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Architecture, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

A Vertical Forest on Mars?

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“Vertical Forest • Seeds on Mars” landing at SUSAS 2017

A Vertical Forest on Mars? It is one of the hypotheses developed by SBA China along with the Tongji University’s Future City Lab to imagine Shanghai in 2117. A great metropolis that will be well flooded by water – if humanity will not be capable to reverse the warming of the planet. Thus, in collaboration with the Chinese Space Agency, was born the idea -so far in the form of vision – of a colony of Shanghai on the Red Planet. A “New Shanghai” that could be born thanks to the rooting on Mars’s surface of real “eco-systemic seeds” (which would travel through an interplanetary space station) within which to create an atmosphere and a favorable climate for plants and human life.


The “Vertical Forest Seeds on Mars” will be presented at the entrance of the great SUSAS 2017 exhibition, opening on October 15th in Minsheng Port in Shanghai.
The edition 2017 of Shanghai Urban Space and Art Season is curated by Stefano Boeri with Lee Xiangning, dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji
University• and Fang Zhenning, contemporary independent artist and interational critic. With the contribution of co-curators Guo Xiaoyan, Feng Lu and Tommaso Sacchi, SUSAS invited nearly 200 well-known curators, architects, artists from all over the world, to create cultural festival of urban renovation.


The exhibition 2017 is entitled “This-CONNECTION – sharing a future of public space”, it features art, architecture, urban planning, design interpreting the future of the cities.
Stefano Boeri Architetti will present the Marsian experiment through an installation with augmented reality high-tech. The visitors can use the on-site equipment or download the online application software provided by Archi Maker, in order to experience the green city view in the future interstellar after 100 years. In addition, RADURA the conceptual installation by Stefano Boeri Architetti will debut in China. It will work as an antenna inside the “Vertical Forest Mars Seed”, enabling it to receive information from the past, present and future.
SUSAS 2017 will be open to visitors for the following three months.

Architecture, Building Envelope, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends, Wood

Tree Tower Toronto

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Proposed project utilizing wood and plants seen as catalyst for future sustainable buildings

Penda architects have teamed up with wood consultants from CLT-brand Tmber to propose a modular and natural high-rise tower in Toronto.

The Tree Tower Toronto project is seen as a catalyst for future residential buildings that are “more efficient to construct” and “more ecological to our environment” than common construction methods, says a principal at Penda, an international creative team with offices in China and Austria.

“Our cities are an assembly of steel, concrete and glass,” says Chris Precht, partner at Penda. “If you walk through the city and suddenly see a tower made of wood and plants, it will create an interesting contrast.

“The warm, natural appearance of wood and the plants growing on its facade bring the building to life and that could be a model for environmentally-friendly developments and sustainable extensions of our urban landscape.”

The Tree Tower Toronto is a joint effort of Penda, as architects, and Canadian CLT-consultants at Tmber – they envision sustainable high-rise proposals in urban areas. The 18-storey tower in Toronto would be 62 metres high and have 4,500 square metres of residential area and 550 square metres of public area with a cafe, children’s daycare centre, and workshops for the neighbouring community. A location has not been announced.

Due to its natural appearance, the building would shift the usual ‘building to city’ relation to a ‘building to nature’ relation, the principals say. The tower would showcase a direct connection to nature with plants and its natural materials.

Canada and Sustainable Architecture

Canada has a long tradition of wood construction and was one of the first countries in the world to change its building codes in order to use wood in vertical structures. That makes Canada a pioneer in adding high rises made out of wood to their urban fabric. As a promotion for sustainable developments, the Canadian government awards buildings that exceed carbon footprint standards. Such credits can reach a 10-20 per cent funding of the building cost and are a direct injection to green light sustainable housing proposals and an incentive for forward thinking developers.

