STRATEGIC ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT-CHAIR OF MATERIALIZATION; GEORGIOS SIOKAS (GRADUATION DATE: JULY 5th, 2012)
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL, NYC
FIRST MENTOR: ENGBERT VAN DER ZAAG. SECOND MENTOR: HUBERT VAN DER MEEL. THIRD MENTOR: PETER KOORSTRA
United Nations Environmental Council Master Plan, Scale 1:1000
United Nations Headquarters of Sustainability, Manhattan Midtown East, New York City, United States The United Nations Environmental Council, the new, 6th Council, will be in charge for the coordination of sustainability issues, such as waste problems, energy problems and securing biodiversity on the planet, aiming to marshal the existing fragmented running programs (such as UNEP) and coordinate these issues on a global level. United Nations is a none boundary organization. Regardless the location of the new UN headquarters, the new building should manifest one single fact: that it doesn’t acquire its identity by the country that it is being hosted in, but from the whole world. Therefore, it should point out the fact that it is a global building, serving a global purpose. It has to manifest and promote its purpose and not only the general local culture.
Furthermore, the building has to co-exist with its surroundings, from both the city side and the waterside, and gain acknowledgement from the public; on the one hand, the presence of the building towards the 1st Avenue should achieve uniformity and continuity with the city of Manhattan. On the other hand, from the river side, the building should become a landmark for the city, since in this way it could manifest both its uniqueness and difference from the rest of Manhattan, giving the intention of a “global building”. Also, the visual continuity from the city to the waterfront is crucial. The new building shouldn’t be standing as an obstacle which is blocking the view and the connection from the city to the river side. At the same time, it should not outshine its colossal neighbors (existing UN etc), but it should have a strong char-
acter in order to be able to create a “healthy competition” with its surroundings. On the urban level, the connection of the UN plot with the Manhattan Midtown East grid was crucial. Extending the city within the region of the UN plot results in the creation of a public square that is sheltered from the building itself. This public space, apart from becoming the main entrance area to the building, is very meaningful for the wider city, since Manhattan suffers from the lack of open and public spaces. Furthermore, the UN plot, along with an adjacent open green space, are the only few left open visual connections to the waterfront. In a similar way, preserving an open space from the waterfront to the city was also crucial. By creating a green square on the water side, and extending this square into the core of the building in the form of a courtyard, immediately the building itself becomes the connecting element in the previously fragmented continuity from the city to the water. In this way, the lower volume of the building is actually an intermediate
space between two squares of different character, while the floating volume takes the role of the “shelter” to this triple public space. The distinction of the building in two volumes, which corresponds to a distinction between the more public and more private parts of the program, sets the standards for the needed boundaries and security of the building. Openness and spatial continuity are the main qualities of the areas distributed around an open central space connecting the different areas of the building. With its skylights and vertical continuity of the space, the building creates multiple levels of visual interaction. Thus, the value of this graduation project lies in being a design assignment for a project that deals with the question of sustainability from an extremely important stand point, which is not only minimizing the environmental impact of a building, energy consumption, etc; but rather how to coordinate these efforts as well as increase the sustainability awareness of the whole world.
United Nations Environmental Council, impression from the side of the waterfront green public square
Perpendicular section through the main entrance/inner courtyard
BUILDING CONCEPT AND DESIGN GUIDELINES
LOCATION AND MASTER PLAN
UNEC building concept; a floating volume from the city side
Triple extention; the UN plaza, the city and the waterfront within the given plot Use the building as the connecting medium for the two public spaces
UNEC building concept; a building as a connecting medium for two overlapping public spaces
BUILDING CONCEPT DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
UN plot, Manhattan Midtown East, NYC
Double extension: the city within the plot, the waterfront within the plot
Position the public volume in between the two squares-use it as the connecting medium for the two squares
Extend the waterfront square into the building mass
Extend the city square into the building mass
Coast meets city
1
2
UN Headquarters of Sustainability, NYC
3
Place the private volume on top of the public volume-create main entrance
12
11
-02 FLOOR PLANS, UNEC
Extracting part of the UN platform (old FDR Drive)
-01
C
C
B
Cut out volume to allow natural light to enter both volumes
5
Adding the private part of the program
10
A
B
4
Extend the city square on top of the public volume
9
C
C
Lower the public volume to eliminate visual interruption
8
+01
A
B
6
7
A
B
+02
C
C
A
B
C
C
A
B FLOOR PLAN -02 | LEVEL +0.00 | SCALE 1:200
A
A
B
FLOOR PLAN -01 | LEVEL +5.00 | SCALE 1:200
A
B
3D VISUALIZATIONS
Level +01 | Plan Setup Playing Rules - Trusses layout | Scale 1:200
UNEC impression from the level of the city public square (+0.00)
United Nations Environmental Council, aerial impression
UNEC, aerial impression of the city public square (+0.00)
UNEC; clear integration of strructure to the building’s aesthetics and character; a floating volume on top of a public square
STRUCTURE
UNEC, impression of the public volume from the inner courtyard SUSTAINABILITY
1’
PV panels on the building roof
“Sealed ” Module
UNEC; the sixth facade
2’
3’
Sun shading devices
Insulation layers applied on the outer part of each module
Louvres integrated within the cavity of the climate facade: fixed angle of 25 degrees in order to block the summer sunlight
“Sealed ” Module Ventilated cavity of the climate facade
Sum
4’
5’
Sun shading devices
Louvres integrated within the cavity of the climate facade: fixed angle of 25 degrees in order to block the summer sunlight
“Sealed ” Module Ventilated cavity of the climate facade During summer, the lower and upper opperable parallel opening windows are open in order to extract the heat from the cavity of the climate facade, which helps in reducing the overall heating of the upper volume.
