THIS WAS A PROJECT FOR A SITE IN TAIWAN THAT REQUIRED A TOWER, MUSEUM/THEATER, OFFICE BUILDING, LANDSCAPING, PARK AREAS FOR VISITORS, PARKING AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ALL TO BE DESIGNED WITHOUT REQUIREMENTS AS TO CONFIGURATION. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT WAS THE SPATIAL SIZE FOR EACH ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAM. THIS DESIGN RESPONSE ASSUMED THE PROJECT WAS TO BE A GENERATOR FOR VERTICAL LIVING, WORKING AND EXPERIMENTATION WITH ALL FORMS OF SUSTAIN- ABLE ENERGY AS WELL AS GROUND LEVEL PEOPLE INTERACTION.
THIS PROJECT COULD BE SET IN MANY ENVIRONMENTS AND IN MANY COUNTRIES BECAUSE IT HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS FOR CULTURAL INTERACTION COMPRESSED INTO A RELATIVELY SMALL AREA.
THE TOWER ITSELF IS A SQUARE HELIX OF STRUCTURALLY REPETITIVE ELEMENTS THAT ARE FILLED IN WHERE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS DICTATE AND CAN CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE OTHER USES. VISITORS CAN TRAVEL BETWEEN INTERLOCKING LEVELS EITHER BY FOUR HIGH-SPEED ELEVATORS OR EXTERIOR STAIRS CONNECTING EACH ROOF TERRACE LEVEL.
THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN IS SIMILAR TO A CONCRETE COLUMN WHERE REINFORCING RODS SPIRAL AROUND VERTICAL RODS PROVIDING STRENGTH BY TWISTING UPWARD AND COMPRESSING THE FORCES INWARD.
THE TOWER ASCENDS VERTICALLY WITH MULTIPLE LEVELS OF LIVING SPACE, RESEARCH LABORATORIES AND OFFICES. OBSERVATION DECKS POSITIONED AT EVERY FIFTH LEVEL COMBINED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTERS TO ALLOW USERS TO LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGIES ON SITE. TWO RESTAURANT LEVELS ARE PROVIDED AT THE BASE AND NEAR THE TOP OF THE TOWER FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE A COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE MEAL WITH PRODUCTS GROWN ON SITE.THE MIDLEVELS OF THE TOWER ARE COMPOSED OF RENEWABLE ENERGY HARVESTERS TO PROVIDE ENERGY TO ALL SITE RELATED ACTIVITIES AND CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDING AND PROJECT.
FROM THE WATER, THE TOWER BEGINS WITH THREE LEVELS OF ROOFTOP GARDENS WHERE RESIDENTS, TENANTS AND VISITORS CAN ASCEND THROUGH NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE GREEN SPACES. A GREEN MARKETPLACE ALLOWS RENEWABLE AGRICULTURE THAT HAS BEEN GROWN ON SITE TO BE SOLD IN A RESIDENT COMMUNITY MARKET- PLACE. AN ENVIRONMENTAL SHOWCASE LEVEL FURTHER ENCOURAGES EDUCATION AND GREEN DESIGN. VERTICAL GARDENS ARE HUNG AT VARIOUS LEVELS FROM THE EXTERIOR PERIMETER TO CREATE AN ENCLOSED OUTDOOR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLED GRAY WATER FLOWS DOWN FROM THE LEVELS ABOVE THROUGH A WATER FEATURE CONTAINING WETLAND PLANTS THAT REMOVE IMPURITIES AND CONTRIBUTE TO ROOF TOP IRRIGATION.
VERTICAL ARRAYS OF BIO-FUEL, SOLAR CELLS AND WIND TURBINES REDUCE THE NEED FOR FOSSIL FUELS AND ARE A MEANS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THE TOP LEVEL OF THE TOWER SITS NEARLY 300 METERS ABOVE THE SITE AND IS POSITIONED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MONITORING STATION GAUGING THE OVERALL HEALTH AND STABILITY OF THE AREA’S CLIMATE. THIS IS ONE PROPOSAL FOR THE FUTURE OF EXPANDING METROPOLISES AND HOW TO PROVIDE FOR MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF LIVING.
VERTICAL GARDENS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPEN SPACE BETWEEN LEVELS & USE RECIRCULATING GRAY WATER FOR IRRIGATION.BLACK WATER FROM TOILETS IS RECYCLED WITH AN AEROBIC TREATMENT AT MECHANICAL FLOORS EVERY 5TH LEVEL AND DIVERTED TO LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION. SUSTAINABLE WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES ALSO REDUCE WATER DEMANDS WITH NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE PLANTS, DRIP IRRIGATION USING RECYCLED AND TREATED RAIN AND WASTEWATER, MOISTURE SENSORS, RAIN SHUT OFFS AND WEATHER BASED EVAPO- TRANSPIRATION CONTROLLERS. TO PROMOTE A RENEWABLE AGRICULTURAL CYCLE, SUSTAINABLE FOOD IS GROWN ON SITE AIDED BY SOIL ENRICHED COMPOST. EVERY ROOF TERRACE CONTAINS A LIVING GARDEN THAT ALLOWS USERS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE FOOD THEY CONSUME.
SOLAR ARRAYS TRACK THE SUNS AZIMUTH AS IT CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE DAY & SEASONS. THE TOWER’S SUSTAINABLE GOALS ARE TO BE A NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDING. THIS IS ACHIEVABLE THROUGH MULTIPLE ON-SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY HARVESTERS, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND EFFICIENT USE OF WATER RESOURCES. RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES INCLUDE VERTICALLY HUNG WIND TURBINES THAT REDUCE THE TORQUE LOAD OF TRADITIONAL MEGA-TURBINES AND VERTICALLY HUNG PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS THAT TRACK THE SUN’S PATH AS IT REACHES OPTIMAL ANGLES ON EACH SIDE OF THE TOWER.
WIND TURBINES AT THE UPPER LEVELS CAPTURE STRONGER WINDS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.DC POWER IS DIRECTLY FED TO POWER ELEVATORS IN THE TOWER. SMART UTILITY CLOSETS IN EACH UNIT INVERT AND STORE AC POWER IN BATTERIES WHERE IT CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO POWER, LIGHTING, AND HVAC REQUIREMENTS. EXCESS CAPACITY IS STORED AT MECHANICAL FLOORS FOR OTHER BUILDING USES AND DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC GRID THROUGH NET METERING. AN INTELLIGENT MONITORING SYSTEM ALLOWS THE BUILDING TO ADJUST AND CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT COMING INTO THE BUILDING BY USING ADJUSTABLE LOUVERS INSIDE SUPER WINDOWS. HEATING AND COOLING LOADS ARE FINELY CONTROLLED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.