About the Council

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the world’s leading resource for professionals CTBUH Journal focused on the inception, design, construction, and International Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat operation of tall buildings and future cities. A not-for-profi t organization, founded in 1969 and based at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, CTBUH has an Asia offi ce at Tongji University, Shanghai, and a research offi ce at Iuav Tall buildings: design, construction, and operation | 2017 Issue II University, Venice, Italy. CTBUH facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge available on tall buildings around the world through publications, Case Study: South Beach Towers, Singapore research, events, working groups, web resources, and its extensive network of international River Beech Tower: A Tall Timber Experiment representatives. The Council’s research department is spearheading the investigation of the next Bioclimatic Comfort Design for High-Rises generation of tall buildings by aiding original research on sustainability and key development Supertall Elevator Maintenance issues. The Council’s free database on tall buildings, The Skyscraper Center, is updated daily with Talking Tall: Modular High-Rise detailed information, images, data, and news. The CTBUH also developed the international standards In Numbers: Tall Timber – A Global Audit for measuring tall building height and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such designations as “The World’s Tallest Building.”

CTBUH Headquarters 104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 620 Chicago, IL 60603, USA Phone: +1 (312) 283-5599 Email: [email protected] www.ctbuh.org www.skyscrapercenter.com

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CTBUH Research Offi ce Iuav University of Venice Dorsoduro 2006 30123 Venice, Italy Phone: +39 041 257 1276 Email: [email protected]

CTBUH Academic Offi ce S. R. Crown Hall Illinois Institute of Technology 3360 South State Street Chicago, IL 60616 Phone: +1 (312) 567 3487 Email: [email protected]

ISSN: 1946 - 1186 Inside

News and Events Features 20 MEP A Bioclimatic Comfort Design Toolkit potential urban heat island effects. The computational power to execute the redevelopment of the Millbank Tower will be simulations and subsequently read out and For High-Rise Buildings presented as a second case study of how the understand the results. The team’s goal toolkit has been used to determine Abstract pedestrian wind comfort levels around the The author’s team, consisting of AKT II, was“ to develop a 02 This Issue 47 Tall Buildings in Numbers Building in an ever more urbanized world, with high-rise buildings increasing in complex and its influence on the design. A together with Tyréns UK and Gas Dynamics, novel digital design both height and number, makes it essential to ensure we create comfortable urban third test case shows how the toolkit took on the challenge to inform and shape spaces, as the urban microclimate in and around towers is affected dramatically. determined load patterns on the façade of architectural design by using the urban toolkit that could the South Bank Tower and established a microclimate as a design input. In order to do This paper proposes a new method of computational design that creates a direct link to the dynamic structural analysis this, the researchers needed to gain an simulate and assess Daniel Safarik, Tall Timber: A Global Audit continuous workflow, one that synthesizes the interaction of dynamic structural software. The toolkit allows the design understanding of the full aspects and Jeroen Janssen behavior, climate, and thermal comfort directly into the digital design process. The engineer to utilize these advanced influences that go into modeling and the external thermal author’s team has developed a custom software interface that connects different computational tools to inform the design in simulating the microclimate. The objective, Author aspects of the design (geometry, BIM, structural analysis, and computational fluid the earliest stages of the process and then, was to find bioclimatic design solutions comfort of pedestrians Jeroen Janssen, Associate therefore enable a new generation of and develop a toolbox of repeatable methods AKT II Ltd. dynamics) in one workflow, allowing different members of the design team to in an urban space. Journal Editor 100 St. John Street high-rise buildings in the megacities of the for designing with them. These methods London EC1M 4EH interact simultaneously and inform the design in real time. future. would then be assessed and compared United Kingdom ” t: +44 20 7250 7777 Keywords: MEP Engineering, Thermal Comfort, Environmental Engineering, Computational through classified and well-known comfort thermal environment and is assessed by e: [email protected] criteria in order to make a valuable subjective evaluation.” Standards for internal www.Akt-uk.com Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Design Challenges contribution to the early design phases. thermal comfort are well defined within local

50 Talking Tall: Jeroen Janssen Introduction to assess and decide if the design is building regulations (ASHRAE 2013). Jeroen Janssen is an associate within p.art®, the successful for the intended use of a space. Current design practice shows a myriad of Currently, there is a fragmented array of tools Maintaining this standard of thermal comfort Parametric Applied Research Team at AKT II, a structural engineering consultancy based in London. The essence of architectural design comes ways to deal with the problems ahead. and a patchwork of software on the market for occupants of spaces is one of the He is responsible for the Bioclimatic Design Services down to the question of providing shelter The efficacy of the toolkit developed by the Where some designers use rules of thumb that serves to answer questions regarding important goals for design engineers. the firm is offering to architects and developers. He and the team developed an in-house custom and well-being for the occupants of a space. author’s team can be shown through the and define the impacts of the built climatic comfort. Many of these work in 04 CTBUH Latest Roger Krulak, Full Stack digital toolkit to enhance the workflow of these It follows that we should be able to ask example of three real-world projects in environment to the microclimate in a very isolation on one aspect, be it solar radiation, Internal thermal comfort is a well-established numerical simulations, working in close collaboration with architects and engineers. Janssen received an ourselves the simple question of whether we London (see Figures 1, 2, and 3). An initial generic way, others might use sophisticated wind flow, or humidity. Other climatic inputs, field of practice for the services engineer. The MSc degree in Architecture and Engineering from are comfortable in a space, whether it is speculative test case around the Centre Point digital tools to model and simulate the and the summary results of their interaction, team’s goal was to develop a novel digital Eindhoven University of Technology and holds an MArch from the Architectural Association School of inside or outside. But the answers to this Tower will illustrate the use of an hour-by- environment in great detail. In basic are not intrinsically taken into account. design toolkit that could simulate and assess Architecture in London. seemingly simple question are difficult to hour thermal simulation and show how this conditions, these rules of thumb might be Furthermore, most of these tools are geared the external thermal comfort of pedestrians in Antony Wood, Modular quantify. We need tools and measurements can be utilized to assess and mitigate sufficient and serve the design quite well. to the internal comfort of built spaces, an urban space. This toolkit would allow However, urban environments are becoming whereas the aim of this research is to develop creating a well-informed design for the ever more complex, influencing the effects the potential for influencing pedestrian microclimate of external spaces in complex of natural forces on buildings, and amplifying comfort in the external urban realm. climatic conditions. With this toolkit, the role buildings’ effects on their surroundings. The that the proposed geometry and material Executive Director Modular High-Rise: The Next current language of architectural design is In order to accurately model the full range of properties will play to influence the perceived taking on more complex shapes, while at the urban climatic response, the team felt the comfort of a space can easily be assessed. same time public awareness of the need to combine these aspects together into environment is growing together with the one comprehensive toolkit, which not only Within the research community, there is Chapter desire (and increasingly the ability) to control allows for a full year-round simulation, but also strong interest in the quality of open urban or change it. These rules of thumb might provides an efficient link to the urban spaces and a continuing search for methods then prove not elaborate enough, and geometry and a user-friendly interface. to design with climatic effects. A number of therefore a detailed simulation is required. research projects have been undertaken to determine comfort indices to meaningfully 05 Debating Tall: Modeling and simulating climatic What is Comfort? assess and compare external spaces. One of phenomena, and subsequently wind or the most extensive works of research thermal comfort assessments, is still Before continuing to the technical aspects of evaluates people in an urban space in any considered state-of-the-art technology that the simulation, the design space needed to be climatic region according to its Actual can only be dealt with by a specific field of defined. What do we mean by pedestrian Sensation Vote (ASV) (Nikolopoulou, Lykoudis Replace the Thompson 54 Ask a CTBUH Expert: experts within practice and academia. These thermal and wind comfort? & Kikira 2004). The ASV finds an empirical models are not only highly complex and comfort assessment of a space, corrected for extremely time-consuming to set up, but are Thermal comfort is described as “the condition different climatic zones, largely based on field Figure 1. Centre Point Tower, London. Figure 2. Millbank Tower, London. Figure 3. South Bank Tower, London. © John Parkin also data-hungry, requiring extensive of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surveys with nearly 10,000 interviews across Center? How to Resolve the © (cc-by-sa) Paul Farmer. Source: Millbank Tower Proposal. 20 | MEP CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II MEP | 21 Emerging Challenges of Tall 06 Global News Building Foundations? Highlights from the CTBUH Ahmad Rahimian Global News archive 28 Vertical Transportation Elevator Maintenance Considerations queuing and overcrowding at the local hub or architects, developers, and various design To further understand the necessity of a station platform. This can be an unpleasant consultants, it is apparent that discussion of good supertall building elevator For Supertall Buildings and chaotic passenger experience. Likewise, elevator maintenance is often limited to maintenance strategy, it is important to in an elevator lobby, when one of the passing comments in early meetings. The understand how it differs from maintenance Abstract elevators breaks down, or if elevators are author’s research with developers indicates this in a more typical building. The type and quality of elevator maintenance should be considered at the design mis-timed due to poor design, queuing and group of people believes it is the responsibility stage to ensure the longevity and reliability of the elevators proposed. The overcrowding happen quickly (see Figure 2). of the elevator consultant and the elevator implications of getting this wrong will have a disproportionately adverse effect on Practitioners already accept that if careful specialist to ensure that a robust elevator What is Supertall Elevator Maintenance? design consideration is not given to the maintenance strategy is considered at the the functioning of supertall buildings (compared to those of a lesser height). This elevator core design, this would be disastrous design stage. A developer is interested in the Elevator maintenance is the process of paper addresses how that risk can be minimized. The long-term reliability of for a supertall building, as it is virtually capital sum and the return on investment, with ensuring that the elevator is preserved to last Rony Eappen vertical transportation has an impact on design and building users, and early impossible to retroactively fix any potential minimum impact to the core. An architect is in line with the Original Equipment awareness of this in the design process can greatly assist the operation of a tall shortcomings. But there should also be equal like a director of a film, who does not need to Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) recommendation, Author Case Study CTBUH building throughout its lifecycle. emphasis on maintenance in the early design know every detail of special equipment, but typically 20–25 years, and to ensure that high Rony Eappen, Vertical Transportation Engineer stage of a supertall building, with input from does need to be aware of how to bring these standards of safety are maintained for both D2E International VT Consultants Ltd. 7 Denbigh Mews Keywords: Vertical Transportation, Building Management, Virtual Reality all relevant specialist stakeholders. An different elements together and coordinate the users and the maintenance team. London SW1V 2HQ optimized maintenance strategy needs to be them, to ensure that an efficient core is the United Kingdom t: +44 207 233 9355 Introduction Traditionally, the travel range of elevators, incorporated into the elevator design strategy, result. Thus, the elevator consultant and In a typical multi-story building, the standard e: [email protected] and the necessity to include several shafts to as the impact of getting the strategy wrong elevator specialist are typically the parties who maintenance regime would feature an www.d2e.com At present, there are 1,184 buildings over 200 house elevators serving several functions will cause an adverse effect in the operation of consider the elevator maintenance strategy. assigned technician covering the route and

