Elephant & Castle Eco-Tower

Jamie Carpenter. Skyscraper Seminar. University of Cincinnati. Fall 2006

Elephant & Castle

District in South London Vital road junction since 18th century Known for two vast traffic circulatory systems Name comes from a sign above public house Elephant surmounted by a castle Shopping Center Demolition 2010 Originally two prosperous villages: Walworth & Newington

The thriving quarter of Central London -Elephant & Castle Regeneration Partnership

Elephant & Castle

Area undergoing master planned redevelopment 170 acres Restoring area to role of major metropolitan hub for central South London Return to vitality pre World War I

Features
800,000sq.ft. retail 5,300 new/replacement homes 5 new open spaces Integrated community transportation hub Two tram routes City Academy New Library New Hotel

Elephant & Castle

Site divided by railway interchange Foster & Partners left TM Hamzah & Yeang right, HTA Architects and Benoy Limited Three Eco-Towers above a retail and commercial area. Provide 4 towers (Foster & Partners-1 Yeang/HTA Architects 3) Area suffering poverty and poor planning Range of tenures and affordable choices Outcome more sustainable

Elephant & Castle

Designed to maximize daylight Light wells and 3ft2 light pipes Reflective surfaces project 400x amount of daylight on floor plate 40 feet in distance Maintenance program required to control reflectivity on spaces Gardens shade and allow sufficient air flow Capstone of 180 acre development Project stalled do to Southwark land regeneration did not receive financial support from city.

Urban Connections
-One on Yeangs main criteria for the design of the building was that he wanted the facility to hold a strong connection with the urban network. The proposal at right includes a high altitude bridge over the up and coming railway station which is not set to be completed until around 4-5 years after the Elephant and Castle eco towers. He also places of high importance the need to provide direct links on to the terraced parks which will feed people down into the retail zones.

Elephant & Castle- High Rise Pros & Cons

Increased sense of security Mutual facilities Reduced Maintenance Communal Spaces for promoting interaction and socializing One of primary objectives of the tower is to create a suburban dwelling in the sky. Materials have low inherent energy and come from sustainable resources Units provided with security sensors and in house health care systems Increased job opportunities and economy for Elephant & Castle

Elephant & Castle Eco Towers

Main Tower: 35 stories Total gross area: 276,304sq.ft Total plantation & circulation: 44,209sq.ft Secondary Towers: 12 stories Total gross area: 95765sq.ft Total plantation & circulation: 16,280sq.ft

Residential Towers: 2000 (design)-pp. Southwark Land Regeneration Plc

City in the Sky

"City-in-the-Sky The design takes the model of a general physical area of a city, with its inherent systems, zoning and social networks and flips it on its side to form a skyscraper Green spaces, retail, entertainment, and community and housing facilities. Mixed uses Mix of residents and grouped according to unit partiality Communal facilities such as grocery and other public services located at ground level Public spaces- Parks in the sky Semi Private- Entrance courts Private open spaces-Balconies

Building Functions
Lower levels and up tower:
Housing Retail Leisure Community areas Commerce

Ground conditions in sky:

Housing Light wells Unit Balcony Primary and auxiliary landscaped open spaces Sky courts and community spaces

Elephant & Castle- Ken Yeangs Approach

Necessary reply to urban sprawl Half of world population living in cities and rising Economic advantages-minimal land use, provides more green space Reduction in transportation costs, reducing pollution All materials have potential for recycling Maximize natural energies to reduce energy absorption Vertical landscaping in buildings allows ecological and environmental benefits.

Elephant & Castle Bioclimatic Strategies

Solar Gain to utilize warm temperatures in summer Natural day lighting and ventilation Photovoltaic Wind Energy Innovative recycling systems for waste and water as well as methods of gathering rain Thames Water to reduce water consumption as well as teaming up with other utility companies and the community to initiate zero CO2 emissions energy supply Include Biodiversity through vegetated bridges and vertical greening which enhances the environment by allowing species to move in from other areas.

