofold figure, the two adjacent slabs on either side can be conjoined into one, deep slab or populated independently on every level. |
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