A Modular Process

Canada has also been a frontrunner for modular, pre-fabricated construction, which was efficient on one hand and visually interesting on the other. One great example of this is Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67. Inspired by the Habitat, The Tree Tower Toronto would involve a modular building process, where pre-fabricated and pre-cut CLT panels would be assembled off-site at an indoor facility. After the work on site, with foundation, ground floor and a base core is done, all modules, including fixtures and finishes, would be delivered to the site and craned into place.

During the process of stacking the modules, the timber clad facade panels would be installed and sealed. To go fully modular and prefab, the process would be faster, less noisy, reduce waste and allow for a high degree of quality control; that’s because most parts of the building would be assembled in a controlled indoor environment.

The structure of the building would be mainly massive timber panels with a hybrid of CLT, concrete and steel-elements where needed and could be seen as a prominent statement to use engineered wood products in vertical structures.

“The building constructed in a modular process will become more flexible,” says Dayong Sun, a partner at Penda. “In response to a fast pace of life in the future, the building should meet the user’s demand in a faster and more flexible way. Furthermore, a modular system formed in the city of the future will make the module a part of the shared lifestyle more than the building. This way, the service life of the building module will be greatly increased for sustainable development.”

Furthermore, the modular construction system implements an idea about the reusability of building components in an afterlife of a tower. Elements of a building like wires and copper will be scarce resources in the future. Demolishing a tower in the conventional way ends up burying the most valuable elements of a building. Instead, think down-constructing a tower – that helps secure a sustainable life cycle of a building, project principals say.

Wood as a Building Material

Wood is an old building material that has been getting a new life in taller buildings over the last five years. Building with engineered wood has been called the next tidal wave of building in the 21st century. A quality lifestyle, the principals believe, means living in healthy environments. That also means living in a healthy city.

The building industry is by far the biggest contributor to pollution, they point out, and solutions for more ecological buildings need to be actively sought and legislated. Because buildings account for almost half of all energy used worldwide, the quintessential focus of the design community has to be on strategies to reduce the energy consumption in buildings and in their construction. The process that creates structural engineered wood products takes far less energy than steel, cement or concrete and produces fewer greenhouse gases during manufacturing. Further, wood stores carbon in itself (approximately one tonne per cubic metre) thus it has, compared to other building materials, a lighter overall environmental footprint.

Symbiosis of Architecture and Botany

A key element of the project is to communicate its innovative use of wood and engineered wood technology used in the building, according to principals. The tower would not only use massive wood panels as its main structural element, but would also incorporate timber clad panels as its facade. Despite wood as a structural and cladding material, trees and plants would also be a key component on the building’s facade. Large outdoor areas would provide a space for herb and vegetable planters for the residents. The vegetation on the terraces would offer a private garden for each apartment, which would create a certain degree of privacy within the density of the city. The trees would also provide a shade in summer and help to keep the temperature low on warm days.

Wood as a construction material and trees on the facade offer a unique and coherent ecological design and exhibit a symbiosis of a built and a natural environment, say the principals.
“In a way, we are growing the material for an extension of the tower on its terraces,” says Mark Stein, CEO of Tmber. “This connection helps further develop a true ecological high rise, supplies its residents with fresher air and provides a lower carbon footprint.

“The extensive use of wood would set ambitious sustainability targets and be a catalyst for similar developments in Canada,” Stein added.

Web

tmber.net

home-of-penda.com

Architecture, HVAC, Ideas, LEED, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Progetto CMR – Your Villa in the Sky

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Oxygen Eco-Tower – sustainable design and luxury

Oxygen Eco-Tower, awarded the “People’s Choice Award” at MIPIM, the largest international real estate fair, integrates elegance, well-being and technology in the concept of vertical residence. It is a true showcase for Italian expertise and sustainable design, especially as it was the outcome of close cooperation between the architects and a series of leading Italian companies that brought their technologies and products to the design table.

The concept design is developed from the geometric model of a flower that grows upward, with an organic shape. A vertical constellation of villas, a 125.800 sqm residential tower, green and luxurious, developed on 75 floors (total height of 277 meters), designed to fulfill the dreams and meet the needs of people who will live those spaces. The 161 villas, each one with private garden and swimming pool, are organized in 4 different typologies, surrounded by 61.000 sqm of gardens, where man and nature live in symbiosis.

