To make sure surrounding, shorter buildings won’t be blocked by sunlight, architects in London’s NBBJ office have designed a scheme that will make tall towers reflect and diffuse sunlight.
But the human brain wasn’t alone in solving the shadow conundrum. Wired reports that the architects used a software called Rhinoceros, which allowed them to input various building requirements, and then used algorithms to generate designs that maximize the light reflected onto the ground. Multiple design options are then displayed for the architects.
“Some are bonkers,” Christian Coop, NBBJ’s Design Director, told Wired about the computer-generated designs. So after a basic design was produced, the architects needed to fine tune it and adjust the requirement.
The final design that was settled on is of a pair of highly reflective towers that are curved at the right places to bounce off light over the other tower’s shadow.
Because the light is diffused instead of projected away, it won’t be possible to fry an egg or melt plastic bags (and burn people).
“It’s definitely high time for this type of design to be baked into the building so it can play well with the environment,” Daniel Safarik, a spokesperson at the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, told Wired. “It should be standard practice.”
Related Stories
| May 2, 2014
Norwegian modular project set to be world's tallest timber-frame apartment building [slideshow]
A 14-story luxury apartment block in central Bergen, Norway, will be the world's tallest timber-framed multifamily project, at 49 meters (160 feet).
| May 1, 2014
Chinese spec 'world's fastest' elevators for supertall project
Hitachi Elevator Co. will build and install 95 elevators—including two that the manufacturer labels as the "world's fastest"—for the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.
Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014
Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces
From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.
| Apr 23, 2014
Developers change gears at Atlantic Yards after high-rise modular proves difficult
At 32 stories, the B2 residential tower at Atlantic Yards has been widely lauded as a bellwether for modular construction. But only five floors have been completed in 18 months.
| Apr 9, 2014
5 important trends shaping today’s hotel construction market
AEC firms, developers, and investors worldwide are bullish on hotels. Our hospitality Giants share what’s new in this fast-morphing sector.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Mar 25, 2014
World's tallest towers: Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill discuss designing Burj Khalifa, Kingdom Tower
The design duo discusses the founding of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects and the design of the next world's tallest, Kingdom Tower, which will top the Burj Khalifa by as much as a kilometer.
| Mar 24, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's S.C. Johnson Research Tower to open to the public—32 years after closing
The 14-story tower, one of only two Wright-designed high-rises to be built, has been off limits to the public since its construction in 1950.
| Mar 21, 2014
Forget wood skyscrapers - Check out these stunning bamboo high-rise concepts [slideshow]
The Singapore Bamboo Skyscraper competition invited design teams to explore the possibilities of using bamboo as the dominant material in a high-rise project for the Singapore skyline.
| Mar 19, 2014
Federal agency gives thumbs up to tall wood buildings
USDA's support for wood projects includes training for AEC professionals and a wood high-rise design competition, to launch later this year.
