2011 Skyscraper Competition

http://www.evolo.us/category/2011/

For thew past 5 years, eVolo magazine has held an anual skyscraper design competition.  They are looking for young designers to redefine the skyscraper archetype through use of innovative materials and technology, which usually results in highly imaginative new forms.  Here are a few of my favorites; click on the images below to enlarge.

"The project is composed of an exoskeleton where different types of living and working units could be plugged-in. Each unit is designed with a specific program in mind – from small ones for single families to large ones for recreational areas such as parks and sports facilities. Hundreds of terraces are used for agriculture and rainwater collection, while specific sites are used to bury organic waste and produce biogas, electricity, and fertilizers"

 

"Its exoskeleton is built from grapheme, the basic structural element of carbon allotropes such as graphite and carbon. Grapheme has a high thermal and electric conductivity and is two hundred times stronger than steel. The idea for the Hydra skyscraper is to harvest energy from lightning storms and store the power in several mega-batteries located at the base. The project also includes a research facility, housing, and recreational areas for scientists and their families"

 

"This proposal consists of a series of underwaterscrapers, floating islands that will be used to remove and recycle the garbage patch. These are self-sustained structures organized by function hierarchy with four communication cores that connect three main programs – collectors at the bottom, recycling plant in the middle levels, and housing and recreational levels atop."

 

"The project is divided in four different layers, organized around a central core that is open to the light. The first layer is above the surface and contains the recreational, and food production facilities, with agriculture fields, farms, and glasshouses. The entire façade is covered with photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy and specific locations are also equipped with wind turbines. The second layer, approximately 60 levels, is the residential part, with a diverse range of living quarters according to family sizes. The third and fourth layers are used as offices, and service areas with the deepest part of the project dedicated to the study and harvest of geothermal energy"

 

http://www.evolo.us/competition/seeds-of-life-skyscraper/

http://www.evolo.us/competition/hydra-skyscraper/

http://www.evolo.us/competition/lady-landfill-skyscraper/

http://www.evolo.us/competition/rhizome-tower-a-thousand-underground-plateaus/

~Thomas Mazich

Great Mosque Maintained by Annual Community Effort

Market at Great Mosque of Djenne

In 1907 while under French colonial rule, the village of Djenné, Mali built what is now the largest adobe building in the world.  Today, the Great Mosque of Djenné serves as an Islamic mosque, community center, and market.  It is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa and was labeled as a World Heritage Site in 1988.

French journalist Félix Dubois described the building in 1910 as a mix between a hedgehog and a church organ.  The mosque was constructed out of mud bricks and mortar, coated with mud plaster, and then adorned with bundles of sticks that protrude from the walls.  When ventilation is needed, inverted bowls are removed from small vents on the roof, allowing the hot air to rise out of the building.  

The locals take great pride in their mosque.  Although many of the mosques in Mali have over time been renovated with electricity and plumbing, the citizens of Djenné have chosen to preserve the building’s historic integrity.  This has earned the praise of many historic preservationists and brought more tourists to the site. However, local outrage following a 1996 Vogue fashion shoot held in the mosque resulted in a ban of non-Muslims from entering the building.  In 2006, roof inspectors were seen tearing up a section of the roof.  An angry mob formed and the men had to run for their lives.  This caused a riot in which the crowd ripped out ventilation fans that had been presented by the US Embassy, destroyed cars and damaged buildings throughout the town.  Police from a neighboring town had to be called to stop the rampage.

The most interesting thing about the Great Mosque of Djenné is the unusual annual festival that takes place to maintain the mosque’s façade.    During the year, the harsh African weather takes its toll on the mud skin of the mosque.  The rain, flooding, and drastic temperature changes form cracks in the mud skin that must be repaired with fresh mud plaster.  This new plaster is prepared a few days before the festival in large pits near the river and takes several days to cure.

Villagers participate in annual remudding festival

Let’s Play Ball – Week 2 Update

A / E SOFTBALL LEAGUE 2011

 TOWNES / BASKERVILL (1-3) VS. RK&K (?-?)

Editor’s Note:  It has come to my attention that Olivia Newman was left off of the team roster in last week’s write-up. I apologize for this omission.

GAME 1:  It was a good thing that we had Olivia last night too! With all the rain from Wednesday, field conditions were poor to say the least. Regardless, the Townes / Baskervill squad was able to reel in their first victory of the season by way of clutch hitting by TJ, solid pitching from Alex “Wild Thing” Vaughn and excellent Team Defense sparked by two double plays by Olivia. T / B jumped out to an early lead in the first inning and never looked back.