The four different typologies of villas are repeated in sequence creating an amazing effect, forming the tower. Shops, restaurants, library, kindergarten, VIP-lounge, cigar bar, SPA, tennis courts, running track and large swimming pools are part of the services, further improving the quality of life to the residents.

This project becomes a vehicle for the promotion of sustainable design. A sustainable technology that expresses itself in every design choice, that transforms Oxygen Eco-Tower into a true green-building thanks to technical solutions which allow a strong synergy with the environment by using natural energies. The entire roof is set up for auto-generation of electricity through photovoltaic panels; the “heating and cooling” system is provided by a geothermal system, eliminating carbon dioxide emissions; a centralized ventilation system filters the outside air, ensuring the correct temperature in a natural way; regenerative and clever use of energy utilized for the elevators allows a considerable energy saving; and special pools collect the rainwater, preserving the aquifer.

Architecture, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Back to the future

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The world catches up to visionary Milessa Modules home design

It was 54 years ago when Carlo Milessa first unveiled his innovative way of building houses to the National Home Show in Toronto.

At that time, his novel approach to architectural housing design was not particularly lauded, nor did it garner the support that he had anticipated.
But that was then, and today his visionary concept, entitled Milessa Modules, seems poised to find its appropriate niche in an ever-changing world.
“Back in 1963, developers were not interested,” says Milessa, who is kickstarting his project, hoping to appeal to a modern industry, fully supportive of sustainable initiatives. “People back then said ‘shelve it’ or ‘it’s ahead of its time.’
“Now, with climate change concerns magnified, I believe it’s time to try again.”
Milessa Modules is a ground-breaking hexagonal housing cluster concept based on a geometric theorem that Milessa conceptualized and copyrighted all those years ago. The first image that comes to mind when looking at drawings is a honeycomb.
His concept involves having six hexagonal buildings arranged in a large hexagonal shape, all connected by outside walls, with a seventh building placed in the centre of a courtyard.
What this does is allow one cluster of buildings to be easily linked to another to create a honeycomb network of self-contained spaces where each modular building could be customized for a different function. Moreover, this type of modular building could be mass-produced, and disassembled and reassembled as well, much like a LEGO effect.

“If you can build one, you can build many,”Milessa says. “Mass production of the modular buildings would significantly lower the cost compared to traditional housing options. This would make the modules appealing to both Canadian and international markets.

Milessa’s foresight extended to other forms of consumer trends, as well. Case in point? Housing in general.
“Large houses will soon go the way of large cars,” he’s said, forecasting the gradual shift in preference. “We’ve seen consumers go for compact, environmentally-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles; in my opinion housing will follow the same trend. It’s happening already.

“Milessa Modules are just the thing to pique homebuyer interest.”
The hexagonal modular setup can be utilized in many ways. Milessa says housing units, holiday rentals, greenhouse, retirement communities – even summer camps – would be ideal common-sense fits for Milessa Modules. He stresses that the unit’s hexagonal shape allows for more efficient use of space, but what really creates a winning alternative to traditional housing are the green building features.

Many of his ideas were met with dubious reactions back in the Sixties, but seem to be the status quo in 2017. He points to the use of gardens, rainwater collection systems, natural light and solar panels as examples of how developers can maintain an eco-friendly and cost-efficient operation.

“Plus, the spaces between rooms would be glass enclosures,” he explains. “On sunny days in the winter you would have natural heat. So you don’t spend money on heating. In the summer, you might have more shade, and less use for air-conditioners.
“If you cover the courtyard with a canopy of plants, you would add to the shade and get good quality fresh air in the summer months. “

Keeping in line with his think-outside-the-box mentality, Milessa speculates on other positives that could be derived by utilizing Milessa Modules.
“Right now I am exploring the advantages of variable geometry architecture in planning a modular components synthetic biosphere for a future space academy,” he says. “They could be used for space farms to feed scientists, deep space exploration or storage units for space-based mineral reserves. There’s also the fact that an air pocket can ben created if the module is turned upside down in the water. This could turn into development of a subsea wellhead maintenance and ocean floor exploration platform, where rare minerals could be accessed.

