Facade Study

AD3 .

1 : F AC ADES TUDY C ONTAI NS: TEI NF ORMATI ON SI NVI RONME NTALS TRATE GY E SL AMI CF ORMS I VAL UATI ONS GRASSHOPPER E C ALM ODE L PHYSI

AL BAHR TOWERS OVERVIEW AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

THE AIR IS COOLED WITHIN THE INTERSTITAL ZONE BETWEEN THE TWO FACADES BEFORE IT ENTERS THE I NTERI OR.T HE AI RI S COOLED DUE TO THE SHADE PROVI DED BY THE TRI ANGULAR PANELS

MECHANICAL TESTING THE SYSTEM WAS TESTED FOR MECHANICAL FAILURES DUE TO THE ENVI RONMENTAL CONSTRAI NTS OF LOCATI ON.A MI XTURE OF SEA WATER, SAND AND DUST TAKEN FROM THE SURROUNDI NG ENVI RONMENT OF THE SI TE WERE SPRAYED ONTO THE MECHANI CS AND SCREEN.T HE TEMPERATURE WAS

0 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH CREATED A HARD MUD.THE THEN RAI SED TO 6 0, 000 CYCLES,WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO 75 SYSTEM WAS RAN FOR 3

YEARS OF MOVEMENT.MOTORS AND ACTUATORS WERE CHANGED,BUT DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE MATERI ALS NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE STRUCTURE.

I T WAS THEN PLACED I N WI ND TUNNEL AND SUBJECTED TO EXTREME CONDI TI ONS.AI R FLOW WAS DI RECTED PARALLEL TO THE SCREENS,WHI CH WOULD BE THE SI TUATI ON WHERE THE PRESSURE WOULD BE UTMOST.WI ND 40KPH ONLY MOVED THE SCREENS 25MM IN EITHER AT A SPEED OF 2 DI RECTI ON,WHI CH PROVES THAT THE STRUCTURE COULD WI THOLD I TSELF I N EXTREME CONDI TI ONS.

SCALE :METRES

VENTILATION STRATEGY THE MAJORITY OF VENTILATION WITHIN THE BUILDING IS MECHANICALLY CONTROLLED.THERE ARE A SERIES OF LOW LEVEL OPENABLE VENTS WHI CH WOULD ALLOW A SMALL AMOUNT OF NATURAL VENTI LATI ON,HOWEVER I T WOULD NOT MOVE AROUND THE BUI LDI NG,I N WHI CH CASE MECHANI CS HAVE TO ASSI ST.AS THE BUI LDI NG RESI STS SOLAR GAI N,I TI S NOT AS A NECESSI TY AS I T WOULD BE I N OTHER BUI LDI NGS I N SI MI LAR ENVI RONMENTS,HOWEVER I T COULD POSSI BLY HAVE I NTRODUCED A MORE ENVI RONMENTALLY FRI ENDLY SOLUTI ON.

WIND DEFLECTION DUE TO THE CURVATURE OF THE STRUCTURE WIND DOES NOT COLLECT IN POCKETS,THEREFORE I TI S DEFLECTED EQUALLY,PREVENTI NG AREAS OF SUCTI ON AT GROUND LEVEL WHI CH MAY CAUSE UNCOMFORT.I TI S ALSO SURROUNDED BY LOW LEVEL BUI LDI NGS,SO I TI S NOT EFFECTED BY STRONGER PRESSURES FROM NEI GHBORI NG CONSTRUCTI ONS.

PLANNING OVERVIEW THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF A 2 STOREY BASEMENT WITH CAR PARKING, OH AREAS;A GROUND FLOOR AND PODIUM WITH BESPOKE PLANT AND B ENTRANCES,RECEPTI ONS,AND RESTAURANTS.T HE TWO TOWERS OF 1 47 METERS HEIGHT HOUSE 25 UPPER FLOORS OF COMMERCIAL OFFICE ACCOMMODATI ON THAT ARE AUGMENTED WI TH LANDSCAPED SKY GARDENS, AUDI TORI UMS,LARGE PRAYER HALLS,A GRAND PODI UM ENTRANCE,AND A SPECTACULAR C ROWN FEATURE AT ROOF LEVEL.

AL BAHR TOWERS ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

HEAT PREVENTION THE TWO 25 STOREY OFFICE TOWERS ARE PARAMETRICALLY DESI GNED,BASED ON I SLAMI C GEOMETRI C MOSAI CS,USI NG THE TESSELLATI ON OF SI MPLE SHAPES TO DRI VE THE STRUCTURE.I TI SA REI NTERPRETATI ON OF THE TRADI TI ONAL WOODLATTI CE SCREEN - THE MASHRABI YA.I TI S A SYSTEM OF TRI ANGULAR SCREENS,ARRANGED I N A SERI ES OF HEXAGONS,WHI CH FOLD LI KE UMBRELLAS,PROVI DI NG PROTECTI ON FROM THE SUN.T HE SCREEN I S ESTI MATED TO REDUCE 0%,AND REDUCE THE BUILDINGS NEED SOLAR GAI N BY MORE THAN 5 FOR AI R CONDI TI ONI NG.T HE FACADE DOES NOT WRAP AROUND THE NORTH FACI NG SECTI ON AS I T WOULD NEVER RECI EVE DI RECT SUNLI GHT.