Rony Eappen meters tall around the world. Of these, 114 (local, express, hotel, residence, office, etc.), the supertall building at a later stage. It should However, in the author’s research, these call-out schedule. However, in a supertall Rony joined D2E in 2010. For the first five years at are 300 meters or higher, classified as have been among the primary limiters of be noted that component quality is also a key stakeholders have admitted there is little building, the requirement is complex, as the D2E, Rony was involved in account management 12 South Beach Towers, 55 CTBUH on the Road for several prestigious tall buildings in London, “supertalls.” Additionally, there are 327 height. In reaction to this demand, elevator factor in poor elevator design and future discussion and sharing of information at the technology involved is more advanced. namely Heron Tower, 20 Fenchurch Street (the supertall buildings either under construction manufacturers have developed products maintainability; however, for the sake of design stage of the process. For more than a Double-deck elevators, two independent Walkie Talkie building), and 122 Leadenhall Street (the Cheesegrater). During this time, he has gained or proposed for construction in the next six that travel faster, use fewer or lighter brevity, this article does not elaborate on the decade, elevator manufacturers have invested elevators operating in a single shaft, complex valuable experience on building operations and years (CTBUH Skyscraper Center 2017 – see materials, manage journeys more efficiently, subject, as it is worthy of its own separate their research and development budgets dispatching techniques, high-speed motor their interaction with elevators and escalators. He has carried this into his role within the design team, Figure 1). The race to build tall is continuing, and are proportionally more power-efficient analysis. mainly in the development of faster elevators, Singapore CTBUH events around the world where he can identify potential operational issues and, as the technology for building tall than in the past. Despite the obvious the use of lighter materials to travel higher, and during the feasibility of new building developments. At D2E, Rony’s experience lies within high-rise improves, design teams will likely try to go improvements, the introduction of these on specialized dispatching algorithms that building maintenance and post-construction even higher. technologies nevertheless poses several Background speed lobby-to-destination travel times. mobilization of major projects. questions regarding the approach to the However, these technology advancements are Roland Schnizer, Irene Gallou, after-care of the installed product. The key stakeholders who have direct influence based on an ideal scenario with 100% elevator over the elevator design at an early stage are the availability. If elevator availability drops, these Namely, how does one undertake the developer, the architects, the elevator technologies become ineffective, thus maintenance of these super high-tech consultant, and the elevator manufacturers (see emphasizing the need to maintain the elevator elevators? Does the local maintenance Figure 3). From observing discussions between system with a robust maintenance strategy. Adam Davis, Chia Wah Kam & 55 Diary provider have the relevant technical skills to efficiently maintain the elevator in a supertall building? Does the local supply chain have sufficient spare parts if there are only a limited number of supertall buildings in the region Ho Weng Hin Upcoming tall building events that utilize or share similar elevator technology? What is the replacement or modernization strategy at the end of the elevator’s serviceable life? It is an interesting fact that, apart from the World Trade Center in 2001, no building over 200 meters has ever been demolished (CTBUH Skyscraper Center 2017). The cost of getting an elevator design wrong could be catastrophic.

56 Reviews Let us consider a scenario: If a train line has a breakdown, inevitably there will be people Figure 1. CTBUH’s classification of supertall and megatall buildings. Source: CTBUH Figure 2. Elevator lobby overcrowding. © Ian Smith Figure 3. Stakeholders of a supertall building. Research Review of new books in the 28 | Vertical Transportation CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Vertical Transportation | 29 CTBUH Library 20 A Bioclimatic Comfort Design Toolkit for High-Rise 57 Comments Architecture/Design Buildings Feedback 40 River Beech Tower: A Tall Timber Experiment 200 GPa, concrete at 25–44 GPa, and timber at 7–17 GPa (see Figure 3). Using this data, Abstract Authors the team developed several strategies to The Chicago River Beech Tower is a collaborative research effort with the goal of Jeff Sanner, Project Architect guide the design when using mass timber. Jeroen Janssen Todd Snapp, Design Principal identifying challenges and opportunities associated with designing increasingly Perkins+Will 410 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600 tall mass timber structures. This paper represents the team’s findings to date on Proportion the tower footprint to make a Chicago, IL 60611, United States these topics, their implications for tall building design, and suggests possible timber superstructure feasible. t: +1 312 755 0770 The design of River Beech Tower e: [email protected] pathways that may inform and engage the design community. A key objective of 58 Meet the CTBUH www.perkinswill.com interconnects two separate towers, with the project is to explore new design potential with timber buildings, rather than Alejandro Fernandez, Structural Engineer each tower having a narrow profile. This David Weihing, Principal/Office Director substituting timber in the familiar forms of conventional construction in steel and slenderness is ideal for residential planning, Thornton Tomasetti 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 1500 concrete. Refer also to Tall Buildings in Number on page 48. but too narrow for each tower to be stable Chicago, IL 60611, United States when subjected to lateral loading. Keywords: Timber, Construction, Low Carbon, Code Compliance, Prefabrication Philip Vivian, Bates Smart t: +1 312 596 2000 Separating the two towers on each side of a e: [email protected] 28 Elevator Maintenance www.thorntontomasetti.com Introduction construction along the Chicago River multi-story atrium creates a wider combined