“I am also concentrating on the rain harvesting feature. This could capture rainfall in cisterns and create small artificial lakes. That could be very impactful for the dry regions of the world.”

Did you know?
Carlo Milessa first built a prototype of the modular building on an island in Northern Ontario in 1967 to support his geometrical theorem. The prototype was used as a summer camp by a Toronto-based Italian club, and then as a cottage by Milessa and his family, before its eventual sale to a private buyer.

Milessa has been in talks with companies in China, Malaysia and India regarding possible furnishing options for the modules.

Additionally, a book on Milessa Modules, authored by Milessa, can be found in various university libraries, including the University of California, Los Angeles

Architecture, Ideas, Style

Call it the U-Pad … your style of living

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Inspired concept by custom home builder and founder of Stonemill Developments would see three-storey house utilized in a whole different way

Paul Ribau has a vision.

And the Principal Owner of Stonemill Developments Inc. has also done the necessary homework and is confident his idea will quickly translate into a very popular option for people looking to get the most out of their living situation.

In a nutshell, Ribau believes he’s on to something big; something that does not even exist in the real estate market today and will generate a tremendous amount of interest. His plan would see an affordable luxury three-storey unit being used as both a home, and a source of income.

Call it the U-Pad.

The concept will be brought to life in the form of a modern design that draws attention to its application of windows and to its spacious layout. The U-Pad’s design brings an uplifting environment.

“The U-Pad’s appeal is especially evident for folks who are thinking of retirement,” says Ribau, also Broker of Record, Stonemill Realty Inc. “Imagine a successful couple, whose children have recently moved on with their own lives; their large-scale home now has a rather empty presence.”

Traditionally, perhaps, the go-to move would be to sell and downsize. Paul explains that “couples as such may be ready to downsize, but like many, they are not ready to give up their needs for storage and use of backyard.

“The U-Pad offers a dynamic alternative,” Ribau says, “and a solution for combining an urban or downtown living experience with the convenience of a bungalow style living format, all the while providing a rental income from two separate spacious apartment style units in a three-storey setting, complete with elevator access.”

Ribau, together with Stonemill’s in-house Architect, Kristjan Fortune, has the details all worked out.

“A typical U-Pad would not have a basement. Instead, Ribau says, there would be a drive-in 1,200-square-foot garage on the main floor “to house all the cars or toys, of course” – plus a 1,600-square-foot two-bedroom apartment.

Each floor would have 10-foot ceilings. An elevator would be installed in the common area to provide access to the second and third floors.

The second and third floors each would be a whopping 2,800-square-feet of luxury apartments.

While completing the U-Pad space, owners would have the opportunity to work with Brenda Baranowski, Stonemill’s in-house Lead Designer, in choosing their interior design finishes.

Ribau pointed to the many benefits, including:

The rental income opportunity
The U-Pad owner could choose to live on the main floor or one of the other levels depending on preference. Subject to district market values, the main floor could be rented out for $2,500 a month and the second and third floors could be rented out each for $3,500 a month.

Choice of location
As a custom builder, Ribau stresses: “With my design-build team of real estate agents, a U-Pad owner can choose where to set up their U-Pad living destination and whether they want to be in an urban setting, be close to a downtown annex, close to the waterfront, or place themselves in a quieter urban setting … the freedom of choice is theirs and a huge benefit.”
Ribau says that Stonemill realizes there are countless factors to be considered when it comes to purchasing a new home “but at the end of the day, you want it to be your home and unique to the way you want to live.”

And he says Stonemill provides “you with the freedom of expressing true individuality in your new home. All you need is the inspiration.”