GLASS PANELLING INTENSIFIES SOLAR GAIN FOR PHOTOVOLTAI C PANELS AND HOT WATER HEATI NG SYSTEMS

THE SOUTH FACING ROOFS OF EACH TOWER INCORPORATE PHOTOVOLTAI C CELLS,GENERATI NG APPROXI MATELY FI VE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL REQUI RED ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

SERVICE SHAFT RUNS CENTRAL AND PROVIDES

CI RCULATI ON SYSTEMS AND EMERGENCY ESCAPE ROUTES.

SCALE :METRES

HONEYCOMB EXTERNAL STRUCTURE HOLDS LARGE GLASS PANELS I N PLACE AND ALSO CONNECTS DOUBLE SKI N FACADE.

SYSTEM OPERATIONS THE FACADE CONSISTS OF OVER 1 000 MOVING UNITS THAT HELP TO PROTECT FROM THE EFFECTS OF SUN EXPOSURE.EACH UNIT HAS 30 COMPONENTS,AND THE FRAME I S MADE OF ALUMI NI UM AND DUPLEX STEEL - WHI CH HAS HI GH RESI STANCE TO CORROSI ON.THE PANELS ARE A TFE - A TEFLON BASED MATERIAL.THESE MATERIALS WERE CAREFULLY SELECTED,AS HE MESH MADE FROM FI BREGLASS,AND COATED WI TH P BUI LDI NG WOULD HAVE TO PROTECT I TSELF FROM SAND STORMS AND THE SALTY HUMI DI TY.THE PANELS OPEN AND CLOSE I N RESPONSE TO THE POSI TI ON OF THE SUN.AS THE SUN MOVES AROUND THE STRUCTURE,THE PANELS OPEN AND CLOSE PROVI DI NG PROTECTI ON AT THE RELEVANT AREAS.

OFFICE SPACES ENCIRCLE THE SERVICE SHAFT,WHICH 60 DEGREE VIEW FROM EACH OF THE THE ALLOWS A 3 .THE CYLINDRICAL FORM ALSO I NTERNAL OFFI CE SPACES. HELPS TO MAXI MI SE VOLUME AND FLOORTOWALL AREA. AS THE DESIGNERS DID NOT DESIRE TINTED GLASS,IT WOULD NORMALLY RESULT I N A VERY LARGE SOLAR GAI N TO THE I NTERI OR,BUT THE FACADE SYSTEM PREVENTS THI S.

PERMANENT SHADING WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED VISIBILITY AND VI EWS FROM I NSI DE THE BUI LDI NG,WHI LE LI GHTER

FULLY CLOSED

HALF OPEN

FULLY OPEN

SHADI NG WOULD HAVE COMPROMI SED THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF THE BUI LDI NG I TSELF.

THE USE OF HEAVILY TINTED AND HIGHLY REFLECTIVE GLASS,A COMMON PRACTI CE I N THE REGI ON,WAS ALSO OUT OF THE QUESTI ON.N OT ONLY WOULD THI S DI STORT VI EWS FROM I NSI DE THE BUI LDI NG,I T WOULD ALSO I NCREASE THE NEED FOR ENVI RONMENTALLY COSTLY ARTI FI CI AL LI GHT.

LIGHT QUALITY THE PANELS IMPROVE THE LIGHT QUALITY WITHIN THE BUILDING AS THE LIGHT I S FI LTER NOT BLOCKED.T RADI TI ONALLY,LARGE GLASS FACED STRUCTURES HAVE A WI NDOW TI NT,WHI CH PREVENTS THE AMOUNT OF LI GHT PENETRATI NG THE SPACE.T HE MESH SCREENS FI LTER THE LI GHT,PROVI DE NATURAL I LLUMI NATI ON AND PREVENT GLARE.T HOSE EMPLOYED WI THI N THE BUI LDI NG ,WITHOUT WOULD HAVE BEAUTI FUL UNOBSTRUCTED VI EWS ACROSS ABU DABI THE I RRI TATI ON OF BRI GHT LI GHT AND EXTREME HEAT. THESE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY METHODS MINIMISE THE NEED FOR

CAR PARK PROVIDES A SOLUTION TO EARTHQUAKE MANAGEMENT - I F THE BUI LDI NG I S WEAKENED DUE TO EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE,THE CAR PARK I S DESI GNED

SCALE :METRES

0

1 0

20

MECHANI CAL COOLI NG AND ARTI FI CI AL LI GHTI NG WHI CH I N TURN REDUCES THE CARBON DI OXI DE EMI SSI ONS.

