During the Industrial Revolution, humans moved out of rural areas and into the cities, where it was easier to access factory jobs. This influx of people caused rapid and drastic changes in the way cities were designed. As ground space was eaten up, residential and commercial skyscrapers emerged as a way for builders to maximize their real estate.
What would happen if, instead of building thousands of feet up into the sky, we developed a smarter design that allowed us to retain our connection to the natural world? That’s just the question a team of French designers hoped to answer with their “Flat Tower” design, a second place winner in the 2011 eVolo skyscraper competition.
Although the construction of skyscrapers has been an architectural solution for high-density urban areas for almost a century, it has also produced some rather negative side-effects: green spaces, trees, and in some cases, sunlight have become hard to find in big cities. Skyscrapers destroy the skyline, block out the sun, and disrupt the infrastructure of a specific location.
The Flat Tower design is based on a medium-height dome structure that covers a large area while preserving its beauty and previous function. The dome is perforated with cell-like skylights that provide direct sunlight to the agricultural fields and recreational spaces located inside.
“The dome’s large surface area is perfect to harvest solar energy and rainwater collection,” write the design team. “Community recreational facilities are located at ground level while the residential and office units are in the upper cells. An automated transportation system connects all the units, which are different shapes according to their program. It is also possible to combine clusters of cells to create larger areas for different activities.” BD+C
Related Stories
Industrial Facilities | Nov 16, 2022
Industrial building sector construction, while healthy, might also be flattening
For all the hoopla about the ecommerce boom and “last mile” order fulfillment driving demand for more warehouse and manufacturing space, construction of industrial buildings actually declined over the past five years, albeit marginally by 2.1% to $27.3 billion in 2022, according to estimates by IBIS World. Still, construction in this sector remains buzzy.
Wood | Nov 16, 2022
5 steps to using mass timber in multifamily housing
A design-assist approach can provide the most effective delivery method for multifamily housing projects using mass timber as the primary building element.
Giants 400 | Nov 14, 2022
Top 55 Airport Terminal Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Gensler, PGAL, Corgan, and HOK top the ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 14, 2022
4 emerging trends from BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report
Regenerative design, cognitive health, and jobsite robotics highlight the top trends from the 519 design and construction firms that participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Green | Nov 13, 2022
NREL report: Using photovoltaic modules with longer lifetimes is a better option than recycling
A new report from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) says PV module lifetime extensions should be prioritized over closed-loop recycling to reduce demand for new materials.
Green | Nov 13, 2022
Global building emissions reached record levels in 2021
Carbon-dioxide emissions from building construction and operations hit an all-time high in 2021, according to the most recent data compiled by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.
University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022
University of Washington opens mass timber business school building
Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.
Architects | Nov 10, 2022
What’s new at 173 architecture firms for 2022
More than 295 U.S. architecture and architecture-engineering (AE) firms participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 survey. As part of the Giants survey process, participating firms are asked to describe their most impactful firm innovations and noteworthy company moves in the past 12 months. Here is a collection of the most compelling business and project innovations and business moves from the 2022 Architecture Giants.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 30 Data Center Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
HDR, Corgan, Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects, and Gensler top the ranking of the nation's largest data center architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