Rob Foster, Research Associate (see Figure 2). The 80-story program of the footprint and increases stability by Michael Ramage, Director While the reasons for considering mass tower forces the design team to consider performing as a single, larger superstructure. Centre for Natural Material Innovation, University of Cambridge timber will vary by project, client, and region, many of the issues typical to designing tall The two individual towers are structurally 1 Scroope Terrace the building industry is experiencing an buildings, while staying within the connected across the atrium using glued Considerations for Supertall Cambridge CB2 1PX, United Kingdom t: +44 1223 760 121 increase in the use of mass timber products established 70- to-80-story height range for laminated timber (GLT) cross-bracing (see e: [email protected] for tall buildings. In 2008 there was one mass tall residential towers in Chicago. Figures 4 and 5). This connection couples the Figure 1. River Beech Tower, Chicago. © Perkins+Will www.natmat.group.cam.ac.uk timber building over eight stories tall; by structure together to act as one, maximizing 2014, a survey of tall wood buildings the superstructure’s performance and CTBUH Organizational Jeff Sanner is an architect and building performance 58 leader at Perkins+Will. Jeff’s focus is the relationship identified nearly 30 buildings over eight Design Strategies minimizing member stresses. Buildings between building design and resource conservation, delivering innovative concepts based on shared stories that were either complete, under targets, research and analysis. His current work construction, or in late-phase design The overarching goal of this study is to Maximize the participation of all vertical explores net-positive energy, net-positive water, and experimental building materials. (Perkins+Will 2014). identify areas of mass timber research that members of the tower’s lateral system. could help advance the use of timber in tall River Beech Tower’s lateral system connects Member Listing Todd Snapp brings versatile expertise and dynamic This research began with acknowledging building structures. Approaching this from a all the vertical structural members together. Rony Eappen knowledge as a practice leader and design principal at Perkins+Will. His work spans from mixed-use how wood behaves as a material. Its practitioner’s perspective, the team placed Cross-laminated timber (CLT) shear walls, GLT master planning of high-rise residential and office developments to cultural and higher education properties were compared to steel and focus on developing an all-timber bracing, and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) facilities. Todd was recently selected as one of Fifty concrete in terms of structural behavior, fire superstructure and allowed the planning diagrids effectively engage the vertical Under Fifty: Innovators of the 21st Century. resistance, construction methods, and architecture to adapt in response. Using elements for resisting the tower’s lateral Alejandro Fernandez is a structural engineer in environmental impact, and architectural a residential floor plate as a planning loads, making full use of gravity-carrying Thornton Tomasetti’s Chicago office. Alejandro brings a holistic approach to the design of tall buildings with expression. This fundamental framework, the team set out to examine how members (see Figure 6). master’s degrees in both architecture and engineering understanding was then applied to the design professionals could use current from the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Ecole σ Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees in Paris. challenge of designing a building with real timber technology to make the design of a world design constraints. tall timber tower feasible. Dave Weihing is a principal and office director in 34 Closing Gaps in Commercial Thornton Tomasetti’s Chicago office. He has over 20 years of experience in the development and Designed by the Chicago offices of The material properties of mass timber drive management of structural design. In 2010, he was Figure 2. The proposed tower in context of its site at the southwest edge of the Chicago Loop CBD. © Perkins+Will named one of ENR Midwest’s “Top 20 under 40” Perkins+Will and Thornton Tomasetti in the design of a tall tower in unique ways. professionals. Dave has worked on projects in six collaboration with researchers at the Timber’s elastic stiffness and material density = 200 GPa continents including tall and long-span structures. University of Cambridge’s Centre for Natural vary notably from those of structural steel STEEL E Software to Solve Structural Robert Foster is a researcher at the University of Material Innovation, the River Beech Tower and reinforced concrete. Both natural and Cambridge. His current research explores the potential follows the program of an 80-story, engineered timber have lower strength than of engineered timber as a material for tall building = 25-44 GPa design. He holds an MEng in Civil & Architectural 244-meter-tall timber residential tower steel and concrete, with steel supporting up Establishing timber as ‘non-combustible’ is Engineering and a PhD in structural engineering. E CONCRETE situated along the South Branch of the to 460 MPa (fy), concrete up to 95 MPa (f’c), = 7-17 GPa a“ challenge. A wood sample would need to be Michael Ramage leads the Centre for Natural Material Chicago River (see Figure 1). Exposed mass and timber around 25 MPa (Axial ADS); new E LVL Engineering Issues Innovation at University of Cambridge. He is also timber would offer a unique experience engineered hybrid materials record higher a senior lecturer in the Dept. of Architecture and a genetically modified, treated, or engineered as founding partner of Light Earth Designs. His current within the residential market by connecting strengths. However, it is the softer elastic research focuses on creating better housing in the occupants with natural materials. The stiffness that will most directly influence the developing world and improved engineered timber a composite material to pass the ASTM E136 and bamboo through natural material innovation. program includes 300 units, a development design of tall towers, which must resist large ε density in keeping with current lateral loads. In this case, steel comes in at Figure 3. Relative elasticity of steel, concrete, and LVL test for combustibility. Alfonso Oliva, Richard B. timber. © Thornton Tomasetti ” Garlock, Nidhi Sekhar & Mia 40 | Architecture/Design CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Architecture/Design | 41 Tsiamis

40 River Beech Tower: A Tall Timber Experiment The volumetric modular process is designed for Jeff Sanner, Todd Snapp, Alejandro Fernandez, David “dense urban areas. The fact is that there are more and Weihing, Rob Foster & Michael Ramage more dense, urban areas around the world, where you want to control waste, minimize interruptions, and do as much off-site work as possible.

” Krulak, page 50

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Inside | 3 Visit the daily-updated online resource for all the latest news on tall buildings, urban development, Global News and sustainable construction from around the world at: http://news.ctbuh.org

Americas In New York, construction recently wrapped up on 50 West, designed by JAHN. With a A city not previously known for its certificate of occupancy from the city, skyscrapers, Quito has been making residents are expected to begin moving in to headlines, following the ongoing the 237-meter luxury high-rise despite on construction of an improved transportation going work on the tower’s upper floors, a network and subway system that is typical arrangement for high-rise buildings. facilitating transit-oriented development in The Financial District building also features a the Ecuadorean capital. YOO Quito, a 630-square-meter privately owned public residential and hotel development designed space with an art gallery and café. in-part by Arquitectonica, is an early result of that infrastructure investment. The proposed In Midtown, KPF’s One Vanderbilt took a project is part of a larger master plan aimed major step forward with the successful at densifying the city. The recently completion of its foundation pour. The completed Gaia Building is another addition 427-meter supertall located adjacent to to the Quito skyline. The 15,000-square- Grand Central Terminal has witnessed a meter mixed-use tower features retail, office, number of preconstruction setbacks, so the and residential programming at a prime concrete foundation pour represents a location near a major intersection and a significant milestone in its development. 67-hectare public park. 1300 South Figueroa, Los Angeles. © Gensler As crews were pouring concrete at One In the United States, famously car-centric Los Vanderbilt, counterparts in Chicago were Angeles is in the midst of its own core design and vegetated exteriors. Both are doing much the same work at Vista Tower development boom, also driven in-part by in an early proposal stage, with no specific by Studio Gang Architects, which completed major regional infrastructure projects and timetable for development. its foundation pour on the same day. The transit-oriented development. Many of the monumental day-long effort required 3,000 newly proposed projects are located in the Meanwhile, an initial impact study has been cubic meters of concrete brought to the site fast-densifying South Park neighborhood in released for the 6th & Alameda complex, in 400-plus truckloads. As the tallest building downtown LA. There, Gensler has been located just west of downtown. The US$2 currently under construction in Chicago, the tapped to design two unique projects at billion development would rise from a tower has garnered plenty of attention from 1300 and 1600 Figueroa Street. The former six-hectare site and feature two 58-story the city’s skyscraper-watchers, who were is a 1,024-room, 53-story hotel that will rise towers. The multi-phase project is envisioned on-site to document the milestone. adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention to be built over a long timeline, with a final Center, while the latter is a 52-story dual completion date currently set in 2035. Meanwhile, a proposed tower in Detroit is residential/hotel tower featuring a divided poised to become the tallest building in the

Gaia Building, Quito. © Sebastián Crespo 50 West, New York. © Qualls Benson

6 | Global News CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II THEY SAID

Livability is about building communities and encouraging interaction among people. You “have to create places that bring people together as a community. Public spaces and placemaking become critical if a city is to be livable. At a project level, creative design can encourage interaction and the building of bonds between neighbors.

