tavola 1

© Claudia Clementini . Pubblicata il 11 Giugno 2009.

CONCEPT_Our idea is to create a building as if it was part of a complex texture, where the process of life selected the best possible way to answer global needs. To breath, save water and energy, improving it’s functional learning in order to react to internal and exterior climatic information . The building would respond to varying internal and external elemental factors , seeking to improve it’s understanding of the environment and evolve like a human being. COMPOSITION_ The building is basically composed of three parts: The Stone Zone, a Glass Zone and the Grid zone. The Stone Zone will comprise of a conference hall, an archive, and various utility rooms. The Glass Zone will consist of luminous offices with an external glass wall. Through these transparent walls workers and shoppers will be able to enjoy the gardens. Work and leisure fluidly combined. The Grid zone provides the texture of the building, a multi purpose ‘skin’ that enables the building to breath, to save energy and water. The design of this ‘skin’ should change our standard way of perceiving and experiencing a building. This future habitat shift from our current perception where the building surface area is benign and inert constructed with standard material created to shield and protect from the elements will transform to a multi purpose reactive and functional ‘membrane’ alive to the elements, capable of responding to the everyday challenges of nature. This membrane will act as a facilitator – a link between the interior and exterior of the building transporting, collecting and channeling the elements of air, water and light. This will supply the building with the resources necessary to make it self sufficient. THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE_The heating systems, like the cooling systems will be created using a mix of geothermal natural air conditioning created by steel pipes (d=mm150) placed 5 metres underground , where the temperature remains at a constant 16 degrees; If heat is required during the winter a conditioning machine generates the extra 4 degrees to provide a temperature of 20 degrees. If cooling is required during the Summer the conditioning machine keeps the internal temperature 5 degrees less than the external temperature. The Grid system manages the temperature like an ancient wind tower by created a natural air depression in air conditioning system.The shape and the form of the building has also been designed in order to facilitate the natural ventilation of the interior. The orientation of the building in relation to the Sun is an important design element : the Sun is a powerful source of energy, and will be utilized by the Grid to balance the energy requirements of the building. THE STRUCTURE_ The vertical structure is composed of: – strengthened recycled concrete walls (The Stone Zone) covered with local stone; – ‘Aquarium’ walls constructed with plexiglass. The connection between the vertical and horizontal structure is achieved using steel connectors fixed to the plexiglass using transparent epoxy resin. These steel connectors will act as the ‘armour’ of the trasparent wall and will attach the plexiglass and concrete like a concrete knot: plexiglass will be made with similar concrete and steel elastyc module; – The Grid which is a vertical structural element constructed using carbon fibre pipes. The pipes form a reticular beam. The Grid is connected with the horizontal structure. The horizontal structure is realized using strengthened recycled concrete and the beams follow the isostatical lines criteria. In this way every floor in the Office and Apartment zone, is entirely column free. This allows the designer to utilize the interior spaces to maximum effect.

tavola 2

© Claudia Clementini . Pubblicata il 11 Giugno 2009.

tavola 3

© Claudia Clementini . Pubblicata il 11 Giugno 2009.