Big Wins Competition to Design 300-Meter-Tall Residential Tower and A 250-Meter-Tall Office Tower in Shenzhen

 

In Shenzhen, China, BIG has won a competition to create a pair of skyscrapers that form gently sloping volumes tapering towards the sky.

The tower complex, known as Qianhai Prisma Towers, will finish the new Qianhai Bay development in Shenzhen and is made up of two high-rise buildings: a 300-meter-tall residential tower and a 250-meter-tall office tower.

The Shenzhen Hong Kong Plaza, also known as the "green belt," which serves as the neighborhood's entry, will be flanked on each side by the Qianhai Prisma Towers, which are situated in the Guiwan District of the metropolitan city of Qianhai.

The addition of additional offices, homes and more than 20,000 square meters of multi-level public space in each tower will put them close to a regional transportation hub and Qianhai Bay.

The tower design language is characterized by gently sloping volumes that taper upward. Along with adding a modest nod to the structural economy, this also makes room for lush openings between the volumes and a sizable ground-floor public area.

The glass facades of the buildings are contrasted by lush biophilia on the balconies and ledges, and as the day progresses, the façades gradually shimmer.

The well-known Shenzhen-Hong Kong Plaza, sometimes referred to as the Green Belt, serves as the project's backdrop. The ground level can be completely opened up to make an urban living space. The buildings are gesturally connected to the well-known sky bridge "green belt" and an adjacent shopping center via the ground plane. This develops a network of pedestrian crossings that eventually leads to the Qianhai Bay Waterfront. The ground floor's public areas, which are completely tucked away beneath the building's overhangs and tree canopy, feature an amphitheater, social areas covered by trees, and an underground bar.

Photovoltaic cells have been included on the East and West faces of the office tower in response to environmental and sustainability concerns. In response to the climate in the area, the office tower is also built with a double-skinned closed-cavity facade. The ventilation inlets in each apartment in the plan are moveable through the individual window frames, promoting and enabling effective natural ventilation. The slanted curtain walls also catch rainwater, which is then used to maintain the public areas.

Terraces that cascade down from the project's ground floor to its rooftop are covered in lush vegetation. Locals and building occupants can take in a panoramic view of the entire Qianhai Bay from the rooftop. The slight shimmer that varies with the time of day is most visibly displayed by the contrast of the ever-expanding greenery and the smooth glass.

Contextually, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway is to the east of the site, and the proposed Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Railway will be on the west side, placing the towers between the two largest intercity trains. Through the nearby retail and commercial strip's basement hall, the tower also provides access to the main transportation hub.

The overall goal of the Qianhai Bay development project is to solidify the city's position as the regional center for business, finance, and culture. In this vein, Big anticipates starting work on the project in 2025.

The BIG has recently unveiled ‘Telus Sky’ Tower in Calgary. TELUS has commissioned BIG to design a mixed-use skyscraper in the heart of the Canadian city. Known as TELUS Sky, the 750,000-square-foot tower is designed to “seamlessly accommodate the transformation from working to living as the tower takes off from the ground to reach the sky.”

How Does Green Building Help Preserve the Environment?

 

What is a green building?

The technique of "green building," also referred to as "green construction," aims to be more resource- and environmentally conscious than a conventional building.

The construction and building sector have the potential to take the lead in the sustainability movement. This industry is currently one of the major consumers of natural resources and causes of global warming.

When designing a green building, architects work to construct a structure that minimizes or eliminates harmful effects on the local environment and the climate while attempting to have the opposite effect. The major goal is to protect natural resources, reduce negative environmental effects, and enhance the quality of life for those who live there throughout the whole structure's history, from planning and development to use and final demolition.

A sustainable or green building is one that can:

• Maintain or improve its surrounding natural environment.
• Conserve energy and resources.
• Reduce exposure to hazardous substances for humans and wildlife.
• Contribute to the quality of life for its occupants and the community.

Process of designing Green Building

The idea of "green building" has recently exploded on the real estate construction scene. The goal of this approach is to control and sustain energy usage while giving the next generation a greener, healthier lifestyle. Let's comprehend the essential procedures for green building so that we may protect our natural resources and meet our requirements at the same time:

•  Step 1- Recognize the goals and requirements of the program and create a strong plan that includes an estimated budget for the complete construction, the materials required, a site assessment, the provision of minimal facilities, and the adherence to necessary energy consumption.
• Step 2- choosing and assembling a team of qualified designers, architects, builders, and artisans. Create designing strategies for the intended site by analyzing all the climatic and ecological factors.
• Step 4- Develop and configure buildings in a way that effectively regulates temperature and thermal mass.
•  Step 5- Construct structures with efficient support systems for environmentally friendly water use, waste disposal, ventilation, and other arrangements.
• Step 6- Interiors that are effectively built to promote high-efficiency energy preservation and conservation through waste product recycling.
•  Step 7- Building construction and authorization are inspected to see if they adhere to the required green building criteria.
• Step 8- After completion of construction, maintenance verification is a must for safety and security.

An energy-efficient building is one that is built with the help of as much recycled waste as possible together with other building components, like geothermal heating and energy-efficient appliances.

Environmental goals can be maintained by using green building materials and technology to create energy- and environmentally-friendly housing.

Green Building Materials

To create a climate-controlled internal environment, utilize green wood, such as bamboo, cork, etc., for the flooring and cabinets, and precast concrete slabs for the flooring, roofs, walls, facades, etc. By combining straw bales with cement, lime, clay, and gypsum, you can build a mud house, use them for framing, and more. You can also utilize recycled plastics to produce planters, create DIY projects for interior decorating, and use reclaimed or recycled wood to stop deforestation. Wood can be replaced with recycled steel to strengthen the structure's resistance to natural disasters.

Green Building Technologies

The use of Porotherm Bricks and other environmentally friendly thermal insulation materials, the Net Zero Concept for efficient energy consumption and carbon emissions, the installation of the right HVAC system to reduce electricity consumption, the use of solar power while maintaining the proper conditions and system size, the use of smart grid appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, mixer grinders, and others for saving energy, and the construction of sustainable buildings.