Dr. Cheong Koon” Hean, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore’s Housing & Development Board, the 2016 recipient of the CTBUH Lynn Beedle Award in her interview with Urban Land, February 2017.

Vista Tower, Chicago – under construction. © Shawn Ursini city. Known as Hudson’s Tower for the Construction is also progressing on the While the relentless pace of construction former department store on its site, the SOHO Li Ze Tower by Zaha Hadid Architects, continues in Beijing, several second- and project represents a major investment for the located southwest of the city center in yet third-tier Chinese cities are in the spotlight once-bankrupt city. It is hoped that it will another growing business district. for notable skyscraper proposals. In spur further development in the Motor City, Construction of the 207-meter building has Zhengzhou, a five-tower mixed-use complex and with a groundbreaking set for December reached floor 20, slightly less than half its has been proposed. The Cradle Towers are 2017, developers are wasting no time 46-story height. Topping out is expected in designed with a nod to the city’s ancient advancing the project. September 2017. Notably, the tower will history as a cradle of civilization, while feature a 190-meter central atrium rising looking ahead to its high-tech future. nearly the full height of the structure. Featuring office, residential, and hotel Asia and Oceania

Major construction updates dominated news in Beijing. The Chinese capital has several significant projects underway, including its future tallest building, China Zun Tower. Recent photography highlighted construction on the tower, which is expected to complete in 2018. The tower will be the new centerpiece of the Beijing Central Business District, the city’s fast-expanding financial hub.

Directly adjacent to China Zun lies the Samsung China Headquarters by SMDP, which is also under construction and recently topped out at 260 meters. Cladding has begun to rise up the exterior of the building, while the contours of the building’s cube-shaped sky lounge are coming into view. Final completion of this project is also expected in 2018.

China Zun Tower, Beijing. SOHO Li Ze Tower, Beijing. Render by MIR, © Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates © Zaha Hadid Architects.

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Global News | 7 South Beach Towers, Singapore Canting Towers and a Cooling Canopy

Abstract Authors After more than 100 years, an area of Singapore formerly off-limits to the public Roland Schnizer, Partner Irene Gallou, Partner has been transformed into a new mixed-use development that combines two Adam Davis, Associate Partner Foster + Partners landmark towers, historic preservation of colonial military buildings, and a flowing Riverside, 22 Hester Road London SW11 4AN, United Kingdom canopy at the ground level. The result, called South Beach, is an integrated and t: +44 20 7738 0455, f: +44 20 7738 1107 vibrant space in central Singapore, maximizing the critical assets of innovative e: [email protected] www.fosterandpartners.com design, warm weather, connectivity, and history. Highlighting three key aspects of

Chia Wah Kam, Director the project, this case study unpacks the design team’s integrated approach, Arup 10 Hoe Chiang Road, 26-01 Keppel Towers illustrating the complexity of the design process, and exemplifying how a tall Singapore 089315 building may make a positive contribution to its surrounding urban realm. t: +65 6411 2500 e: [email protected] www.arup.com Keywords: Redevelopment, Sky Garden, Vertical Urbanism, Parametric Design

Ho Weng Hin, Partner & Director Studio Lapis Introduction connecting the towers, retail areas, and the 7 Keppel Rd #03-01, Tanjong Pagar Complex Singapore 089053 MRT station, and is protected by a large t: +65 6222 9640 The South Beach development covers an innovative canopy, which shelters the e: [email protected] www.studiolapis.sg entire city block between the Marina and light-filled public spaces beneath from the Civic District in the heart of downtown extremes of the tropical climate (see Figure 1). Roland Schnizer is a partner at Foster + Partners, Singapore. Combining new construction responsible for a number of the practice’s projects in Asia. In 2005, he oversaw the design and construction with the restoration of existing buildings, the From the outset, the design team’s vision of the award-winning Troika residential development new mixed-use, energy efficient urban included the public spaces as well – the in Kuala Lumpur. His recent projects include the 300-meter-tall IB Tower, Kuala Lumpur and South quarter brings together places to live and undulating canopy covering the green spine Beach, Singapore. work with shops, cafes, restaurants, a hotel, forms a key part of the sustainability strategy

Irene Gallou is a joint head of the Specialist Modelling and public spaces. for South Beach. Due to its tropical climate, Group at Fosterr + Partners. Her role involves assessing the use of outdoor spaces in Singapore is the impact of buildings and public spaces on the environment, leading on-site research and analysis, as Rising up towards the north and south of the limited to certain times of day. The creation of well as working closely with design teams to integrate site are two inclined towers – 35 and 45 the green spine and the canopy was an environmental research at all stages in the design process. She has been involved in a wide range of stories respectively – the South Tower is attempt to introduce a new kind of public projects, including the Masdar master plan in Abu divided between a hotel and apartments, space that would provide a comfortable Dhabi. while the North Tower contains offices. A microclimate even during the hottest hours of Adam Davis is a design systems analyst at Foster wide landscaped pedestrian avenue – a the day. + Partners. His research includes work in design optimization, machine perception, data science, and green spine – weaves through the site, ubiquitous sensing via the Internet of Things. Adam has written bespoke software to analyze complex issues in tall building design. He has also undertaken complex parametric BIM for projects such as Queen Alia International Airport, Amman, Jordan, and the Mobility Pavilion for the UAE World Expo 2020.

Chia Wah Kam is a senior leader of Arup’s Singapore buildings structures team. He has over 40 years’ experience in structural engineering, covering both the building and infrastructure sectors. His expertise is in the areas of project and contract administration & management and structural design (particularly multi-story buildings with deep reinforced-concrete basements), structural steelwork, and prefab systems. Wah Kam was Arup’s Project Director on South Beach.

Ho Weng Hin is partner and conservation specialist of Studio Lapis. He holds a postgraduate degree in heritage conservation from the University of Genoa, Italy. Weng Hin has been involved in major conservation projects in Singapore and the region, such as the restoration of Cathedral of Good Shepherd, the adaptive reuse of the former Beach Road Camp and Britannia Club, the former Capitol Theatre, and the former Burma Railways HQ in Yangon, Myanmar.

Figure 1. The innovative canopy shades the walkways and public spaces below.

12 | South Beach Towers, Singapore CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II The two towers are also defined by an environmental screen that rises out of the canopy to mitigate the harsh Singaporean sun. These eastern and western façades contain cascading sky gardens and balconies, while the north and south façades provide solar shading from oblique sun angles (see Figure 2).

The structural approach complemented and augmented the environmental features of the project, with the design team using parametric modeling to integrate all design aspects. This was particularly pertinent in the design of the canopy, where changes in the structural system impacted the environmental performance of the structure and vice versa. What followed was an iterative process of design, in which a single parametric model was fed with multi-layered information to simulate the performance of the canopy and refine the form of its components. In addition, the two towers – with inclined columns in opposing directions – also presented a significant structural challenge.

