Sustainable architecture for 2018
Janina Temmen, 01/24/2018
In architecture, sustainability is no longer just about the choice of materials. These surprisingly innovative construction projects have us looking forward to 2018.
The first wooden skyscraper
In architecture, sustainability is no longer just about the choice of materials. These surprisingly innovative construction projects have us looking forward to 2018.
Most cities still resemble deserts of concrete and steel. The architects at Penda aim to change all that. Take their Toronto-based Timber Tower, planned together with the consultants at Tmber. Spanning an impressive 18 levels, the entirely wooden structure relies on a high-tech wood blend called CLT and a special, modular construction approach. To achieve the supremely resilient, 62-meter-high result, Penda will stack wood panel boxes in a particular pattern. The finished apartment building will pay proud homage to its roots by resembling
The green hill
Sometimes, architects can actually let their imagination roam and realize wildest dreams. Thomas Heatherwick is one of the lucky few who gets to build his ambitious vision with the 100 Trees Complex in Shanghai. The immense project will not only cover more than 300,000 square meters, but also transcend the mere notion of being just another skyscraper block in the Chinese metropolis. 100 Trees is an entire district with schools, kindergartens, shopping centers, offices, and apartments, brought together in Heatherwick’s nature-inspired, hill-like complex covered in plenty of luscious greenery. Each pillar is topped by a tree, surrounded by more than 400 planted terraces.
Inside/outside hybrid
For his latest project in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese star architect Vo Tronh Nghia decided to turn the planning process upside down: He started with the plants and trees, only turning to the actual living space once the landscaping had been finalized.
As a result, the building’s residences are massively influenced and shaped by nature: Rooms are structured around enclosed gardens; concrete walls double as trellises for climbers. Many roofs leave deliberate gaps for growing trees or incoming daylight, infusing indoor areas with a distinct outdoor feel and appeal.
Innovative exterior
Anyone who automatically associates sustainable architecture with natural materials like bamboo is in for a big surprise. Architect Francois Perrin favors an innovative textile woven from aluminum threads.
Like a mountain range
A desert range in Amsterdam might be the most accurate description of the Valley designed by the MVRDV architecture studio. The sizeable project, comprising three towers, 200 apartments, several public institutions, shops, and restaurants, is set to revive Amsterdam’s Zuidas office district sometime after 2021.
Individual segments are stacked like the striations of a mountain range, then connected across several levels via paths and strips of green. Natural stone facades, roof gardens, and water reservoirs are designed to make Valley dwellers feel far-removed from everyday life – towering high above the rest of the city.
Inspired by the shapes of nature
It’s quite a lofty goal: If Henning Larsen Architects get their way, the Icone Tower will become a new landmark of Manila and possibly the entire Philippines. For their radical design, the Danish firm took inspiration from the country’s Mount Mayon volcano, basing the Icone Tower’s distinctive silhouette on the volcano’s characteristic cone shape.
Inside, a clever mix and match of public and private areas awaits: The net-style glass/steel facade lets in a maximum of daylight while affording great views of the surrounding park. And at night, the illuminated panorama platform on the building’s top promises to serve as a stylized beacon for progress and things to come.
Saving space
Shanghai is as flat as the Netherlands – but much more densely populated. To solve the booming republic’s lack of living space, the Chinese mega metropolis has increasingly upped the ante by building skywards.
Vertical forest
France has swathes of vast woodlands, but not a single vertical forest. Italian architect Stefano Boeri aims to change this with his Forêt Blanche on the outskirts of Paris, a 50-meter tower fashioned from stacked wood and glass cubes with thickly planted edges.
The tower’s sustainable architecture not only boasts more than 2,000 plants (equivalent to an entire hectare of forest), but also a wooden facade, daylight wells, and a unique construction that favors natural ventilation.
Floating university
It almost sounds like a fairytale: Contaminated swampland becomes a sustainable utopia. Yet this fiction might soon become fact in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The Floating University planned by Woha Architects recently won the world’s most prestigious award for sustainable architecture.
The LafargeHolcim Awards jury praised the project’s idea to place the classrooms on pontoons in the wetlands. Vertical gardens lower the buildings’ cooling requirements while photovoltaic panels and a rainwater recovery system add to the university’s overall sustainability.
Natural high
The lower levels aim to convey the look and feel of the brightly green rice terraces of Vietnam. Yet the higher you move up the Empire City Towers, the more incredible the illusion: The mega project’s 333-meter- high spiraling towers include mezzanine floors with tropical gardens, lakes, and even waterfalls.
Planned highlight of Ho Chi Minh City: the Empire City Towers.Image: Ole Scheeren
Verdant all the way, the Ho Chi Minh City-based brainchild of Ole Scheeren definitely takes a leaf or three out of Vietnam’s stunning nature. Organic shapes and energy-neutral construction complete the harmonious picture, yet it’s up to each visitor to decide what ultimately takes their breath away: the view or the inspiration behind it all.