SCORE: Townes / Baskervill:  15  and  RK&K:  10

GAME 2:  This game was a low scoring affair early on with the score remaining tied 6 to 6 until the fourth inning. The top part of this inning saw RK&K go on a tear and rack up 7 runs. The T / B bats went cold in the bottom half of the inning and game ended without a miraculous comeback. We will save those for the playoffs.

SCORE: RK&K:  13  and  Townes / Baskervill: 6

INJURY REPORT:  Alan Davis suffered a leg muscle strain. You can probably still smell the Ben Gay today. Status: Day-to-day, but he’s expected to return for next week. No surprise here, but Jeff Taylor is nursing a large contusion on his left leg. Expect this guy to live on the injury report until he learns to use his glove to stop the softball. Status: Day-to-day, but he’s expected to make a full recovery for next week.

SHOUT-OUTS:  Big props to the few fans that came out to watch the Townes / Baskervill squad play. We appreciate any support we can get. Nicole gets a shout out for being the best dressed softball player!

NEXT GAME:  May 12^th at 8:15 PM and 9:00 PM against WileyWilson

Weather Disasters and Design

With the rash of tornadoes that swept through the south in the past two days, my memory takes me back to my days growing up in this country’s heartland – where severe weather and tornado warnings were a weekly occurrence every Spring.  In fact, one of my earliest memories was being taken home from grade school in a rowboat after one of those sudden storms.

Flood in Paducah in 1964

About seven years ago, I was asked to do a very special project in that part of the country – to design a data center in Oklahoma that was capable of withstanding the impact of an F5 tornado.  The site was on an open hill along Interstate 35 and visible for more than 5 miles in all directions.  People who lived in the area said that from our site, we should expect to see a tornado about once each year.

Hidden within a large distribution center, this data room doubles as a tornado shelter for the 120 people who worked elsewhere in the building.  To protect the people (and equipment), we could have no wall openings larger than a quarter, and the doors, walls, and concrete interior roof were highly reinforced.  Working with RTB Engineers, the room was designed to withstand a near-vacuum pressure of 1 PSI – plus the impact from the adjacent 40-foot concrete walls which might fall.

This is certainly an extreme example of weather-related design and hopefully that design will never be field-tested.  There are however many everyday weather issues with buildings that are important for architects to understand.  Some weather elements can be harnessed and put to good use:  natural ventilation, passive solar capture, controlled natural light, recycled rainwater, and panels that generate electricity or heat water. These should be part of any sustainable building strategy.

Weather can also be destructive.  Ultra-violet waves in sunlight break down many materials we use in building.  The sudden swings in Virginia temperatures require our attention in construction detailing.  Excessive rain and snow can burden a roof to collapse.  An unusually heavy downpour can flood a building if the path for the runoff isn’t considered properly.

Wind is usually the most important design consideration for architects and engineers. Roofs are the most vulnerable part of any building.  The upward forces from high winds can literally peel a roof off and pull attached columns out of the ground.

Image of a ravaging tornado

Design-speeds vary by region but are typically higher along coasts because of hurricanes. Owner’s insurance companies will often require increased design to reduce liability.  In non-coastal cities like Richmond, a 90 mile-per-hour wind design-speed is the standard.  Since hurricanes or tornadoes can have winds in excess of 200 MPH, very little of what we build can resist that sort of force.

Human tragedy and loss of property follow these natural weather extremes.  Our design standards do not match this level of power – nor should they.  It is not practical or reasonable to design
for every possible circumstance.

Rather than live in bunkers, our society chooses to live within nature so we may enjoy its benefits and witness its beauty.  In the end, we must accept some risks and the occasional tragedy that comes with that partnership.

- Mark Larson, AIA, principal

OPENING NIGHT A / E SOFTBALL LEAGUE 2011

TOWNES / BASKERVILL (0-2) VS. TIMMONS GROUP (2-0)

GAME 1:  The first game of the softball season got off to a rocky start for the Townes / Baskervill squad. With only 9 players to take the field, a few rookies in the lineup and the ol veterans still shaking off the rust from a long winter of hibernation the Timmons team jumped to early lead and never looked back. After awhile it became apparent that so many runs had been scored, mercy had to be taken…thankfully.

