A idea for “shadowless” skyscrapers that redirect sunlight to public spaces could operate for tall buildings anyplace in the globe, say the London designers behind the proposal.
Architecture firm NBBJ developed proposals for two twisting towers on a side in North Greenwich, London, that bounce light among them down to a public area that would otherwise be in their shadow.
Led by layout director Christian Coop, NBBJ’s head of computational style David Kosdruy, and architectural assistant James Pinkerton, the group designed the design and style as portion of a research project to see if they could make “shadowless” skyscrapers.
“We like to push the boundaries of what is achievable with design computation by building new applications like the No Shadow Tower,” the designers advised Dezeen. “The algorithm design and style for the tower is based on the law of reflection. Our facade has various angles of panels that distribute light in excess of a specific area at a number of times in the course of the day.”
The reflective panels on the twin skyscrapers could reduce the quantity of shadow they cast by up to 50 per cent, according to the group. Light would be reflected from the person panels that type the skin of the building, down into a public space at the base of the towers.
“One particular of NBBJ’s principle considerations is public room and the approaches the public use and interact with theses spaces,” mentioned the designers. “The No Shadow Tower areas public space at the heart of the venture, along with human interaction and the effect of skyscrapers at street level.”
Diagram exhibiting distribution of light
The group said that the proposal could be replicable for nearly any site in the globe.
“The research that we have undertaken could be utilized in many places in the globe, each and every time creating a diverse form that would relate to its distinct context and solar situations,” they explained.
The style for the towers was created by developing a bespoke algorithm to record the angle of sunlight on the web site each day for a year.
This information allowed the team to predict the behaviour of light at different instances of the day, and determine how it would bounce off the two structures. This info was then fed back into a parametric computer model to generate the envelope for the buildings.
Making use of person panels to produce the facade would allow sunlight to be reflected pane-by-pane, resulting in pools of light on the ground as an alternative of a big, concentrated spot to prevent heat or glare.
“The construction of the tower would not be the most difficult activity in producing this venture, the building operates within the very same parameters as other tall buildings and the curve in the facade would not pose a significant challenge above what’s been accomplished for towers that currently exist,” the venture group informed Dezeen. “The real process is in the approach, the study that determines the sun’s place and angles to create the optimum structure for a particular spot.”
“We see this notion building and sooner or later incorporated into towers around the world,” they added. “It will add to the choices that tall buildings can offer for improved urban environments globally.
Web site strategy
NBBJ submitted the concept for an suggestions competitors run by New London Architecture, with a see to exploring how skyscrapers can increase public spaces at street level.
