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
High-rise Construction | Jul 10, 2018
SOM-designed 100 Leadenhall Street will be one of the tallest buildings in the U.K.
The tower will rise in the City of London’s eastern cluster.
High-rise Construction | Jun 1, 2018
CTBUH names 2018 Best Tall Building Worldwide, among nine other award winners
Oasia Downtown Hotel named “Best Tall Building Worldwide” for 2018.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
High-rise Construction | May 18, 2018
The 100 tallest buildings ever conventionally demolished
The list comes from a recent CTBUH study.
High-rise Construction | May 14, 2018
Register before it’s too late: 2018 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference
The conference explores and celebrates the very best in innovative tall buildings, urban spaces, building technologies, and construction practices from around the world.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 8, 2018
Willis Tower elevators receive upgrade as part of $500 million update
Otis will handle the upgrades.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 24, 2018
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture designs 47-story condo tower in Miami
The tower will be located in Miami’s South Brickell neighborhood.
High-rise Construction | Apr 17, 2018
Developers reveal plans for 1,422-foot-tall skyscraper in Chicago
The tower would be the second tallest in the city.
Mixed-Use | Apr 5, 2018
SOM unveils design for 54-story mixed-use tower in Hangzhou, China
The tower will rise 944 feet.
Wood | Feb 15, 2018
Japanese company announces plans for the world’s tallest wooden skyscraper
The planned tower would rise 350 meters (1148 feet).