GRADIENT BASED ON SUN PATH

A L B AHR T OWERS , A BU D HABI I SLAMIC P ATTERNS AND S CREENS I SLAMIC

L IGHT S TUDY

P ATTERNS

PATTERNS CONSIST OF , OR ARE GENERATED FROM , SIMPLE FORMS AS THE CIRCLE AND THE SQUARE , GEOMETRIC

PATTERNS WERE COMBINED , DUPLICATED , INTERLACED , AND ARRANGED IN INTRICATE COMBINATIONS .

BUILD ON THE PATTERNS CREATES AN INTERESTING IDEA THT THE PATTERN CAN INFINTELY GROW .

F OUR

OF

BY

BEING ABLE TO

BASIC SHAPES

C IRCLE AND I NTERLOCKED CIRCLES

B UILDING

S QUARES

S TAR P ATTERN

AND

FOUR- SIDED POLYGONS

M ULTISIDED P OLYGONS

AN ISLAMIC PATTERN

T AJ M AHAL IN A GRA , I NDIA M UGHAL EMPEROR S HAH J AHAN T HIS

PATTERN IS MORE SPACED OUT , THE STUDY SHOWED THAT THIS MEANT THE LIGHT WAS LESSA BLE TO PENETRATE THROUGH IN TO

T HIS

INTRICATE TESSELATED FLOWER PATTERN MEANS THAT MORE AIR CAN READILY FLOW THROUGH EACH HOLE REQULARLY AND THEREFORE

SPACE . THEREFORE SUGGESTING LESS COOL AIR IS ABLE TO FLOW THROUGH THE HOLES AND COOL THE STALE AIR ON THE INTERIOR .

T HE

PATTERN CAN BEGIN

WITH THE STAR PATTERN .

E ACH

POINT IS THEN USED AS AN ANCHOR TO BUILD

THE PATERN , STARS ARE USED AT EACH POINT .

F AIENCE M OSAIC : I SLAMIC

DETAIL

PATTERN FEATURED IN THE ALHMBRA

THE PATTERN THEN CAN BE TESSELATED INFINITELY .

E VAPORATIVE

COOL THE INTERIOR SPACES MORE EVENLY . THE SPACES BETWEEN THE PERFORATIONS ARE SMALLER , SO LESS AREA IS DEFLECTED OFF THE EXTERNAL WALL .

COOLING TECHNIQUE

T HE

MASHRABIYA WAS THEN USED TO COOL PEOPLE

AND LOUNGERS AND BED REPLACED TTHE CLAY POTS .

THE HOLES WITHIN THIS PATTERN ARE QUITE LARGE MEANING THEY ALLOW AIR TO FILTER WEEL IN TO THE SPACES HOWEVER THE SPACES BETWEEN THEM ARE ALSO LARGE MEANING A LOT OF THE COOL AIR IS DEFLECTED .

M ASHRABIYA T HE

WORD

MEANING

“ MASHRABIYA ”

“ PLACE

M ASRABIYA

DERIVES AN ARABIC ROOT

OF DRINKING ” , WHICH WAS ADAPT TO

“ THE WATER ” .

ACCOMODATE THE FIRST FUNCTION OF THE SCREEN AS PLACE TO COOL DRINKING

SCREENS ARE USED IN THE

A LHAMBRA

TO

REGULATE THE FLOW OF AIR DOWN IN TO THE SPCAES , AND TO AVOID OVER HEATING FROM THE GLARE OF THE SUN BY FILTERING THE LIGHT GENTLY THROUGH THE LATTICEWORK FRAMES .

A L B AHR T OWERS , A BU D HABI O RIGAMI ORIGAMI INSPIRED BY THE GEOMETRIC PATTERNS DESIGNED BY

R ON R ESCH. T HE

PATTERN COMPRISES OF TESSLEATED EQUILARIAL TRIANGLES THAT FOLD WITHIN THEMSELVES TO CREATE A SKIN THAT EXPANDS AND CLENCHES.

S IMULATION

OF THE PATTERN INHALING AND EXHALING , ALLOWING LIGHT TO PERFEATE THE OPEN SECTIONS .

S IMULATION

OF THE PATTERN INHALING AND EXHALING , ALLOWING LIGHT TO PERFEATE THE OPEN SECTIONS .

T HE

TRADITIONAL MASHRABIYA HAS INSPIRED THE AL

BAHR TOWERS . WHEN THE TRIANGLUAR SHAPE IS PENED IT PROVIDES SOLAR SHADING .

T HE

DYNAMIC FACADE REACTS TO THE SUN PATH ,

THE UMBRELLAS OPEN WHEN THE SUN MOVES PAST THE AND IS WEAKER .