Since 1997, as a leader in the construction industry for custom design and build projects, Stonemill stands out with in-house specialized services. Whether it’s finding that perfect lot, getting qualified for a new home purchase or construction financing, or simply starting the process of a custom design to blueprint to interior, Stonemill provides one-stop service, Ribau says.

Here’s what to expect, according to Ribau, when you see the Stonemill brand:

Custom built homes

“At Stonemill Developments Inc. our inspiration comes from the clients.  Ranging from bungalows, lofted bungalows, modern two-storey scapes and traditional two-storey marvels, Stonemill will deliver the luxurious style of living.  With your custom wish list in hand, ensure that Stonemill can accommodate all with quality workmanship and finishes in mind.”

Large-scale renovations

“For homeowners, a large renovation can be downright daunting. Stonemill has the experience and creative sensibility needed to produce any space you’ve been dreaming of, smoothly from start to finish.”

Professional design

“With 18 years of custom creations, its innovative design focus on enhancing space, movement and flow through the house, with a winning combination of opulent finishes and unique touches, Stonemill ensures an output that all clients should deserve.”

Full real estate services

“At Stonemill, we don’t just design and build homes, but extend beyond by providing full-scale real estate expertise. Our team of agents will assist you with whatever your needs may be, from MLS listing packages to new home buying options and more.”

Paul Ribau is the founder and President of Stonemill Developments Inc., Proud member of the Home Building & Renovation Warranty Program Tarion License #34286 and Broker of Stonemill Realty Inc., he comes with a cluster of credentials linked to both the building industry and real estate services. Besides the U-Pad initiative, Ribau says he would like to incorporate solar roof panels along with Tesla home battery power banks. “People would use battery power during peak hours and save tons on hydro costs.”

Web / stonemill.ca

 

 

 

Architecture, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends, Wood

When dreams come true

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World’s leading tree house company caters to every whim while maintaining sustainability focus

There are many ways to connect with your inner child.

But perhaps none can compare with the pure, unadulterated joy experienced when you drift back to less-stressful times when dreams were constant and life was all about having fun.

Two brothers, Andy and Simon Payne, tapped into that feeling in a big way, when they decided to let their imaginations run wild, creating a renowned tree house design and construction empire along the way.

Theirs was no one-off venture – they now, in fact, offer a variety of inspired and luxurious options, featuring everything from fairy-tale towers to spas to living spaces connected by rope bridges high up in trees. And their UK-based company, Blue Forest, has built hundreds of tree houses which mesh with their immediate environment, all utilizing sustainable materials such as timber.

Born in Kenya, the brothers grew up in the English countryside near Sussex, where they followed through on their vision to start a tree house business – realizing the potential after volunteering for a conservation project in their African homeland.

They came up with the name Blue Forest – named after the blue-hued pine forests in Japan’s mountainous Aomori region – and initially began creating tree houses of all shapes and sizes, including a traditional child’s house and party venues for adults and teens.

From that basic beginning, however, Blue Forest has grown. Today, it’s arguably the world’s most prominent tree house company.

“We have been able to fulfill clients’ dreams for unique and exciting tree houses,” says Blue Forest spokesperson Shar Maytum. “We are known for our sustainable practices and structures that which reflect their natural setting.”

Blue Forest works hand in hand with the world’s largest forest certification system, the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), as well as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), to ensure that all the wood used comes from sustainably-managed land. They determine where the original trees were grown, when they were cut down and how many trees were planted to replace the harvested ones.

“Our structures are built using a variety of natural construction materials, including timber which is FSC/PEFC-certified or sourced from sustainably-managed forests,” explains Maytum. “There is an active strategy of replanting and habitat regeneration, enabling them to blend in seamlessly with the beautiful natural environment in which they are situated.”

At the same time, Blue Forest encourages clients to build with high levels of insulation and incorporate renewable energy whenever possible. Achieving off-the-grid capacity is not always easy, but Blue Forest believes that the elements that make the tree houses most sustainable are not always difficult to achieve.

