After reviewing some case
studies relating to hurricane resistance, I decided to take a look into
sustainable high-rise design. It is projected by the year 2030, 5 billion
people will live in urban areas all across the world (United Nations, 2001). In
1950, the percentage of people living in urban areas was 30 percent. In 2000,
this percentage rose to 47 percent. Come 2030, it is estimated that 60 percent
of the world’s population will live in an urban area. “Energy shortage, global
warming, urban sprawl, air pollution, overflowing landfills, water shortage,
disease, and global conflict will be the legacy of the twenty-first century
unless we move quickly towards the notion and implementation of sustainability”
(Ali & Armstrong).
The principal design
factors that are crucial for achieving a high performance tall building are
site context, environment, structure and use of materials, energy consumption,
use of water, ecological balance, community development, etc. Since the
beginning of the industrial age in 1830,
building technology has
advanced from monolithic structures with marginally controlled passive
environments to glass-enclosed
skeletal frames with intelligent robotic servicing. Much of this change
occurred after 1940 with proliferation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
systems (Bachman, 2003).
There are many strategies
that can be implemented for sustainable high-rise design. Some of these
strategies include passive solar gain, structure and material selection, facade
technology, harnessing both solar and wind energy, combined heat and power
systems, and fuel cells. There are other approaches one can take in designing a
sustainable high-rise tower. For example, rainwater collection, biomass energy
(growing plants as a source of energy), biomass fuel, and geothermal energy are
sustainable techniques that may also be implemented.
Innovative building
technologies such as computer-based smart or intelligent building systems can
play a major role in
managing energy usage. The increasing reliance on computer technology has led
to achieving sustainable functioning skyscrapers. The Building Management
System (BMS) mentioned earlier is a centralized control system that manages the
operations of various building systems such as fire protection, security,
communication networks, elevators, HVAC systems, etc. The environmental data
collection and control system is usually incorporated within the BMS which is
used to control more passive features like opening windows or closing a shading
device (Ali & Armstrong). If properly incorporated into the design, BMS
systems can drastically reduce the amount of energy structures use.
Figure1: An actual example of sustainable high-rise techniques
Works
Cited
Ali, M., & Armstrong, P. (2008). Overview of Sustainable
Design Factors in High-Rise Buildings. 1-10. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://grundfos.kernelglobal.dk/BLUEPRINT/BP_03_2011/GJP/3_DOWNLOAD_FILES/3_SPREAD3/B4/Future-high-rise-technology-water.pdf
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