UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE THESIS

A main road borders the site on the east, and a highway lies two blocks further down in the same direction. The combination of traffic from the road and the highway produces noise and movement. These are two physical forces that the highrise responds to.

An indentation into the east side of the highrise opens a direct view from the core to the outside. The circular glass elevator in the center of the highrise transports passengers vertically. The vertical movement relates to the horizontallity of traffic flow on ground level.

This dynamic twist provides a slight difference to the orientation of apartments on each individual floor level, creating unique, differential views.

A typical tower stands vertical and erect, distinct from its immediate surroundings on the ground level. Through the design of a curved facade, the form of the highrise flows down, blending in with the ground floor level to become “rooted” into its immediate surroundings.

Along the south and east sides with the twisted indentation, pockets of green spaces are introduced in the highrise.

The indentation of the floor slabs doubles as an initial step toward creating awareness of verticality for people within various floors of the highrise as well as those moving vertically through stairs or elevators.

The twist is the second step toward the experience of verticality in the highrise. The indentation coupled with the twist heightens the awareness of verticality while looking either upward or downward

Looking down from the edge of the green spaces, the dynamic verticality of the highrise is evident. The twist allows portions of subsequent floor levels to peek out.

Located at the junction between the two districts, the ground level of the site recognizes and responds to the movement of people by opening a diagonal pathway to bridge the gap between the two sides.

Undergraduate Architecture Thesis

Giving back to the city, a public space is carved into the center of the site, with the diagonal pathway passing through its heart.

Owing to the unique form of the tower, it would be difficult for standard vertical columns to support the edges of the floor slabs.

As the highrise developed, changes were made to the overall form near the top.

The ground floor plan guides pedestrians into the long, diagonal pathways. Moving through, they are “compressed” and subsequently “released” into the wide public plaza within the site.

Therefore, twisting columns were designed to thread through the edge of the floor slabs, following the profile curve of the form.

With concerns in regards to wind as well as a more dynamic floorplan, the form of the highrise became tapered toward the top.