For example, Maytum says that simply insulating the building really well, and using such natural resources as the sun and wind for heating and cooling, plus incorporating low-energy lighting, combine to go a long way towards achieving an off-the-grid goal.


There are many ways Blue Forest helps clients achieve their sustainable goals. Homes are built around trees and utilize hybrid designs so that the weight of the structure is supported by posts and anchored by trees. There are also fully arboreal houses built right in the middle of long-living, deep-rooted trees.

The company designs also cater to client whims. Say a client prefers hardwood to softwood. Blue Forest can provide a more expensive sustainable alternative called Kebony, which uses a bio-based liquid to permanently enhance sustainable softwood, giving it a dark brown finish with premium hardwood features.

Across the board, however, Blue Forest finds that its clients all want to reconnect with nature in some way. And it’s that love of nature that makes sustainability a top priority.

It’s definitely a lifestyle choice, one more and more people are gravitating towards, says Maytum.

“Being built in and around the trees in their natural environment … there is no better place to live than in a tree house,” she says.
Web / blueforest.com
Blue Forest’s primary expertise is in building luxury tree houses but the company has designed and built everything from tree house hotels to woodland playgrounds, tree house classrooms, canopy walkways and eco lodges. Blue Forest provides a turnkey solution, with everything from design and planning to construction and commissioning comes in one package. Blue Forest mainly operates in the UK and Europe but has participated in a number of other projects around the world. The company also offers design or architectural consultancy service for customers further afield.

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, HVAC, Ideas, LEED, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Taiwanese twist

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Vincent Callebaut’s historic Agora Garden Tower the ‘right symbiosis between humanity and nature’

It’s been a long time coming, but the spell-binding Agora Garden Tower, a masterpiece of sustainable design conceived by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, is twisting its way to completion.

Construction of this residential tower in Taipei, Taiwan, began back in 2013. Also known as the Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, the structure is rising to 22 storeys, and is expected to be completed, finally, by September 2017.

“Taipei is for me the new Asian Silicon Valley,” Callebaut says, in a CNN interview. “I hope that the Tao Zhu Yin Yuan will become, for the city of Taipei, the new ecological symbol of the right symbiosis between humanity and nature.”

That may be saying a lot, but there are many reasons to give Callebaut’s claims credence. Besides the impressive height, the tower twists 4.5 degrees at each floor, for a total of 90 degrees, when all is said and done. And Callebaut is quick to point out that this twisting effect allows residents to enjoy panoramic views.

Arranged throughout the tower will be 23,000 trees, on the ground and on individual balconies of each of the 40 luxury apartments. These are not merely decorative adornments – it is forecast that the trees will absorb 130 tons of CO2 each year.

As a sustainable residential eco-construction development, Agora Garden Tower will also be home to Taipei’s most luxurious rooftop clubhouses, a swimming pool, gym facilities and car parking. Each of the high-end apartments will offer maximum flexibility in terms of interior layout.

From a green standpoint, the structure will be a fusion of climate, landscape and architecture. The project has an integration of bioclimatic passive systems (natural lighting and ventilation, a rainwater recycle system, low-e glass, double curtain walls) along with an optimum use of renewable energies, including photovoltaic solar roof and canopies.

The energy conservation systems are automated. Along with trees, the tower will also host a vertical twisted garden sitting in the middle along with the aforementioned landscaped balconies, cascades of flowers, fruits, vegetables and aromates. Moreover, the landscaped basement for parking will be naturally lighted and ventilated. All these measures were taken to achieve ecological objectives.

Callebaut is aiming for U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Gold and Low Carbon Building Alliance, Diamond Level certifications. To this end, a rainwater capture and recycling system will be on the roof. In addition, a large 10,763 square-foot roof-based solar panel array will reduce the building’s energy reliance on the grid.

The building is therefore eco-designed. It integrates not only the recycling of organic waste and used water but also all the renewable energies and other new state-of-the-art nanotechnologies (BIPV solar photovoltaic, rain water recycling, compost, for example.)

