Refurb Projects July 2018

INNOVATIONS
The design behind the
most innovative buildings
As technology hurtles forward to new horizons, so too
are the industries it supports and develops. Structures
and buildings around the globe are taking design to the
next level, thanks to cutting-edge technology allowing
for a greater range of possibilities. We have investigated
the best examples of advanced architecture across the
world and bring to you the top three builds.
Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
At an astounding 2,722 ft, the Burj Khalifa
is currently the world's tallest building.
Starting construction in 2004 and
finalising the project in 2008, many
decisions had to be made to ensure that this neofuturism
structure was able to serve its purpose,
acknowledging that it would be a free-standing
building and understanding the hot climate it
would be situated in.
Dubai uses desalination plants to convert sea
water into fresh water. This is sent across the city,
including to various skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa.
When the water hits the Burj, it is distributed to
every corner of every floor on every level. However,
with 163 floors, this can become a complicated
process, which shows us just how special the Burj
Khalifa actually is in terms of design.
The designers of the Burj Khalifa realised there
could be pressure complications with only one
pump sending water through the structure, such
as the pipes exploding. To counter this problem,
they came up with a plan to help the water flow
up the building in different stages.
Water is sent from the basement to a reservoir
up on the 40th floor. This then sends water on to
various 200,000-gallon tanks up and down the
structure, all the way to the top. As the water
reaches the top, the water then travels back down
under its own weight — it is said that 946,000
litres of water are supplied per day which also
helps the building stay cool in the hot climate.
As a desert city, keeping the building cool is
essential. Therefore, another water supply — an
ice-chilled water system which is the first of its
kind to be used in the Middle East — has also been
implemented to enable substantial energy savings.
Apple Park, Campus 2 in California.
The previous crown-holder for the world's
tallest building is next on our list. A
platinum-certified Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) build, the
Taipai 101 has had other accolades to its name. Up
until 2016, the structure had the fastest elevator
on the planet, which could travel from the 5th to
89th floor in 37 seconds!
Taiwan has an amazing array of design styles,
with Fort Provintia showcasing the classic build
style, and the Tuntex Sky Tower serving as an
example of super-modern style. But what makes
it so spectacular? Starting construction in 1999
and ending in 2004, the Taipei has 101 floors (if
the name had not given it away) and is 1,666 ft in
height — but the environmental factors that took
over its design has changed the way we build for
good.
Taiwan deals with its share of typhoons and
earthquakes, and any structure must be designed
to withstand this. When it comes to Taipei 101, the
structure can withstand high winds of 134 mph,
which is due to the model prioritising resistance
through the use of curtain walls, protected glass
and high-performance steel. The walls can provide
heat and ultraviolet protection by blocking
external heat by 50%.
The building’s column design comprises of 36
steel columns, with eight of them converted to
'mega-columns'; these columns have 10,000
pounds of concrete per inch. These are supported
by multiple other steel columns. Within Taipei 101,
there are outrigger trusses every eight floors which
connect to the columns within the exterior to
ensure secure resistance from probable natural
disasters in and around Taiwan.
Apple, one of the world's top tech
companies, has recently updated its
offices. Worth a staggering $234.7bn, the
company, which is now one of the biggest
on the planet, was able to invest a further $5bn
into a new building and move its tremendous
workforce into a circular futuristic structure. The
new office-space, which opened in April 2017
midway through construction, is made up of 175
acres — and is even bigger than The Pentagon.
The building's roof is completely made by solar
panels, making it one of the most energy efficient
buildings on the planet. The solar panels are
capable of generating 17 megawatts of power
(75% during peak daytime) and the company has
aims to make the complex entirely powered by
renewable energy in the future. Another four
megawatts are powered through the use of biofuel
and natural gas within the complex, using Bloom
Energy Servers which are popular within the
Californian region, with Google, Yahoo and Wal-
Mart using them, too.
The office was designed with HVAC in mind -
HVAC is the use of natural ventilation, heating,
and air control. To achieve this, air is allowed to
flow freely between the inside and outside of the
building, which can help assist for nine months of
the entire year — highlighting the importance of
such features in the DNA of design.
Buildings will continue to advance alongside
the capabilities of technology, allowing for the
continued balance in design and crucial safety and
survival features. For example, London is set to
have 13 new skyscrapers by 2026 — we know that
these will be designed to uphold the ethical
requirements for a modern-day structure.
www.airah.org.au/Content_Files/HVACRNation/2010/March2010/HVACRNation2010-03-F01.pdf
www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-tower/construction.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Park
12 JULY 2018, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS