Penguin In Flight

Imagine the potential of building design that incorporates the environment around it rather than shutting it out.  Read this below from Arup Development regarding the design of the new federal building in San Francisco.

Climate research highlighted predominant, strong NW winds, in the 30 mph range, particularly during the hottest times of the day. Zoning assessments highlighted that all of the project site’s adjacent buildings were limited to a maximum height of 120 ft, whereas the site itself was allowed to be up to 240 ft high.

This meant that by developing a long slender 18-story (234 ft) office tower, the San Francisco Federal Building could make use of the wind-driven cross ventilation in stories above the sixth floor level, with little danger of building development subsequently obstructing the force and direction of the prevailing winds. Careful facade design transformed the walls of the tower into a ‘living skin’ that will breathe to cool the interior, while building systems will monitor the interior temperature and pressure and trigger automatically operable floor-level vents to maintain a comfortable environment.

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