SCORE: 

Bad Guys: A LOT

Good Guys:  Zilch

GAME 2:  The second game started off in the same fashion as the first. The Timmons team jumped out to an early lead and it seemed that we were heading towards another mercy ending…then the Townes / Baskervill bats woke up. Thanks to some key hitting by Thomas “Wheels” Mazich and Alan “Big Al” Davis, it was back and forth for most of the game. Going into the bottom of the last inning the Timmons group had extended their lead to 17 to 9. Due to heat exhaustion and arm fatigue, Timmons took out their starting pitcher and brought in their back-up, relief pitcher. The T / B squad took full advantage and batted around one time bringing the score to 17 – 16. With runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and 2 outs, the T / B bats went cold and the game came to an end. T / B put up a real fight in this game and walked away with a positive outlook for the season.

SCORE:

Timmons:  17

Townes / Baskervill: 16

INJURY REPORT:  No physical injuries to report at this time. Team pride was bruised but we anticipate a quick recovery.

The Townes / Baskervill squad includes Jeff Taylor, Niki Lehew, Nicole Eason, Alan Davis, Thomas Mazich, Dominic Barrett, Alex Vaughn, Lyndsey Nugent, Jordan Metelus, Jason Hoover,
Richie, TJ, Cara and our faithful Captain, Brian Mitchell. Speaking of our Captain, I hope he is enjoying Myrtle Beach and the golf courses while his team took one on the chin.

NEXT GAME:  May 5^th at 6:30 PM and 7:20 PM against RK&K

- Jeff Taylor

Architecture Focus: Campus of VCU Medical Center

The VCU Medical Center is the new name for what most people call MCV or the Medical College of Virginia.  As it continues to grow, the campus weaves it way around a collection of very historic structures.  Five are particularly notable: Monumental Church, old First Baptist Church, old First African Baptist Church, the Egyptian Building, and the White House of the Confederacy.  The first four of this group have been absorbed into the campus and hold their own against the scale of their large neighbors. 

The White House sits very uncomfortably on a block with two high-rise bed towers and the emergency entrance wraps around it.  Its companion and architecturally modern Museum of the Confederacy is almost consumed by the main hospital.  The scale difference is more than uncomfortable and the zero lot line is taken literally – there is one inch between these two structures.

A welcome contrast to that clash of neighbors is the courtyard between the Medical Sciences building and the Egyptian building – the early home of the medical college.  This small three-sided courtyard was created at the time of the Medical Science building’s construction and includes a doorway remnant from the old Saint Philip Hospital.  The hospital’s original columns and entablature can be found just inside that building.

One of the most clever and respectful designs I’ve seen in Richmond is the facade of Medical Science Building.  I am told that Eddie Smith of Richmond was the design Architect.  The building is very modern, but several of its elements hint to its Egyptian Revival neighbor: the columns at the base, the slight inward cant at the corners, and the multi-story relief of a pyramid and sun. 

 

Few architects have the skill to create a modern structure in a historic context.  Most designers would clumsily mimic details of such an iconic neighbor (or) cower from the challenge and ignore the building altogether.

 

In Europe, Architects seem to have less trouble understanding how to respect an old neighbor while building something new and relevant for today.  Their cities are ancient in comparison to those in the US.  You will find countless examples of new and old structures comfortably side-by-side.

 

The Egyptian Building is the focus of the square and was designed by Philidelphia architect Thomas W. Stewart in 1844.  The exterior has changed little since its original construction.  A year later Stewart is credited with the design of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – across from Capitol Square. 

 

In 1939, Baskervill extensively redesigned the interior of the Egyptian building, carrying the exterior theme inside.  The sloped auditorium space was once a surgical theater where students could watch procedures. Today it is used for classroom space.  A few offices and locker rooms are upstairs.  The inside details include hieroglyphics, colorful coffered ceilings, and a stone scarab beetle in the floor.  If you check out this place, be ready to walk a few blocks.  The MCV campus is one of the most active places in Richmond.

 

–Mark A. Larson, AIA, Principal

Introducing Architecture to the Internet Generation

 

Recently, I visited with two high school classes (mostly juniors and seniors) at Highland Springs High Tech Academy in Henrico. Some of the students expressed interest in architecture and were curious about the process of choosing an educational or career path related to the built environment and wanted an explanation of the many confusing options available.