South Beach is significant in urban terms as well, with the restoration of four historic buildings on the site forming an integral part of the mixed-use development. As a former military site, the entire city block was largely inaccessible to the public until redevelopment began in 2007. As such, one of the key success stories of the project is the transformation of this site into a public space, with a ground plane that is now entirely open, accessible and largely Figure 2. South Beach Towers, Singapore – rising up from the green spine. pedestrianized. For the first time since 1907, the links between the historic district and the Marina Bay area have been re-established, revitalizing an important connection in the Rather than attempting to achieve integration city that had been lost over time. through“ a totalizing approach to parametric

Environmental Design Strategy modeling on a single software platform, the

South Beach’s design aimed for the highest project exposed different interfaces and outputs environmental rating – BCA Green Mark Plati- num – for both residential and commercial based on the team members involved and their components by introducing holistic immediate goals: visualization, physical approaches to environmental design. The modeling, and construction documentation.” CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II South Beach Towers, Singapore | 13 MEP A Bioclimatic Comfort Design Toolkit For High-Rise Buildings Abstract Building in an ever more urbanized world, with high-rise buildings increasing in both height and number, makes it essential to ensure we create comfortable urban spaces, as the urban microclimate in and around towers is affected dramatically. This paper proposes a new method of computational design that creates a continuous workflow, one that synthesizes the interaction of dynamic structural Jeroen Janssen behavior, climate, and thermal comfort directly into the digital design process. The author’s team has developed a custom software interface that connects different Author aspects of the design (geometry, BIM, structural analysis, and computational fluid Jeroen Janssen, Associate AKT II Ltd. dynamics) in one workflow, allowing different members of the design team to 100 St. John Street London EC1M 4EH interact simultaneously and inform the design in real time. United Kingdom t: +44 20 7250 7777 Keywords: MEP Engineering, Thermal Comfort, Environmental Engineering, Computational e: [email protected] www.Akt-uk.com Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Jeroen Janssen Introduction to assess and decide if the design is Jeroen Janssen is an associate within p.art®, the successful for the intended use of a space. Parametric Applied Research Team at AKT II, a structural engineering consultancy based in London. The essence of architectural design comes He is responsible for the Bioclimatic Design Services down to the question of providing shelter The efficacy of the toolkit developed by the the firm is offering to architects and developers. He and the team developed an in-house custom and well-being for the occupants of a space. author’s team can be shown through the digital toolkit to enhance the workflow of these It follows that we should be able to ask example of three real-world projects in numerical simulations, working in close collaboration with architects and engineers. Janssen received an ourselves the simple question of whether we London (see Figures 1, 2, and 3). An initial MSc degree in Architecture and Engineering from are comfortable in a space, whether it is speculative test case around the Centre Point Eindhoven University of Technology and holds an MArch from the Architectural Association School of inside or outside. But the answers to this Tower will illustrate the use of an hour-by- Architecture in London. seemingly simple question are difficult to hour thermal simulation and show how this quantify. We need tools and measurements can be utilized to assess and mitigate

Figure 1. Centre Point Tower, London. Figure 2. Millbank Tower, London. Figure 3. South Bank Tower, London. © John Parkin © (cc-by-sa) Paul Farmer. Source: Millbank Tower Proposal.

20 | MEP CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II potential urban heat island effects. The computational power to execute the redevelopment of the Millbank Tower will be simulations and subsequently read out and presented as a second case study of how the understand the results. The team’s goal toolkit has been used to determine pedestrian wind comfort levels around the The author’s team, consisting of AKT II, was“ to develop a complex and its influence on the design. A together with Tyréns UK and Gas Dynamics, third test case shows how the toolkit took on the challenge to inform and shape novel digital design determined load patterns on the façade of architectural design by using the urban toolkit that could the South Bank Tower and established a microclimate as a design input. In order to do direct link to the dynamic structural analysis this, the researchers needed to gain an simulate and assess software. The toolkit allows the design understanding of the full aspects and engineer to utilize these advanced influences that go into modeling and the external thermal computational tools to inform the design in simulating the microclimate. The objective, the earliest stages of the process and then, was to find bioclimatic design solutions comfort of pedestrians therefore enable a new generation of and develop a toolbox of repeatable methods high-rise buildings in the megacities of the for designing with them. These methods in an urban space. future. would then be assessed and compared ” through classified and well-known comfort thermal environment and is assessed by criteria in order to make a valuable subjective evaluation.” Standards for internal Design Challenges contribution to the early design phases. thermal comfort are well defined within local building regulations (ASHRAE 2013). Current design practice shows a myriad of Currently, there is a fragmented array of tools Maintaining this standard of thermal comfort ways to deal with the problems ahead. and a patchwork of software on the market for occupants of spaces is one of the Where some designers use rules of thumb that serves to answer questions regarding important goals for design engineers. and define the impacts of the built climatic comfort. Many of these work in environment to the microclimate in a very isolation on one aspect, be it solar radiation, Internal thermal comfort is a well-established generic way, others might use sophisticated wind flow, or humidity. Other climatic inputs, field of practice for the services engineer. The digital tools to model and simulate the and the summary results of their interaction, team’s goal was to develop a novel digital environment in great detail. In basic are not intrinsically taken into account. design toolkit that could simulate and assess conditions, these rules of thumb might be Furthermore, most of these tools are geared the external thermal comfort of pedestrians in sufficient and serve the design quite well. to the internal comfort of built spaces, an urban space. This toolkit would allow However, urban environments are becoming whereas the aim of this research is to develop creating a well-informed design for the ever more complex, influencing the effects the potential for influencing pedestrian microclimate of external spaces in complex of natural forces on buildings, and amplifying comfort in the external urban realm. climatic conditions. With this toolkit, the role buildings’ effects on their surroundings. The that the proposed geometry and material current language of architectural design is In order to accurately model the full range of properties will play to influence the perceived taking on more complex shapes, while at the urban climatic response, the team felt the comfort of a space can easily be assessed. same time public awareness of the need to combine these aspects together into environment is growing together with the one comprehensive toolkit, which not only Within the research community, there is desire (and increasingly the ability) to control allows for a full year-round simulation, but also strong interest in the quality of open urban or change it. These rules of thumb might provides an efficient link to the urban spaces and a continuing search for methods then prove not elaborate enough, and geometry and a user-friendly interface. to design with climatic effects. A number of therefore a detailed simulation is required. research projects have been undertaken to determine comfort indices to meaningfully Modeling and simulating climatic What is Comfort? assess and compare external spaces. One of phenomena, and subsequently wind or the most extensive works of research thermal comfort assessments, is still Before continuing to the technical aspects of evaluates people in an urban space in any considered state-of-the-art technology that the simulation, the design space needed to be climatic region according to its Actual can only be dealt with by a specific field of defined. What do we mean by pedestrian Sensation Vote (ASV) (Nikolopoulou, Lykoudis experts within practice and academia. These thermal and wind comfort? & Kikira 2004). The ASV finds an empirical models are not only highly complex and comfort assessment of a space, corrected for extremely time-consuming to set up, but are Thermal comfort is described as “the condition different climatic zones, largely based on field also data-hungry, requiring extensive of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surveys with nearly 10,000 interviews across

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II MEP | 21 Vertical Transportation Elevator Maintenance Considerations For Supertall Buildings Abstract The type and quality of elevator maintenance should be considered at the design stage to ensure the longevity and reliability of the elevators proposed. The implications of getting this wrong will have a disproportionately adverse effect on the functioning of supertall buildings (compared to those of a lesser height). This paper addresses how that risk can be minimized. The long-term reliability of Rony Eappen vertical transportation has an impact on design and building users, and early awareness of this in the design process can greatly assist the operation of a tall Author building throughout its lifecycle. Rony Eappen, Vertical Transportation Engineer D2E International VT Consultants Ltd. 7 Denbigh Mews Keywords: Vertical Transportation, Building Management, Virtual Reality London SW1V 2HQ United Kingdom t: +44 207 233 9355 Introduction Traditionally, the travel range of elevators, e: [email protected] and the necessity to include several shafts to www.d2e.com At present, there are 1,184 buildings over 200 house elevators serving several functions

Rony Eappen meters tall around the world. Of these, 114 (local, express, hotel, residence, office, etc.), Rony joined D2E in 2010. For the first five years at are 300 meters or higher, classified as have been among the primary limiters of D2E, Rony was involved in account management for several prestigious tall buildings in London, “supertalls.” Additionally, there are 327 height. In reaction to this demand, elevator namely Heron Tower, 20 Fenchurch Street (the supertall buildings either under construction manufacturers have developed products Walkie Talkie building), and 122 Leadenhall Street (the Cheesegrater). During this time, he has gained or proposed for construction in the next six that travel faster, use fewer or lighter valuable experience on building operations and years (CTBUH Skyscraper Center 2017 – see materials, manage journeys more efficiently, their interaction with elevators and escalators. He has carried this into his role within the design team, Figure 1). The race to build tall is continuing, and are proportionally more power-efficient where he can identify potential operational issues and, as the technology for building tall than in the past. Despite the obvious during the feasibility of new building developments. At D2E, Rony’s experience lies within high-rise improves, design teams will likely try to go improvements, the introduction of these building maintenance and post-construction even higher. technologies nevertheless poses several mobilization of major projects. questions regarding the approach to the after-care of the installed product.

