Project - Vertical Jungle

VERTICAL JUNGLE

RESEARCH | TEAMWORK | SEPTEMBER 2013

UAH | HCMC | VIETNAM

Great Britain & Northern Ireland Building Design And Construction Challenge | Encouragement Prize

Project Location | Thu Thiem New Urban Area, HCMC, Vietnam Instructor | Professor Vu Tien An (M.Arch) Other Members | Le Uyen Minh (Architecture), Le Hau (Urban Planning), Phan Gia Khue (MEP), Tran Quang Khuc (Structure)

My Duty | Architecture Concept Design, Sustainability Strategies Study, 3D Rendering visualization, Presentation.

For decades, sustainability has become a crucial strategies for architecture to contribute to the process of preventing global warming. The student competition that hosted by UK Ambassador and Ho Chi Minh city University of Architecture requires candidates to be aware of the connection between building design and climates changes and provide an eco-friendly strategies for architectural design. The project had to engaged all coordination between students from different departments: urban planning, architecture, engineer and MEP.

Inspired by the previous floated condition of new urban area Thu Thiem, this team-work project focus on the adaption of a high-rise office buildings in the connection with existing waterfront. Not only being an energy-efficiency building integrated with sustainable strategies, this office would be blended into natural surrounding and rise like a vertical jungle grown up from the concrete base beneath.

CONCEPT

Across Saigon river, Thu Thiem new urban area is emerging like a dragon. In the context of our Earth facing resource shortage, climate change and overpopulation,what would shape Thu Thiem in the near future? The question is a challenge which encourages us to design a new vision for Thu Thiem and for Saigoneers.

Architectural concept aims to create not only a landmark office facing the city centre across the river, but also a sustainable high-rise building which promote eco-friendly strategies to architecture industry in Vietnam. The whole building consists of 2 office towers and 1 commercial-cultural centre which contributes to broadcast the image of river-based culture of Southern Delta of Vietnam to the world scale.

COORDINATION

In this project, I have the chance to learn

BEAM & COLUMN

Steel structure could shorten construction timescale, reduce self-load, enhance console abilities.

FLOOR

Composite floor is suitable for large-spanned column grids and construction short period.

CORE

The core structure increases the building stability, apply the method of sliding framework in order to shorten the construction time and strengthen accuracy.

Building’s electricity is a combination of state electricty, electricity produced by Diezel generator and Solar Energy. Electricity generated by PV panels is mainly supplied for irrigating pumps.

THE ECO-INTEGRATION

The concept is based on the connectivity between spaces and context of the surrounding. Water cordination with eco system are integrated in aiming to promote the image of tropical naturescape Southern Vietnam.

how to cordinate with other project participants, including MEP and structure engineers.

Portable water is stored in underground tank, then pumped to roof top tank. This water will be used for domestic purpose and 10-mins-fire fighting.

between the public Water and plants in in concept design, naturescape in

Due to green roof, rainwater could be efficiently collected, go through several stages of treatment, before being used for irrigation and sanitary fixtures.

Waste water is collected and treated by Johkasou Wastewater treatment tank. Treated water is used for irrigation, floor cleaning and sanitary fixtures.

Treated water is used for irrigation, floor cleaning and sanitary fixtures. Apply Dropper system for higher efficiency in water uses.

MATERIALS

Besides passive and active enegy system, the reuse of recyced materials is becoming a highly effective deign trend to reduce energy consumption and total cost for maintenance and operation in the building. In order to harmornize with local natural environment, we choose 2 types of local renewable materials for the facade: wood and bamboo. Now that the new urban building can coexist with the natural surrounding

BUILDING FORM & SPACE

Sustainability is a complex concept. In our concept at the initial sketches, we always prioritize the efficiency of using energy. Taking advantages of building’s context, we aim to offer sustainable solutions based on building’s form, orientation and position which optimize energy consumption.

ORIENTATION & POSITION

Calculated by Autodesk Ecotect, we have proof to focus on proposing proper shading devices for Northwest and SouthEast facade since other faces could be shaded by adjacent high-rise buildings during a year.

CONTEXT

Located at the heart of Thu Thiem, building site connects the current centre of Ho Chi Minh city by a pedestrian bridge. The context offers great opportunities to shape the building as a new iconic landmark on the East side of Saigon River.

GEOMETRY

In order towards River, shaped. and might amount

To minimize we strategies, above.

DOUBLE-SKIN FACADE

consists of laminated wood louvers outside and double glazing inside. In tropical climate, the air gap between 2 layers of facade not only work as insulation to minimize solar heat gain, but also is a part of surface’s cooling system.

VERTICAL JUNGLE

with trees planted on staggered balconies could act as shading device and contribute to installing a small ecological system in the urban area.

SHADING DEVICE EFFICIENCY

Rotating

Rotating vertical louvers + fixed horizontal louvers

Shading device

Overshadowing efficiency

GEOMETRY

order to maximize views towards Central Plaza and River, building’s form is shaped. However, south and southwest facade might receive a large amount of solar radiation. minimize direct sunlight, proposed shading strategies, as shown above.

VENTILATION

Voids are cut through the building in order to maximize natural ventilation into not only the building itself but also other urban areas behind.

vertical louvers + green balcony

Rotating vertical louvers (less and smaller panels)