Worried about how to present the broad topic of architecture to an audience who may, or may not, be interested in it, I decided to bring along a crate full of books, magazines, study models, my professional design portfolio, and several examples of construction documents. Passing the props around to help facilitate a conversation, instead of giving a conventional one-way lecture, turned out to be a great way to introduce a new topic to the modern student. The overhead projector is approaching extinction, and the idea of a PowerPoint presentation doesn’t just bore students — it puts them to sleep.

Inviting them to touch and flip through pages of architecture and design materials engaged them. We all huddled at the front of the classroom, while I picked a book or object up from the stack, discussed what it meant to me, how it was useful, how much I cherished it, or how fun it was to look through. Then I passed it to a person with free hands. In the beginning some students glanced and just passed it along. Some started to find interesting things, and they were hooked.

When one student discovered Piano’s Parco della Musica, he was fascinated, calling his classmates to look. They learned about how many different disciplines likely contributed to such a high-end and specialized space and were surprised: Don’t architects design buildings? Why does there have to be anyone but the architect?

After explaining that some projects can be very small, have less complicated systems, or rely on standard & accepted details, and that these projects might not need anyone other than a single architect to design it, I was certain to point out that other projects can be very large. The projects may require experts in very narrow fields in order to design complicated systems, use new and innovative technologies, require a certification (like LEED), or have a quick turnaround time. It would be very difficult to give the proper detail necessary to build such a building if only one person were to design it. On the other hand, having many experts gives designers freedom to specialize, developing skills in specific areas, knowing they can rely on others to do the same.

When my sketchbooks went around and the students found out I took drafting classes in high school, had an extensive art background, and planned to become a licensed architect even before I attended college, they became worried. Do you have to study architecture before college? Do you have to be an artist? Do you have to know you want to do architecture (or anything else for that matter) now?

If you are interested in architecture, it would be great to incorporate it into your high school curriculum. It could help you decide if architecture was what you really wanted to study in college, but it definitely isn’t a requirement to get into a program. While many people in the field have art backgrounds, fine arts are not a prerequisite for becoming an architect; creativity and a willingness to learn how to express ideas visually is all that is required. Schools will look for this creativity in applications, but even things which many people wouldn’t find artistic (flow diagrams, math problems, etc.) can be made both aesthetically appealing and to show creativity. 

The students were most surprised when I mentioned they did not have to pick a career path TODAY! Or even pick something based on the difficulty (stereotypically) associated with it, like architecture, engineering or medicine. I explained that I had classmates in undergrad who wanted to be licensed architects going into school and now they are professional architectural photographers, shoe designers, or have left design altogether. It works the other way as well. In graduate school there were people with undergraduate degrees in mathematics, biology, and urban design who had found something interesting and engaging in architecture related to their previous fields. For example, one found scripting and sequencing to mathematically arrive at a building solution interesting. Another, interested in biomimicry, decided to use elements found in nature to solve similar problems in the built environment.

The most important thing to do is pick something you personally are passionate about and acknowledge things are only hard, difficult, or boring if you don’t enjoy them. The challenging or strenuous tasks are a pleasure if you have a passion to complete them, whether the task is writing an epic poem, designing the perfect kitchen, or building a highly efficient engine.  

As things generally go with a large group of inquisitive (and energetic) minds it did not end there, we wound up talking about all sorts of things. Asking and answering questions for and hour and a half, about architecture, engineering, and other design career paths. Among other things I spoke about the language of architecture, visual representation and how it is changing with technology, and the process of creating a building.

Many other questions were asked:

• What is geothermal? Have you used it? Is it efficient? Cost effective? Is it THE SOLUTION? in reference to The Green Studio Handbook.
• Why are there so many ads in this magazine? In reference to Greensource Magazine, a magazine entirely devoted to ads and new technologies.
• What kind of building is THAT!? In reference to a woven physical study model from my college years.

And on and on…

I do not know how they do it, but teachers should be commended for handling such questioning minds day in and day out. Today’s students are so connected with technology and the Internet. Accustomed to information overload, it has made them both more informed and opinionated, and in order to get their attention you must also entertain them. Provide the quantity, visual quality, and interaction they are used to and they will forget you are the “special guest,” and accidentally blurt out questions. Students still need help wading through information for what is most correct or helpful, but it is exciting how they might use the ability to absorb and process quickly to advance technology. Hopefully they will be motivated enough to bring innovation to the building industry.