Namely, how does one undertake the maintenance of these super high-tech elevators? Does the local maintenance provider have the relevant technical skills to efficiently maintain the elevator in a supertall building? Does the local supply chain have sufficient spare parts if there are only a limited number of supertall buildings in the region that utilize or share similar elevator technology? What is the replacement or modernization strategy at the end of the elevator’s serviceable life? It is an interesting fact that, apart from the World Trade Center in 2001, no building over 200 meters has ever been demolished (CTBUH Skyscraper Center 2017). The cost of getting an elevator design wrong could be catastrophic.

Let us consider a scenario: If a train line has a breakdown, inevitably there will be people Figure 1. CTBUH’s classification of supertall and megatall buildings. Source: CTBUH

28 | Vertical Transportation CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II queuing and overcrowding at the local hub or architects, developers, and various design To further understand the necessity of a station platform. This can be an unpleasant consultants, it is apparent that discussion of good supertall building elevator and chaotic passenger experience. Likewise, elevator maintenance is often limited to maintenance strategy, it is important to in an elevator lobby, when one of the passing comments in early meetings. The understand how it differs from maintenance elevators breaks down, or if elevators are author’s research with developers indicates this in a more typical building. mis-timed due to poor design, queuing and group of people believes it is the responsibility overcrowding happen quickly (see Figure 2). of the elevator consultant and the elevator Practitioners already accept that if careful specialist to ensure that a robust elevator What is Supertall Elevator Maintenance? design consideration is not given to the maintenance strategy is considered at the elevator core design, this would be disastrous design stage. A developer is interested in the Elevator maintenance is the process of for a supertall building, as it is virtually capital sum and the return on investment, with ensuring that the elevator is preserved to last impossible to retroactively fix any potential minimum impact to the core. An architect is in line with the Original Equipment shortcomings. But there should also be equal like a director of a film, who does not need to Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) recommendation, emphasis on maintenance in the early design know every detail of special equipment, but typically 20–25 years, and to ensure that high stage of a supertall building, with input from does need to be aware of how to bring these standards of safety are maintained for both all relevant specialist stakeholders. An different elements together and coordinate the users and the maintenance team. optimized maintenance strategy needs to be them, to ensure that an efficient core is the incorporated into the elevator design strategy, result. Thus, the elevator consultant and In a typical multi-story building, the standard as the impact of getting the strategy wrong elevator specialist are typically the parties who maintenance regime would feature an will cause an adverse effect in the operation of consider the elevator maintenance strategy. assigned technician covering the route and the supertall building at a later stage. It should However, in the author’s research, these call-out schedule. However, in a supertall be noted that component quality is also a key stakeholders have admitted there is little building, the requirement is complex, as the factor in poor elevator design and future discussion and sharing of information at the technology involved is more advanced. maintainability; however, for the sake of design stage of the process. For more than a Double-deck elevators, two independent brevity, this article does not elaborate on the decade, elevator manufacturers have invested elevators operating in a single shaft, complex subject, as it is worthy of its own separate their research and development budgets dispatching techniques, high-speed motor analysis. mainly in the development of faster elevators, the use of lighter materials to travel higher, and on specialized dispatching algorithms that Background speed lobby-to-destination travel times. However, these technology advancements are The key stakeholders who have direct influence based on an ideal scenario with 100% elevator over the elevator design at an early stage are the availability. If elevator availability drops, these developer, the architects, the elevator technologies become ineffective, thus consultant, and the elevator manufacturers (see emphasizing the need to maintain the elevator Figure 3). From observing discussions between system with a robust maintenance strategy.

Figure 2. Elevator lobby overcrowding. © Ian Smith Figure 3. Stakeholders of a supertall building.

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Vertical Transportation | 29 IT/Computer Science/Software Closing Gaps in Commercial Software To Solve Structural Engineering Issues Abstract The ability of architectural graphical software to generate infinitely complex geometrical solutions for building design calls for an equally concerted effort to provide rational structural solutions. This paper presents the example of the design of a tower located in a dense urban environment to show how the evolution of modeling technologies is changing best practices in high-rise design. By engaging Alfonso Oliva Richard B. Garlock in the demonstrated workflow, designers and engineers can better respond to the needs of their clients and project sites, using research and development geared towards bridging the gap between incompatible software platforms and shortening the time between architectural vision and structural reality.

Keywords: BIM, Design Process, Integrated Design, Parametric Design, Structural Engineering, Virtual Reality

Nidhi Sekhar Mia Tsiamis Introduction Although the details of the design are not the focus of this paper, three design Authors As technology advances in both design components are listed below to Alfonso Oliva, Director and construction, so has our ability to introduce the reader to the concepts of Richard B. Garlock, Partner build more monumental and algorithmic-driven design and the Nidhi Sekhar, Computational Designer Mia Tsiamis, BIM Specialist unconventional structures. The necessity for and utility of an Leslie E. Robertson Associates realization of such structures interoperability platform. 40 Wall Street, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005, United States necessitates a more modern, t: +1 212 750 9000 technological approach to the design A parametric design is a design e: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; and coordination process. directed by an algorithm. The main [email protected] advantage of this approach is that the www.lera.com In the following pages, we will present a user can build a dynamic 3D model, as

Alfonso Oliva is the Director of LERA+, LERA’s in-house case study of the design of a 130-story opposed to the typical ,static 3D computational research arm. Through LERA+, he tower in Southeast Asia, heretofore model. A dynamic model is capable of collaborates with design teams on a variety of complex projects and provides instructional seminars to other referred to as “the Tower,” whose main reacting to certain inputs in real time. firms. As a structural engineer, he has led the structural structure is composed of steel-framed A 3D model created through the design of sculptural art installations, sports arenas, and supertall towers. floors supported by a central concrete algorithmic approach is controlled by core and composite perimeter columns input parameters that allow for Richard B. Garlock has over 20 years of experience designing efficient structural solutions to facilitate (eight megacolumns and eight real-time changes to its geometry. architectural visions. His expertise ranges from secondary columns). The building’s university lab buildings to high-rise towers. Garlock was the Project Director for 4 World Trade Center, façade tapers at various degrees In the specific case of the Tower, a he was also a member of the WTC Recovery team depending on the plan location and study conducted on the column/ following 9/11. In addition, Garlock has worked on a number of supertall mixed-use projects internationally, elevation, and the columns, in turn, façade interaction of the structure including the BDNI Center in Indonesia. slope in parallel (see Figure 1) required the development of an

Nidhi Sekhar focuses her efforts on developing and ad-hoc algorithm to optimize column optimizing software that solves problems arising from An algorithm-driven design approach, locations based on the building the structural design workflow, for which she creates complex parametric models and simulations and paired with a custom-developed façade’s slope rate. This algorithmic devises solutions for automating various parts of the interoperability platform, allowed for approach, implemented throughout design process. She is the cocreator of Cuttlefish, an interoperability platform developed by LERA+. the rapid adjustment of complex the course of the project, proved geometries in the structural models useful for design and coordination Mia Tsiamis is a BIM Specialist at LERA. Having first joined LERA on a temporary basis to lead a research and gave the architectural team the purposes amongst the multiple collaboration on architectural origami with Sapienza latitude to macro- and micro-adjust the disciplines of the design team. University, Mia Tsiamis rejoined LERA in 2016 and focuses on interoperability and various research geometry as needed. endeavors. Figure 1. “The Tower,” a confidential project in Southeast Asia, is the example subject.

