A Study on the Design Considerations of Sustainable Tall

Building

Hyeong-Il Kim1,a
1
Sustainable Building Research Center , Hanyang University, Korea
a
kimhyeo@hanyang.ac.kr

Keywords: planning and development; design; sustainable design; tall building

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses design considerations for the super tall building especially those related with
sustainability. In the paper, author tried to emphasis the role of the sustainability in tall building design
and provides analytical survey of the significance of adaptable use of sustainable design on the current
practice.

1. INTRODUCTION

Tall buildings appeared in early 1900 and played important role in major cities in the world. Those
building types were developed and constructed as economical urban solution, but also symbolic
identity of the cities. Until very recent, these tall buildings yet concerned no or minimum impact on
social and environment. Sustainability, according to Ken Dalton on his paper “Towards more
sustainable tall Building”, however, is seen by many as being about achieving a mutual beneficial
balance between environmental, economic, and social issues – the so-called “triple bottom line
approach. Sustainable building design is to concerns issues of economic, social, and environmental
and through life cycle of building. Figure 1 shows the basic of sustainable design and its relation with
economic, social and environmental. The sustainable building design will have great impact through
the life of building in many different aspects such as energy for building operations and transport of
building users, embodied energy of materials and CO2 emissions by the building.

Economic
Design
Management Social / Cultural
Delivers Value
Environmental

Figure 1. Basic of Sustainable Design

Sustainable buildings are more and more important to define better relation with buildings and infra
structure in the city. Our buildings and their relationships to each other affect our health, our
productivity, the vitality of our economy. The construction, operations, and maintenance of tall
buildings consume enormous quantities of resources and generate bigger amounts of waste than
conventional building. Figure 2. Shows data facts on the law materials, energy and water consumption,
CO2 emission from building in United States. According to US Green Building Council, buildings use

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 40% of raw materials globally, buildings use 13.6% of all potable water, buildings represent 72% of
U.S electricity consumption, and buildings represent 38.9% of U.S. primary energy use. In addition to
that, buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant
portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. In the U.S., buildings account for
38% of all CO2 emissions

Law Materials
Source: US Green
Potable Water Uses Building Council, 2008

Electricity Consumption

CO2 Emission

Primary Energy Use

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0%

Figure 2. Green Building Facts by US Green Building Councils

2. ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND CHANGES IN DESIGN PRACTICE

Table 1 presents the electricity consumption in the typical first class office building with providing full
air conditioning and heating. It is so obvious that the large amount of electricity consumed by heating
and air-conditioning which can be reduced by sustainable design approach.

Table 1. Energy Consumption in the office building (Electricity)

Energy Use Electrical Loads (KWh/m2)
Heating and Hot water 201
Cooling 41 Source: Tall Buildings
Humidification 23 and Sustainability,
Fans, Pumps and Controls 67 Will Pank,
Lighting 60 Faber Maunsell, 2002
Office Equipment 32
Computer Rooms 105
Catering 24
Other Electrical 15

Tall buildings usually require additional energy by having excessive number of elevator, delivery of
water, Fans, Pumps and removal of waste. They are enough reason that tall building design should
look for sustainable approach from the very early design stage.

Philadelphia 42 Source: US Green

63 Building Council, 2008
Losangeles 100
128
NewYork 149
158
Washington D.C 172

0 50 100 150 200

Figure 3. Growing numbers in Green Building Practice Based on LEED

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Fortunately, we see large numbers building practice goes through green building concept based on
LEED in US. Figure 3 indicated that the growing number of LEED certified building project in major
US cities. It is positive sign to aware significance of the sustainability and its adaptability to the
practice.

3. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DESIGN

One of the difficulties to pursue sustainable design was the cost of the project. Shown in Figure 4,
experience suggested that ideal integration of systems to achieve maximum benefit of sustainable
design with less long-term premium although it requires marginal initial premium at initial stage.

Figure 4. Cost of Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is not always be achieved by develop new system or relied largely on state of art
technology. It is more important to understand the basic and try to apply to the design to have great
advantage of sustainable design. Table 2 shows example of how to achieve sustainable building by
having positive awareness of issues compare to the conventional building design.

Table 2. Comparison of Conventional and Sustainable Building Design

Conventional Sustainable Building

Reflect light Absorb light

Cuts into the wind Capture the wind
Insulate from solar energy Absorb and use solar energy
Shed Rain water Capture and use Rain water
Produce waste water Store, treat and re-use waste water

4. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS IN SUSTAINABLE TALL BUILDING

To provide enhanced understanding of sustainable design, sustainable design considerations are

organized by the type of resources in Table 3. Each type of resources categorized by the possible
system and explained by its objective, concerns and solutions.
Table 3. Design Considerations in Sustainable Tall Building by Resources

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 Table 4 Shows 6 design cases from recent practice in tall building design. Each design explained by
Type System Objective Concerns Solutions

Solar Daylight Minimize the electricity Orientation Glass Coating

Illumination consumption by lighting during Solar Angle Shading Device
daytime Auto Dimmer
Motion Sensor
Light shelves
Passive Solar the windows, walls, floors, and roof Orientation Glass Coating
Heating are used as the heat collecting, Southern exposure Double Skin
storing, releasing, and distributing Solar Angle Insulation
system Thermal Buffer
little or nothing to the cost of a
building