As a living organism, the tower becomes metabolic. It overpasses its energy-consuming passive role (absorbing all the natural resources and rejecting only waste) to produce its own organic food. The architectural concept is thus to eco-design an energy self-sufficient building, whose energy is electric, thermal and also alimentary.

Specifically, the four main ecological objectives attained will be:

  • The reduction of the climatic global warming;
  • The protection of the nature and the biodiversity;
  • The protection of the environment and the quality of life;
  • And the management of the natural resources and waste.

At the same time, according to a concept where nothing is lost, everything transforms itself; all the construction and furnishing materials are being selected through recycled and/or recyclable labels. By imitating the processes of natural ecosystems, it deals with reinventing in the industrial and architectural processes in Taipei in order to produce clean solutions and to create an industrial cycle where everything is reused; either by returning to the ground as non-toxic organic nutrients, or back to industry as technical nutrients able to be indefinitely recycled. The project demonstrates the symbiosis of human actions and their positive impact on nature.

Callebaut takes particular pride in the slogan accompanying this project: A small step for carbon absorbing, a big leap for anti-global warming.

“This type of ecological architecture is not a trend. It’s a necessity,” Callebaut told CNN. “For this project, I realized energy conservation, carbon reduction, and eco-friendly concepts through exceptional and novel green building design concepts with the goal of perpetuating the Confucian spirit of generational succession, continuation of the past and ushering in of the future, and long life and prosperity.”

Architecture, Building Envelope, Green Energy, Ideas, Style, Sustainability, Technology, Top Stories, Trends

Snaking into the future

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Wadala Tower concept an avant-garde design driven by strong image of Indian snakes

Mumbai, India – When completed, the mix-use Wadala Tower would be one of the tallest of its kind in the world.

Currently in the planning stages, it’s been designed by world-renowned architect James Law, of James Law Cybertecture International.

Wadala Tower is a 21st century ultra-futuristic “Cybertecture” skyscraper situated in the heart of India. The design concept of this super high-rise tower is driven by a strong image of Indian snakes. The tower targets to serve a diverse group of potential clients with the provision of shopping mall, services apartment, hotel and office use with 360 degree of breathtaking view. The avant-garde design is not only aiming to be the best mix-use tower in India, but is targeted to be a landmark as perhaps the best building in the world.

In concept, the 1000m tower is a dynamic curling form generated by twisting floor plates. Each floor plate is rotated slightly at five degrees continuously upwards in order to create the dynamic and fluidity of the tower. On the other hand, large and luxurious terraces are also created by the rotating floor plates.

The stepped terraces would be ideal for extraordinary views and social interaction. Although the skyscraper would be one of the tallest in the world, its proportion is made to be slender and elegant through a series of sophisticated and thoughtful design processes. The tower can be conceived as a whole regardless of different uses as the twisting shopping mall is merged into the tower part, which is completely different from the conventional high-rise building where podium and the tower usually did not match with each other.

Wadala Tower would also be one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly towers. With the provision of greenery, wind turbines and waterfall, a sustainable environment for apartment residents hotel users and office workers is introduced. A vertical urban forest is created by the twisting terraces with massive amount of vegetation which could reduce carbon emissions. External wind turbines are installed on every five floors which help to generate renewable energy. A grand waterfall along the core is not just for aesthetic purposes only but also helps to reduce the heat gain of the tower.

The dynamic composition of the diagrid façade system is inspired by the various skin textures and pattern of snakes. Different size and density of the diagrid create a magnificent layering visual effect. The overall frame is like the bones of snakes where there is a core with sub-structure. This structural scheme allows an open plan configuration by providing completely column free office spaces.

In addition, “Cybertecture” egg-like forms are located at the upper part of tower, which allows for flexible uses such as clubhouse, restaurant and conference hall. This special designed space is a symbol of identity for residents, office workers and even visitors.

The ‘egg’ would glow in light like a gem in the darkness.