- Sheena Mayfield, designer

Interesting underground spaces

It’s Groundhog Day! All the buzz around whether or not Old Man Winter will blow out of here and allow Spring to breeze in inspired me to look at some unique underground spaces from around the world. I’m not an architect or designer; I don’t even play one on TV. Some of these spaces are places I would like to visit someday, and at least one is a place I hope I never have to see. Enjoy!

Image from AkumalDiveShop.com

Image from Revok1.com

Image from National Georgraphic

Image from National Geographic

- Tracey Gould, marketing director

Take Me Down to the Garbage City, Where the Streets Aren’t Clean and Life is Gritty

Since Egypt is in the news lately, I thought it would be a good time to share a fascinating story from one of the slums outside the capital city of Cairo.  A place called Manshiyat naser, or Garbage City.   The people here are looked down upon by most Egyptians.  They are Christians in a Muslim society.  They raise pigs, which are an unholy animal to Muslims.   And they collect the garbage from the streets of Cairo and bring it into their own settlement to root through.  As you can see from the picture above, they keep this trash in, on, and around the buildings in their community.

They are called the Zabbaleen, and they used to provide a door-to-door trash service to the residents of Cairo, but recently the government brought in corporations to handle this business.  Currently there seems to be a loose understanding with the waste hauling companies; the Zabbaleen are still allowed to collect trash from certain neighborhoods, although they are not sure how long this will last.

The Zabbaleen are highly efficient, organized, and resourceful people.  I can’t help but be reminded of the movie WALL-E.  They separate the trash into groups of materials; many families specialize in one type of material.   They make crafts with discarded odds and ends to sell in street markets.  The food waste is fed to their pigs.  The metal is sold to be melted down and reused, as is paper, glass, and plastic.  Anything that can be repaired, is, and then resold or repurposed.

A few schools have popped up in the settlement, but not to teach students how to scavenge - they are already experts.  Students of all ages go to the schools to learn how to manage their scavenging, believe it or not.  They learn how to spell using products they will find in the trash.  They learn how to read city maps, how to use spreadsheets, and how to negotiate contracts.  The hope is that when the waste management companies renegotiate their contracts with the government in a few years, the Zabbaleen can be present at the table and have the knowledge to secure their future.     

Links:

Excellent 8 minute PBS story:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june10/egypt_02-16.html

Slideshow capturing day-to-day life in Manshiyat naser: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/standard/display/slideshow.php?ftrv_id=64259&slide=1

Amazing black and white photography: http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/contact_sheet/5581

~Thomas Mazich

USGBC Releases LEED 2012 Draft, Asks “Whadya think?”

The US Green Building Council has recently released a draft version of LEED 2012 for public comment, with an expected release date of November 2012.   Have a look at the proposed LEED NC 2012 scorecard; here are the highlights: 

The biggest change is the addition of 3 whole new credit categories: Integrated Process, Location and Transportation, and Performance.  Some credits from the current version were moved into these new categories.  Many of the current credits have been combined and/or renamed.

There are 8 new prerequisites.  Teams will have to develop and follow a construction and demolition waste management plan as well as an indoor air quality management plan during construction.  10% of a project’s materials budget must be recycled content.  Water consumption standards have been introduced for common appliances and processes.  Lastly, to the rabble-rousers who were always so outraged that LEED awarded such an easy point for a bike rack (but never seemed to remember that you actually had to provide showers and changing facilities as well), USGBC heard you loud and clear; Bike racks are now required.

USGBC has raised the bar on many credits that were perhaps a little too easy to achieve in past versions.  A few of them were made into prerequisites as mentioned above.  Projects will no longer get points for providing parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, they have to provide the whole vehicle now.  Structural materials like steel and concrete no longer count towards the Recycled Content credit.  LEED APs can no longer earn a point for the project; you must be a LEED AP+.  Furniture now must be included in the calculations for the Low-Emitting Interiors credit if it is in the project scope.  Roofing assemblies now must be commissioned.  And my favorite, if a window looks out on a brick wall, it no longer counts towards the renamed “Quality Views” credit.  

As far as brand new credits, there is an Integrated Process credit being developed that will give points for having a charrette, team meetings, and a site assessment.  Cooling Tower Makeup Water is new, as is Acoustic Performance, and Whole Building Reuse, which focuses on historic preservation and revitalization.

An excellent summary of the changes to LEED NC can be found on BuildingGreen.com.  The first public comment period is open through January 14, so there is still time for you to make your voice heard.

~Thomas Mazich