Vol :37 Issue No.1 2012 - Open House International

Khaled Galal Ahmed
open house international Vol.37 No.1, March 2012 A ‘Fareej-in-the-Sky’: Towards a Community-oriented Design...
4 b
within the tower (Yeang 2007). The privacy of the
residents was considered through the spatial progressions
of public open spaces (parks in the sky) to
semi-private (entrance courts) to private open
spaces (balconies) (Fig.4). Each housing unit has its
own entrance lobby, light wells and balconies. The
designers also allocated a set of elevators for each
social group where low-rise elevators were allocated
for social/subsidized housing, while the midand
high-rise elevators were allocated for the better-off
residents (Fig. 4 a).
The creation of a healthy landscaped environment
was considered through the configuration of
5 4
4 c
4 a
Figure 4 a&b&c. Elephant & Castle Eco-Residential
Towers in London (Source: Yeang 2007).
the tower with a weather-protected central landscaped
core that helps enhance the quality of life of
the residents. In addition, the orientation of the
tower maximizes the solar heat gain into the interior
spaces in winter and mid-seasons, and maximizes
solar shading in the summer. Vegetation and
landscaping within the private gardens and sky
parks in the towers act as a wind buffer while giving
users a more humane environment. In summer, vertical
landscaping acts to obstruct, absorb and
reflect a high percentage of solar radiation thus
reducing ambient temperatures. The damp surfaces
of grass and soil will also contribute to a cooler and