A Thousand Hills by National Taipei University of Technology Taipei, Taiwan
The designer pursues a balance between humanistic architecture and ecology while emphasizing that green architecture that coexists with the natural environment must be based on ecological balance and take into account the harmony between the building and its surroundings. In addition, the building is planned in an ecologically sustainable concept, so that the environment and the building can coexist on the land.
To make people and nature interdependent, the designers have taken the perspective of biodiversity to create a natural look closer to the ecological environment with a low-impact design approach to the environment. At the same time, the designer also uses innovative green thinking to reinterpret the environment itself, using green design techniques to create a green building that coexists with the environment.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION／DIFFERENTIATION
The designer's ecologically oriented thinking, combined with sophisticated design ideas, and comprehensive and systematic environmental protection design as the demand, through the low-carbon and nature-based design objectives, and consideration of the scale of the base and environmental characteristics, to design a low-carbon building that can find the carbon footprint hot spot.
The design method in this project can extend the life cycle of the building to 96 years, allowing for a 24.50% carbon reduction in the building's life-cycle carbon footprint. Besides, the designer uses passive heating and cooling methods, as well as bionic design such as ant mound buoyancy ventilation, zebra skin micro-airflow cooling, and according to the sunlight, trajectory to utilize daylight to reduce the energy consumption. Meanwhile, the highly efficient and optimized air conditioning system uses the ice wastewater from the production process as the cooling water for air conditioning, which is complemented by the highly efficient air conditioning system to achieve energy saving.
Last but not least, the designer makes the green power plant that adopts wind and solar power while using water-saving equipment and water system to discharge wastewater into an ecological pond that imitates natural purification to achieve a zero-waste water environment. The unique ecological habitat of the cliff in this project is designed to mimic the natural habitat and provide a biologically friendly living environment, creating the glory of a green concept of peaceful coexistence between architecture and nature.
PRODUCTION OR REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY (AND MATERIALS)
The project uses different materials for each section of the building, mainly made of reinforced concrete, steel and glass.
East area: Due to the short daylight hours, the designer uses a large opening design to introduce sufficient sunlight.
West area: The designer uses external stairs and sunshades to reduce the heat load on the walls.
South area: The designer uses a zebra thermoregulation bionic design with curved walls and slender east-west windows to reduce the sunlight temperature and provide airflow.
North area: The designer uses floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows as lighting panels and air deflectors.
Rooftop: The designer uses solar panels that imitate the structure of a forest, an aviary, and a green walkway to create an environment where ecology and people can coexist and prosper.
SPECIFICATIONS / DIMENSIONS / PACKAGE / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES
The designers faced a huge challenge in this project with the high carbon emission reinforced concrete structure and the thermal environment of the glass room. Given the impact of hillside development on the environment, the designer uses a low-impact design approach to integrate human and ecological interaction in this building.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION／FUNCTION
The building emphasizes the natural and primitive environment, so there is no need for extra artificial design. In addition, the designer perfectly demonstrates environmental sustainability and people-oriented design, which not only meet the intention of energy-saving, healthy, and ecological green building design but also to contribute to nature. At the same time, people living or working here can share a beautiful time through the lighting, movement, ventilation, nature, and ecological environment of the building.
RESEARCH ABSTRACT
Due to the increasing climate change and the rising awareness of environmental conservation, the designer hopes to create a green building with minimal waste on a land full of natural vitality and to build a natural paradise where ecology and architecture can complement each other.
After studying the ecological design theory and environmental behavior psychology, the designer adopts a different low-impact green design approach to enable the building to interact with the ecology in a positive cycle.
The designer uses a green design with low-carbon and energy-saving features to plan different designs and use different materials for different sections of the building and natural conditions. With the designer’s ingenuity, the building and the ecological system can achieve a positive interaction and introduce the function of the building into the environment.
IMPACT /SUSTAINABILITY
In response to ecological sustainability, the design and selection of materials in this project are based on the eco-friendly, allowing the building to breathe naturally as if it were life and interdependence with the ecological environment.
The designer integrates the production system, clean energy, solar photovoltaic system, wind power system, and energy efficiency management system in the building to create the best ecological green grid for the environment under the eco-friendly concept.
In addition, the designer also uses a rainwater recycling system, waterfall cooling system, hillside soil and water conservation, sewage purification treatment, air conditioning, and lighting design, architectural concrete, and ecological pond to extend the life of the building and further integrate the building with the nature.
Designer Profile
Ying-Jin, Hong