34 | IT/Computer Science/Software CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II By reading the data stored in the“ cloud, the interoperability Truss 4 platform creates a corresponding set of points in the software and generates frames, rigid links, Truss 3 surfaces, and/or volumes based on those points and their associated information. Truss 2 ” The complexity of ƒƒ Rhino 3D is a freeform software modeler the crown structure that allows the user to accurately create of the Tower designs for a variety of purposes, such as necessitated engineering, drafting, analysis, and Truss 1 numerous detailed rendering. geometrical and ƒƒ Grasshopper, a plugin for Rhino, is widely analytical studies used by architects, engineers, product across different designers, and other industry professionals software platforms. to define parametric control over models. The interoperability The plugin also enables design platform used in the exploration by giving the user a graphical design workflow, interface with which to develop described in more generative design. depth in subsequent ƒƒ Autodesk Revit is a BIM modeling tool sections of this widely used in the architectural, Figure 2. Outriggers optimization study. paper, allowed for engineering, and construction industry for the transfer of documentation and coordination Three different algorithms were developed geometrical and analytical information purposes. to optimize the number and location of between these platforms. As was the case for ƒƒ Dynamo, a plugin for Revit, enables outriggers, their height, and their relative the sloping columns, the crown model was parametric control through its graphical position in the building. This was achieved by driven by an algorithmic definition in order to interface. linking the parametric definition to a Finite quickly readapt to architectural changes. ƒƒ SAP2000 and ETABS are FEA software Element Analysis (FEA) software to measure Leveraging the power of algorithms and used by engineers to study the effect of the contribution of the above-mentioned computation helped to streamline the overall loads on structures. elements in reducing lateral displacements process, as well as to aid exploration of ƒƒ Cuttlefish is a custom-developed of the Tower. This was studied at different different design options, all within a short interoperability platform – composed of stages of the project. For the algorithm to period of time (see Figure 3). a Grasshopper and Dynamo component study approximately 10,000 unique and a standalone desktop application – configurations, the run time was about three Although the workflow presented herein was that links all of the above-mentioned minutes in each case. customized for this particular project, the software and directs the exchange of fundamental framework can be extracted and both geometrical and analytical data Figure 2 shows screen captures of a typical applied to any high-rise design. The workflow between them. iteration of the optimization algorithm at an incorporated several tools commonly used in early stage of design. architecture and engineering offices today.

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II IT/Computer Science/Software | 35 Architecture/Design River Beech Tower: A Tall Timber Experiment

Abstract Authors The Chicago River Beech Tower is a collaborative research effort with the goal of Jeff Sanner, Project Architect Todd Snapp, Design Principal identifying challenges and opportunities associated with designing increasingly Perkins+Will 410 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600 tall mass timber structures. This paper represents the team’s findings to date on Chicago, IL 60611, United States t: +1 312 755 0770 these topics, their implications for tall building design, and suggests possible e: [email protected] pathways that may inform and engage the design community. A key objective of www.perkinswill.com the project is to explore new design potential with timber buildings, rather than Alejandro Fernandez, Structural Engineer David Weihing, Principal/Office Director substituting timber in the familiar forms of conventional construction in steel and Thornton Tomasetti 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 1500 concrete. Refer also to Tall Buildings in Numbers on page 47. Chicago, IL 60611, United States t: +1 312 596 2000 Keywords: Timber, Construction, Low Carbon, Code Compliance, Prefabrication e: [email protected] www.thorntontomasetti.com Introduction construction along the Chicago River

Rob Foster, Research Associate (see Figure 2). The 80-story program of the Michael Ramage, Director While the reasons for considering mass tower forces the design team to consider Centre for Natural Material Innovation, University of Cambridge timber will vary by project, client, and region, many of the issues typical to designing tall 1 Scroope Terrace the building industry is experiencing an buildings, while staying within the Cambridge CB2 1PX, United Kingdom t: +44 1223 760 121 increase in the use of mass timber products established 70- to-80-story height range for e: [email protected] for tall buildings. In 2008 there was one mass tall residential towers in Chicago. www.natmat.group.cam.ac.uk timber building over eight stories tall; by

Jeff Sanner is an architect and building performance 2014, a survey of tall wood buildings leader at Perkins+Will. Jeff’s focus is the relationship identified nearly 30 buildings over eight Design Strategies between building design and resource conservation, delivering innovative concepts based on shared stories that were either complete, under targets, research and analysis. His current work construction, or in late-phase design The overarching goal of this study is to explores net-positive energy, net-positive water, and experimental building materials. (Perkins+Will 2014). identify areas of mass timber research that could help advance the use of timber in tall Todd Snapp brings versatile expertise and dynamic knowledge as a practice leader and design principal This research began with acknowledging building structures. Approaching this from a at Perkins+Will. His work spans from mixed-use how wood behaves as a material. Its practitioner’s perspective, the team placed master planning of high-rise residential and office developments to cultural and higher education properties were compared to steel and focus on developing an all-timber facilities. Todd was recently selected as one of Fifty concrete in terms of structural behavior, fire superstructure and allowed the planning Under Fifty: Innovators of the 21st Century. resistance, construction methods, and architecture to adapt in response. Using Alejandro Fernandez is a structural engineer in environmental impact, and architectural a residential floor plate as a planning Thornton Tomasetti’s Chicago office. Alejandro brings a holistic approach to the design of tall buildings with expression. This fundamental framework, the team set out to examine how master’s degrees in both architecture and engineering understanding was then applied to the design professionals could use current from the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees in Paris. challenge of designing a building with real timber technology to make the design of a world design constraints. tall timber tower feasible. Dave Weihing is a principal and office director in Thornton Tomasetti’s Chicago office. He has over 20 years of experience in the development and Designed by the Chicago offices of The material properties of mass timber drive management of structural design. In 2010, he was named one of ENR Midwest’s “Top 20 under 40” Perkins+Will and Thornton Tomasetti in the design of a tall tower in unique ways. professionals. Dave has worked on projects in six collaboration with researchers at the Timber’s elastic stiffness and material density continents including tall and long-span structures. University of Cambridge’s Centre for Natural vary notably from those of structural steel Robert Foster is a researcher at the University of Material Innovation, the River Beech Tower and reinforced concrete. Both natural and Cambridge. His current research explores the potential of engineered timber as a material for tall building follows the program of an 80-story, engineered timber have lower strength than design. He holds an MEng in Civil & Architectural 244-meter-tall timber residential tower steel and concrete, with steel supporting up Engineering and a PhD in structural engineering. situated along the South Branch of the to 460 MPa (fy), concrete up to 95 MPa (f’c), Michael Ramage leads the Centre for Natural Material Chicago River (see Figure 1). Exposed mass and timber around 25 MPa (Axial ADS); new Innovation at University of Cambridge. He is also a senior lecturer in the Dept. of Architecture and a timber would offer a unique experience engineered hybrid materials record higher founding partner of Light Earth Designs. His current within the residential market by connecting strengths. However, it is the softer elastic research focuses on creating better housing in the developing world and improved engineered timber occupants with natural materials. The stiffness that will most directly influence the and bamboo through natural material innovation. program includes 300 units, a development design of tall towers, which must resist large density in keeping with current lateral loads. In this case, steel comes in at

40 | Architecture/Design CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II 200 GPa, concrete at 25–44 GPa, and timber at 7–17 GPa (see Figure 3). Using this data, the team developed several strategies to guide the design when using mass timber.

Proportion the tower footprint to make a timber superstructure feasible. The design of River Beech Tower interconnects two separate towers, with each tower having a narrow profile. This slenderness is ideal for residential planning, but too narrow for each tower to be stable when subjected to lateral loading. Separating the two towers on each side of a multi-story atrium creates a wider combined footprint and increases stability by performing as a single, larger superstructure. The two individual towers are structurally connected across the atrium using glued laminated timber (GLT) cross-bracing (see Figures 4 and 5). This connection couples the Figure 1. River Beech Tower, Chicago. © Perkins+Will structure together to act as one, maximizing the superstructure’s performance and minimizing member stresses.

