Battleship
Last term, we broke into groups to create projects for this year's eVolo competition. eVolo is a high-rise idea competition. I say it's an idea competition because it's not the sort of thing that requires "complete" design. There doesn't have to be structural diagrams if structure isn't part of the point you're trying to make.
The program was to include a massive bioengineering institution, seeing as this is one of the leading industries of the city. To represent this, we toyed with the idea of DNA, playing with spiraling forms. We decided, however, that this has been done before and wanted something new. Our site was located in San Diego at the water's edge. There is a shipyard nearby, and a U.S. naval base as well. Therefore, the shape of a battleship became the basic design module. Three ships stood on end create a core for the building; twin cores retain our idea of symbolic DNA.
Twin Cores
The opaque cores were to house such things as restrooms, vertical circulation, store rooms, etc. The main program as far as the users are concerned were to reside in the transparent area between the cores. This creates a degree of separation which allows control over entrance to the more sensitive lab areas. We derived the dimensions of the resulting linear floor plan from sun angles; direct sunlight would reach every square foot between the cores.
First Concept of Tower Form
We later decided to make the cores transparent as well, taking advantage of the views these areas offer by placing administrative offices and break rooms at the exterior. The form changed when we discussed wind power. Turbines located about two thirds up the building power most of the building's energy needs because the form of the building is made to funnel air into them. (Wind speed doubled will increase windmill power output by eight times the original output.) Ship curves are aerodynamic, pushing water out of the way to make for easier passage. We utilized this concept, adding curves to the building to push air into turbines that would otherwise have hit the building face only to be moved around the sides.
Wind Diagram
We oriented the building on the site with wind power in mind. The wind-collecting side of the building squarely faces the dominant wind force coming in off the ocean.
In order to control the extensive sun exposure caused by the extensive glass surface of this structure, we created a deep diagrid overlay. The depth of each point was calculated to allow direct sunlight in the depths of winter, while keeping complete shade at the height of summer. We also added internal controls such as curtains and blinds for individual control of light and heat.
Diagrid Facade with Winter Shadows
Labs are often very sensitive to light, so cubicles take advantage of views and the most direct light. Lab walls are offset from the exterior, made with transparent materials and supplied with internal controls in the form of blackout curtains.
Example Floor Plan
We did a lot more work on this project than we were able to present in our competition boards. We developed a very useful program and laid it out, along with an intricate elevator scheme, in such a way as to make sense with the building height and floor types. For example, look at where the wind passes through the building in the above diagram. The cores, of course, are not broken here even though the main floor is missing. We chose these stories to house the archives (material storage, reference libraries, etc). This allows each floor to have a separate topic and to be controlled separately.
The bottom floors have many public functions, including educational museums (such as a sustainability museum), a daycare, and a craft center. Above them are conference and lecture rooms, for use by employees or for public scientific conventions. There is an on-site gymnasium that is open to the public. It, along with a performing arts center, are both underground to maximize the public park of the site. Extensive parking is located under manufacturing buildings which are also inspired by ship forms. These buildings, however, were left undeveloped as our focus was on the tower itself.
Biotech Park
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