SKYSCRAPER COLLINSSTREET MELBOURNE
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June 2018 - University of Melbourne tech course - case project
Summary
Course
The aim of this course was to design a skyscraper and design with financial awareness and increase structural understanding of a skyscraper. The challenge was to design a building with efficient lettable floorspace in proportion to the buildings internal logistics, as well as energy efficiency.
Concept
The architectural concept for this skyscraper emerged in the initial stage of the design process of the first submission. Its distinctive character can primarily be described as an orthogonal ensemble of 'four smaller towers' that recesses multiple times as the tower increases in height, consequently generating an elegant and light volumetric model that appears simple and possesses fascinating complexity at the same time. The tower is embedded in the city tissue with a generous entrance lobby and a podium that forms a commercial lane around the tower.
Architecture
To emphasize the vertical character of the volumes, careful attention is paid to the detailing in a minimalistic way in order to optimally perceive the volumes. Therefore each of these volumes, including the podium, speak the same 'architectural language' that consists of two main themes; light, transparent and orthogonal volumes whose rigidity is regularly interrupted by generous sky lobbies and terraces that almost appear complete voids that are garlanded with greenery.
The complex volumetric concept with its recesses directly affected the envelope and its components. One of the design challenges was to invent an efficient system that facilitated the setbacks in the facades whilst integrating the design requirements regarding energy efficiency and maintenance, as well as optimizing daylight and transparency. With the four cores strategically placed within the grid, the tower facilitated the recesses without major changes in the configuration of its cores on different floor plans.
Credits
Energy performance and maintenance
The typical facades are composed of two skins, with 800mm voids optimize the energy performance of the building. In these voids, gantries are integrated to allow maintenance to be conducted. The first layer (from inside) is a unitized curtain wall with double-glazing forms the primary thermal barrier. The second skin consists of a unitized single-glazed facade system that is suspended on steel cantilevering elements. As a final layer, 800 mm deep aluminum fins are fixed on the mullions of the second skin. Although their depth is calculated to deal with the most sun-exposed North facade, the fins are of equal measurements around the skyscraper to ensure maximum aesthetic unity.
Optimal daylight and transparency
A transparent building not only creates spectacular panoramic views. It also allows for more natural daylight, which equals less energy usage. For this reason, we chose to design the facades with the notion of optimizing transparency. In the design brief that was developed in assignment 1, we chose a lease-depth of a reasonable 13.5m and even as shallow as 9m in the sky-rise part. With a floor-to-floor height of 4m, we anticipated on the flow of natural daylight. This was also one of the reasons to choose a steel construction which can be dimensioned more lightly than concrete. The steel trusses, which have a height of 900mm, are unlike typical office buildings largely exposed and thus allow for a floor-to-floor height of up to 3775mm. The spandrel is also minimized to 675mm, which is way more elegant than choosing to hide the trusses in full.
Year
2018
Location
Collinsstreet, Melbourne, Australia
Status
Case project submitted
Area
100.000m2
Team
Toby Moritz
Marijn Luijmes
Tutor
Prof. Marcin Polgar (University of Melbourne)
Course coordinator
Prof. Giorgio Marfella (University of Melbourne)
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