Maximize the participation of all vertical members of the tower’s lateral system. River Beech Tower’s lateral system connects all the vertical structural members together. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) shear walls, GLT bracing, and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) diagrids effectively engage the vertical elements for resisting the tower’s lateral loads, making full use of gravity-carrying members (see Figure 6). σ

Figure 2. The proposed tower in context of its site at the southwest edge of the Chicago Loop CBD. © Perkins+Will

= 200 GPa

STEEL E

= 25-44 GPa Establishing timber as ‘non-combustible’ is

E CONCRETE = 7-17 GPa a“ challenge. A wood sample would need to be E LVL genetically modified, treated, or engineered as a composite material to pass the ASTM E136 ε Figure 3. Relative elasticity of steel, concrete, and LVL test for combustibility. timber. © Thornton Tomasetti ” CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Architecture/Design | 41 Talking Tall: Roger Krulak Modular High-Rise: The Next Chapter In 2016, 461 Dean Street, the world’s tallest volumetric modular building, was completed in New York City (see Figure 1). As few such projects had ever been attempted, let alone in a construction market with New York’s constraints, the project’s developer, Forest City, and contractor, Skanska, formed a joint modular manufacturing venture to assure the predictable delivery of the 930 modular units that make up the building. Full Stack Modular is a new company that has taken Roger Krulak the assets and lessons from that project and plans to scale it up into a global business. Full Stack’s CEO, Roger Krulak, outlined his plans in an interview with Interviewee CTBUH Editor Daniel Safarik. Roger Krulak, CEO and Founder Full Stack Modular 63 Flushing Ave, Unit 293 What has held the industry back from fully Thanks to the insurance companies, they Brooklyn, NY 11205 United States embracing modular? have made it so that no one wants to bridge t: +1 718 489 9525 There are two major answers. One is a the information gaps from one silo to the email: [email protected] www.fullstackmodular.com technology answer. There are two problems other, because no one wants to be with construction technology. One is that responsible. I mean, look at the sinking Roger Krulak we’re at the bottom of the barrel of 50 [Millennium] tower in San Francisco – who Full Stack Modular’s CEO and founder, Roger Krulak, was formerly Senior Vice President of Modular industries, spending like 2–3% of gross wants liability for that? It’s a huge problem. Construction at Forest City Ratner Companies revenue on IT. It’s a ridiculous number. What (FCRC), where he was a leading member of the team that built the modular business supporting that means is, technology advances in The way the industry has tried to address it is foundation of FCRC’s flagship project, 461 Dean relation to construction have been really through processes like Integrated Project Street, the tallest volumetric modular building in the world. An internationally recognized expert in slow. That is a major driver, because, in order Delivery (IPD), which is really fascinating modular construction and innovation, Roger Krulak to be a manufacturer of a reliable product, theoretically. But at the end of the day, was the recipient of the 2014 Popular Mechanics “Breakthrough Award” for his work on the creation of you need to have a process by which you somebody has to own the model. One entity the high-rise modular process, has been appointed build that product. And then you need to has to put all the pieces together, in the to the Building Innovation Panel for Singapore, and regularly speaks all over the world. have something that drives that process. drawings, before you build it in the factory or on-site. If you are making pencils, that’s not a hard thing to do. But if you are making buildings Historically, the means and methods of the with 12 trades, it’s a whole different ball processes are decided by the trades that get game. The convergence of that process is the contracts. Apart from the structure, complicated. literally, the trades usually end up doing There is no whatever they want so long as it meets the The technology has almost caught up. Using performance specifications of the designer. question“ that there will an integrated model from a manufacturing Then, they take the end product back to perspective, or AutoCAD and its respective whoever owns the model, and then they be demand for this plug-ins and pieces and CATiA from the fight about all the clashes that resulted building design world, you can create a because everyone was still designing in their type of technology in federated process that allows you to own bubble. manufacture things in one place and install the near future. In the them in another place. The reason modular has not happened is not next five years, China because it is illogical, but because the The other reason is that the way that our requirement to get it done is to change the needs to build 44 industry is organized currently is broken. way you do business. The way we do There are basically three siloes in any business is to flip everything on its head. million apartments for construction project. There is development We’re the design-builders of the building. We and financing in one silo. There is can work with an architect or we can provide the elderly. That’s architecture, engineering, and design in our own architecture. We are really agnostic another silo. And then there is construction about that. We can work with contractors big manufacturing management in the third silo. or small. What we offer to the developer, our nirvana!” customer, is one turnkey solution. You give 50 | Talking Tall: Roger Krulak CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II us the program, the requirements, and we’ll he is a real innovator, a disruptor, who is desk with the 500 other things that were on fit it into land that you have. We will do it in a trying to think out of the box – they use a his desk. I heard nothing about it. way that you think is appropriately marketed ridiculous amount of labor on-site. That to the customer, and we take it from there. In works in China. And to some extent, it would And then, I was on vacation and I got an our factory we do labor and materials, be hard for us to do what we do if Broad e-mail at 3:00 a.m. It was from Bruce. He said, electrical, mechanical, and structural. We Group had not put forth their idea first. “Look at this video! How did they do a hotel in assemble it, bolt it up together, and connect 15 days?” It was of course the famous Broad all the systems, and we’re done. When I started this thing eight years ago, Group video of T-30. I said, “If you’re willing to and we did our first R&D project, we get 15 cranes and 300 laborers, we can build To me, the innovation of volumetric modular produced a 600-page book, in which we in 15 days too, as long as you are willing to construction is that we are changing the talked about what we thought about the also spend about a year and a half process by which you create buildings. potential of volumetric modular, the systems manufacturing.” But that video is really what of analysis we used, etc. I gave this to Bruce kicked off the whole initiative of building 461 We research and report on new method- Ratner at Forest City, and he put it on his Dean Street. ologies all the time, and it’s pretty rare that someone can make a claim that their methodology is that innovative. The fundamental process of construction remains the same. Here’s my favorite story. Josef Shafran, my great-grandfather, was a carpenter. He was born in Russia, he moved to Detroit, and had a very successful career in carpentry. My grandfather was a carpenter, ran a lumber yard, became an executive. If you took my great-grandfather Josef and put him on a construction site today, he would be ridiculously comfortable. Nothing would surprise him. He would not know how to use a cell phone, computer, car, or ride on an airplane. But on a construction site, he would be completely comfortable. That is sad.

The conditions you have described certainly apply in the United States, and the genesis of your solution and your company had a lot to do with the peculiarities of the New York labor market. There are other prefabrication-oriented builders out there with similar goals of efficiency and predictability, such as the Broad Group of China. Do you think Full Stack is a US-centric model, and/or can this be exported? Full Stack is finishing, to the largest extent possible, as much of the work as we can in the factory, so that the work on-site is de minimus – 15–20%, closer to 20% when you include the foundation.

So that is very different from what Broad Group does. Even though the chairman [Zhang Yue] is a charming man – and I think Figure 1. 461 Dean Street, New York. © SHoP Architects

CTBUH Journal | 2017 Issue II Talking Tall: Roger Krulak | 51 About the Council

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world’s leading resource for professionals focused on the inception, design, CTBUH Journal construction, and operation of tall buildings and International Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat future cities. Founded in 1969 and headquartered at Chicago’s historic Monroe Building, the CTBUH is a not-for-profi t organization with an Asia Headquarters offi ce at Tongji University, Shanghai; a Research Offi ce at Iuav University, Venice, Italy; and an Tall buildings: design, construction, and operation | 2017 Issue II Academic Offi ce at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. CTBUH facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge available on tall buildings Case Study: around the world through publications, research, South Beach Towers, Singapore events, working groups, web resources, and its extensive network of international representatives. River Beech Tower: A Tall Timber Experiment The Council’s research department is spearheading the investigation of the next generation of tall Bioclimatic Comfort Design for High-Rises buildings by aiding original research on sustainability and key development issues. The Council’s free Supertall Elevator Maintenance database on tall buildings, The Skyscraper Center, is updated daily with detailed information, images, Integrating Workfl ows to Optimize Design data, and news. The CTBUH also developed the international standards for measuring tall building Tall Timber: A Global Audit height and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such designations as “The World’s Tallest Building.”

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ISSN: 1946 - 1186