Landscaping & Vegetation

Private gardens and sky parks Vegetation acts as wind and heat cushion Gives user more gentle environment Warner seasons acts to obstruct, reflect, and soak up a high percentage solar emission Reduced climatic temperatures. Damp nature of grass and landscaping soil will promote a fresher and improved building

Vertical urban space in the high rise can become the primary organizing urban morphology within its framework -Yeang 2002

Green Spaces in the Sky

Emphasis on networks and paths rather than viewing them as individual parks. Program and give order to left over spaces in networks Designed as part of fabric of streets and vibrant urban parks. Promote diversity and interaction in networks of open spaces.

Green Spaces in the Sky

Impact of several trees on temperatures and cooling capacity is minimal compared with the positive value of shading Large amounts of trees and open green spaces can reduce local air temperatures by 1-5 degrees Celsius Lowers air conditioning demands West facing walls and window shadows provide maximum cooling savings Crown shape in trees are more valid than crown density Energy and price of water decide the extent to which there are economic benefits in replacing electric air conditioning with evapotranspiration cooling Trees reduce induction heat loss to the sky Parks as sources of fresh cool air in the city Layered plantings of species requiring little maintenance create a cushion along the perimeter of the green spaces. Large vegetated trays and cascading gardens 459 feet

Green Spaces in the Sky

Corridors and ramps are vegetated to act as continual cooling shafts. Residents have front garden green spaces and back of house balconies

Orientation
Views of city to north maximized Internal void and walkways act as light wells Wings attract cooler summer breezes in atrium and block the atrium from winter wind Cooling strategy focused on cross ventilation

Orientation
Southern approach to catch winter and midseason sun for interior spaces Maximize solar shade in the summer months Low sun in the winter allows the central shaft and south east units to receive maximum solar gain Community sky gardens and vessels catch the south sun

Yeangs Notes on Dependency

The Sites Structure- External Totally urbanized Very little culture left on site Very little original topsoil and vegetation remain Increase organic mass as vertical landscaping Buildings application system- Internal Passive Mode Full Mode Productive mode Our design strategy must be to maximize the usage of passive mode systems, with the remaining energy needs to be met by mixedmode systems, then full-mode systems and productive mode systems (where affordable).

Plan
Naturally ventilated and illuminated spaces on all floors Split in two volumes surround open air void 2 blocks with a weather-protected central landscaped core. Acts as outdoor recreation space that would be present in an urban environment at ground Double glazed faade-occupants regulate the amount of distributed fresh air based on choosing between passive and mixed Building mechanics allocate the required temperature based on seasons

Orientation

Orientation

Resources
Yeang, Ken. The Green Skyscraper:The Basis for Designing Sustainable Intensive Buildings. Prestel. New York 1999 Yeang, Ken. Reinventing the Skyscraper. Wiley Academy. Great Britain. 2002 Riley, Terrence. Nordenson, Guy. Tall Buildings. Museum of Modern Art. New York. 2003

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_and_Castle http://www.trhamzahyeang.com/project/skyscrapers/elephant-tower01.html http://www.elephantandcastle.org.uk/ourvision/ http://www.battlemccarthy.com/Sustainable%20Towers%20Website/sustainable%20towers%20_%20Definition.htm http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=138615 http://sd-metroinfo.org/Sustainable_Skyscrapers.htm http://www.trhamzahyeang.com/project/skyscrapers/elephant-tower01.html http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=494 http://www.designforhomes.org/projects/planned/elephant/elephant.html http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/destinations-national/elephant-castle/344384/ http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/destinations-national/elephant-castle/344384/ http://www.battlemccarthy.com/Sustainable%20Towers%20Website/sustainable_towers_in_Europe.htm#Europe http://www.llewelyn-davies-ltd.com/index.cfm? categoryname=sectors&category2ID=247&category3ID=&projectID=152457&depth=2&detail=1&imageID=51476 http://www.arch.uiuc.edu/events/lectures/fa2006/10_11_06/

Jamie Carpenter. Skyscraper Seminar. University of Cincinnati. Fall 2006