Solar Shading External shading Orientation Materials

Device Internal shading devices Solar Angle Control System
Photovoltaic Convert solar energy to electricity Orientation Solar panel
Zero-emissions Solar Angle Charge Controller
Low or no operating cost Solar Intensity Battery System
Inverter
Solar Chimney referred to as a thermal chimney Orientation Solar collector
improving the natural ventilation of Type of glazing Ventilation shaft
buildings by using convection of air Insulation Inlet and outlet air
heated by passive solar energy Thermal properties apertures
Solar thermal Domestic hot water Orientation Solar Collector
system Space heating Solar Angle Controller
Cost-effective Solar Intensity Pump

Wind/Air Natural Air tightness, outdoor Orientation Operable Window

Ventilation temperatures, wind, and other Wind Direction Double Skin
factors Cross Vents. Control System
Automated Louvers system
Stack The movement of air into and out Wind Direction Air Paths
Ventilation of buildings Stack Effect Air-Inlet/Outlet
Difference in indoor-to-outdoor air Temperature Pressure Vertical Duct
density resulting from temperature Coupled with assisted Fan
and moisture differences
Night Cooling Dissipate excess heat at night Wind Direction Vent openings
Couple with thermal Wind pressure Open ceilings
mass, natural ventilation Temperature Automatic control of vent
windows
Wind Turbine Using wind converting into Orientation Building form
Generation electricity Wind Direction Turbine Type /Location
Wind Speed Storage

Geo Ground Source Use ground as a heat source/sink Ground Temperature Underground - Loop
thermal Heat Pump Vertical/Horizontal
Integrated with structure

Water Water Recycle Collect from sinks, showers, Waste water Collecting device
System laundry, Treat and supply to non- Filtration device
potable uses Storage device
Rainwater Collect rainwater from roof and Annual rain data Collecting device
Harvesting site, Building form Filtration device
Treat and supply to non-potable Building roof / surface Storage device
uses
Mechanica Hybrid HVAC Take advantage of natural indoor air quality Temperature monitoring
l ventilation forces, using thermal comfort CO 2 sensor
mechanical forces only when
natural forces do not suffice
Displacement Air supply and distribution in a Buoyancy forces Separate Fresh air supply
Ventilation room by upwards displacement (generated by people, (low)
lighting, computers, Separate Return (Ceiling)
electrical equipment,
etc.)
Energy Reclaiming energy from exhaust Recapturing 60 to 80 Thermal wheel
Recovery airflows percent of the Heat pipe
System Ventilation energy recovery conditioned Air-to-air heat exchanger
temperatures Run-around coil
types of resource and applied system to achieve enhanced energy performance and sustainability.

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Table 4. Sustainable Tall Building Design solutions

Mixed-use district, Beach Road 60-70 St Mary’s Axe Sheth Tower

Foster + Partners
Singapore
Solar: Daylight, BIPV, Shade
Wind: Natural ventilation, Stack
ventilation
Geothermal: Ground Source Heat
Pump
Water: Water Recycle System,
Rainwater Harvesting
Foggo Associates Atkins
U.K Dubai
Solar: Daylight, BIPV, BIPV Solar: Daylight, BIPV
Wind: Natural ventilation Wind: Natural ventilation, Stack
Geothermal: Energy pile, Heat Storage ventilation
, Geothermal: Ground Source Heat
Pump
Water: Water Recycle System,

4 times Square Pearl River Tower Anara Tower

Fox & Fowle
US
Solar: Daylight, BIPV,
Wind: Natural ventilation
Mechanical: Hybrid HVAC, Fuel Cell,
SOM
China
Solar: Daylight, BIPV, Shade
Wind: Natural ventilation, BIWT
Geothermal: Ground Source Heat
Pump
Water: Water Recycle System,
Mechanical: Hybrid HVAC, Fuel Cell
Atkins
Dubai
Solar: Daylight, BIPV, Shade
Wind: Natural ventilation, BIWT
Mechanical: Hybrid HVAC, Fuel Cell
Other: Sky Garden, Community space

Each project indicated its sustainable solution by resources, differ from conventional building, all
designed with both active and passive way of energy conscious design solution. By concerning
locality and climate seriously, system and solutions were provided by available resources. To achieve

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 maximum performance, the proposed design required IDP (Integrated Design Practice) and enhanced
computer simulation process.

5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE EXPECTATIONS

As mentioned earlier, tall building is still important icon of the city. However, to be more attractive to
the future, tall building design should be overcome its limitation and minimize negative aspect to the
neighbor. In the past, tall buildings always develop with new materials, structural system and
innovative architectural ideas. Those technological innovations impose great impact on tall building
industry for both positive and negative aspect. By nature of tall building, it is very difficult to design
low energy tall building. And currently, we are facing with serious environmental issues including
global warming caused by CO2 emission. It is strongly required to use available technology for
reducing energy consumption and CO2 emission.
Recent practice shows possible adapt use of sustainable design concept for tall buildings. Although 6
projects shown in this paper were still immature stage, it is significant to aware the problem in tall
building design.
For the future tall building, new sustainable design considerations will provide innovations and
enhanced creativity to the building design while it contributes to our clean environment.

REFERENCES

Will Pank, 2002, "Tall Buildings and Sustainability Report", Services in Tall Buildings: 28-37
Roger Frechette, 2006, "Electric Sponge Engineering Design" National Interdisciplinary Technical
Meeting, Building Materials & Technology
Alison Crompton, 2005, Sustainable Tall Buildings – Fact or Fiction?
US Green Building Council, 2008, Green Building Facts
Ken Dalton, 2008, CTBU 8th World Congress 2008, Toward More Sustainable Tall Buildings
Cheryl Nelms, 2005, “NRC Canada”, Assessing performance of sustainable technologies for building
projects

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