An architect could hide behind sustainability in defense of a design that was awkward or ugly. A wind turbine plopped on top of an ill-conceived structure does not suddenly make it beautiful. On the other hand, every detail of a particular design could be conceived with an energy-generating and/or energy-conserving intent, and the result could still be pleasing to the eye, as with airplanes or sailboats, whose forms have been optimized for performance. Since a skyscraper does not need to fly through the air or speed through the water, however, there are no dominant form-determining drivers that guarantee a successful tower aesthetic based on technological criteria alone.
The idea of a sustainable skyscraper has added a new slant to the question of whether there is even a need for tall buildings. Anti-growth movements have arisen in many cities, leading to height restrictions prohibiting tall structures. There are even those who have predicted the death of the skyscraper, based mostly on economics but also in part on a perceived negative impact of tall buildings on civilized society and the urban landscape.
The fact that an entirely carbon neutral skyscraper may not be currently feasible because wind, solar, and other clean energy sources cannot yet generate enough power to reliably operate a large building has added one more argument against building tall. Nonetheless, many cities continue to build upward; research by smart-growth planners indicates that urban density is a desirable goal. In fact, it may be the only effective way to reduce transportation energy use and eliminate construction on pristine, undeveloped sites.
The effort to build tall is worth it. These are large questions, which thoughtful architects may ask themselves but rarely have time to reflect upon deeply and meaningfully. Thus, they are questions for future architects—that is, the current students of architecture. In fall 2008, students in CCA’s comprehensive building advanced studio were asked to address these very questions.
Student Engagement Into Designing High-Rises
Although the students were eager to start designing, the studio began with a few preliminary exercises that posed the above questions and helped them come to grips with the magnitude of the issues. They were first asked to think about the relationship between form and logic by writing a brief essay based on statements by Frank Gehry, Louis Kahn, and Louis Sullivan. The idea was to have them establish a point of view about how sustainable technologies might take on formal expression.
Next they were asked to map and model a 10-block section of an established San Francisco neighborhood, North Beach, rearranging and rotating its components into a vertical position. Lastly, they analyzed a number of successful modern skyscrapers, including the classic Hancock Building in Chicago, OEM’s CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, Santiago Calatrava’s “Twisting Torso” in Malmö, Sweden, and two of Norman Foster’s buildings: 30 St. Mary Axe (“the gherkin”) in London and the Commerzbank building in Frankfurt. The latter is well known for its sustainable features.
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