Insulation layers applied on the outer part of each module
PV panels on the building roof
6’
7’
Sun shading devices
Louvres integrated within the cavity of the climate facade: fixed angle of 25 degrees in order to block the summer sunlight
“Sealed ” Module Ventilated cavity of the climate facade
Insulation layers applied on the outer part of each module
PV panels on the building roof
8’
Sun shading devices
Louvres integrated within the cavity of the climate facade: fixed angle of 25 degrees in order to block the summer sunlight
During summer, the lower and upper opperable parallel opening windows are open in order to extract the heat from the cavity of the climate facade, which helps in reducing the overall heating of the upper volume.
s
gree
2 de
7 ce -
ti sols mer
During summer, the lower and upper opperable parallel opening windows are open in order to extract the heat from the cavity of the climate facade, which helps in reducing the overall heating of the upper volume.
Insulation layers applied on the outer part of each module
PV panels on the building roof
UNEC structure system
Natural Ventilation
Natural Ventilation
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable parallel opening windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Upper volume as a shading medium for the lower volume The upper volume is positioned in such way that it prevents the summer sunlight to enter from the lower volume’s skylight. In this way, unwanted overheating of the lower volume is prevented, therefore a better indoor climate is achieved.
Natural Ventilation
Natural Ventilation
Natural Ventilation
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable parallel opening windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable parallel opening windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable parallel opening windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Concrete Core Activation
Concrete Core Activation
Concrete Core Activation
Hollow slab floor system with integrated hydronic pipes for cooling of the floor mass. A tempered water-glycol solution (16° - 26°) is circulating in the pipes, adjusting according to the need of the temperature of the concrete. The large surface area of the floor detracts warmth out of the room air.
Hollow slab floor system with integrated hydronic pipes for cooling of the floor mass. A tempered water-glycol solution (16° - 26°) is circulating in the pipes, adjusting according to the need of the temperature of the concrete. The large surface area of the floor detracts warmth out of the room air.
Hollow slab floor system with integrated hydronic pipes for cooling of the floor mass. A tempered water-glycol solution (16° - 26°) is circulating in the pipes, adjusting according to the need of the temperature of the concrete. The large surface area of the floor detracts warmth out of the room air.
Upper volume as a shading medium for the lower volume
Operable Skylight
Outgoing warm air
Passive stack ventilation
The upper volume is positioned in such way that it prevents the summer sunlight to enter from the lower volume’s skylight. In this way, unwanted overheating of the lower volume is prevented, therefore a better indoor climate is achieved.
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable parallel opening windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Operable Skylight
Incoming fresh air
Natural Ventilation
Natural Ventilation
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Centrally/decentrally controlled operable windows in order to allow fresh air to come into the building
Passive stack ventilation
Incoming fresh air
Concrete Core Activation
Concrete Core Activation
BubbleDeck floor system with integrated hydronic pipes for cooling of the floor mass. A tempered water-glycol solution (16° - 26°) is circulating in the pipes, adjusting according to the need of the temperature of the concrete. The large surface area of the floor detracts warmth out of the room air.
BubbleDeck floor system with integrated hydronic pipes for cooling of the floor mass. A tempered water-glycol solution (16° - 26°) is circulating in the pipes, adjusting according to the need of the temperature of the concrete. The large surface area of the floor detracts warmth out of the room air.
Longitudinal section through the inner courtyard and climate design diagram (summer situation)