The document discusses several strategies for more sustainable building design and urban planning, including: 1) Maximizing natural lighting in buildings to reduce energy usage for illumination. 2) Integrating skybridges between buildings to activate new circulation planes without needing to access ground levels. 3) Repeating landscaped ground planes on upper building levels to expand circulation and create multi-tiered public spaces. 4) Increasing building envelopes to allow for higher densities without expanding infrastructure laterally.

1. Lighting. Skybridges. Link buildings to one another. Activates Repeating ground planes. Building on the concept of
Abundant use of natural lighting in buildings. Reduction in RESIDENTIAL
new planes for circulation, thus creating a more po- stacked landscapes, the ground plane should be re-
energy used to illuminate interiors of buildings. activated on the upper levels, thus expanding circula-
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rous urban space. Skybridges act like spatial layers AGRICULTURE
tion between buildings as well as creating multi-tiered
PUBLIC SPACE AGRICULTURE
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creating loops so that users do not not need to pro- AGRICULTURE
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landscape of public spaces such as gardens within or
ceed to the ground floor to get to another building. PUBLIC SPACE PUBLIC SPACE
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between buildings.
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This way, human density and traffic flow can be man-
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aged in zones. AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE
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Example shown is the Linked Hybrid project by Ste- RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL
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ven Holl, 2003-09.
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Increase Building Envelope. Higher density from
Urban Farm Towers 1:
higher plot ratio can be achieved from increasing the
Urban farm modules - an assemblage of farming compo-
maximum height allowed for buildings. High rise build-
nents creating a farm city-like building.
ings allow for more programme units.
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Performative architecture. Morpho-ecologies RESIDENTIAL
Integrating recycling chutes alongside existing rub-
Interior lighting. Energy saving measures might AGRICULTURE
Urban Farm Towers 2. PUBLIC SPACE AGRICULTURE
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deals with the differentiation of material systems,
bish chutes. TRAN SPO R TT R A N S P O R T
also include light-emitting diodes (LED) technol- Concept can also be applied to crop production. High rise PUBLIC SPACE PUBLIC SPACE
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integrating ecological, topological and structural crop production minimises land area needed as newer AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE
ogy as they save on unit space, have longer With dedicated chutes for rubbish and recyclable mate-
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performance to determine the composition of a technologies such as hydropnics and aeroponics can en- RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL
lifespan and provide a higher luminance to en- AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE
rials in high rise buildings, users will find an increased sure efficient, organic production of crop for people’s daily
building. Methods of assessment and production RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL
ergy ratio. convenience accessing and depositing unwanted
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needs. Under a more climatically controlled environment, PUBLIC SPACE PUBLIC SPACE
include parametrics, generative components,
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household material. Currently, only rubbish chutes are a we can better control crop disease and ensure that the
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scripting, etc. AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE
standard feature in high rise residential developments, crops receive an optimum amount of nutrients. TRANSPORT TRANSPO RT
while recyclable materials can be brought to central
areas for collection. Perhaps this feature can further
promote habits of reusing, reducing, and recycling.
Build underground. Instead of building upwards, we
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can take the building extrusion in the other direction. 1.
RESIDENTIAL This takes advantage of the earth’s geothermal proper-
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PUBLIC SPACE AGRICULTURE ties for natural insulation to maintain constant temperature
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Sun orientation. AGRICULTURE
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throughout the year. 2. Higher urban density is achieved
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Emphasis on sun orientation - without much necessary expanding infrastructure laterally
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determines the amount of radiation it re- Shading Structure, Michael Hensel with AA, 2008
as in the case of building upwards. Existing infrastructure
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ceives. This influences the programmatic such as transport can remain on the ground plain as
RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL voids created from the downward extrusion opens up new
layout of buildings.
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architectural typologies. Energy production facilities can
then take advantages of freed up space above the ground
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Centralised Amenities.
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Centralised amenities around transport intersections. P U B L I C S PA C E
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Encourages use of public transport where the building Pig City, MVRDV, 2000-01
housing these amenities becomes an interchange serving
different needs of users under one roof.
Brise Soleil. Sun shading systems are
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integral in complementing a building’s ori-
Farms located on main transport intersections.
entation to the sun’s path. They allow for
low incidence of sunlight to penetrate the New ‘urban farms’ should be located on main intersections
Photovoltaic facade.
interior during winter and provide shade of transport networks to facilitate efficient distribution of
Exisitng skin of building could be utilised to
crops. The distribution of crops should be mainly via rail in-
generate electricity for consumption within. Large surface
from the sun during summer.
Urban Farm Belt. Ignoring site boundaries and the site
stead of via road, where trains have larger load capacity and
area of facade sufficient to achieve an off-the-grid building.
as specific, an ‘infrastructural belt’ of farms could weave
are not affected by traffic congestions. With farms located
through the city as attachments complementing the exist-
within cities, distribution could be via more environmentally
ing buildings in the city. In this way, a new zone is intro-
friendly light rail systems.
duced into the city. It starts first as individual programmes
inserted alongside existing buildings, depending initially
Farms as nodal points that influence their infrastructure for circulation and servicing, but eventu-
FULL
development. ally joining up with other similar units to form a self-sup-
Parking.
porting network infrastructure of farms in the city.
Reconsidering agriculture centres as determinants of a
Parking provisions for vehicles should be reduced to
sustainable city instead of agriculture sectors as support-
a minimum as people are encouraged to take public
ive components of a business financial centre can improve
transport. Less parking spaces required frees up space
the self-sufficiency of the city. If we rethink our ideas of a
for more programmatic functions in a building, such as
farm from a laterally spread out, high land area compo-
to make provisions for public transport infrastructure.
nent, to an integrated facility that takes up smaller building
footprints and incorporated in the city centre, we might
achieve a more self-sufficient and sustainable urban fabric.
Ventiform.
The shape of a post-oil building that depends on wind
power as its main source of energy will have to be able
to channel maximum air flow through the building as
Education.
well as be aerodynamically adapting to changes in wind
direction. Foster and partner’s project attempting to
Gallery space that encourages ideas of sustainability.
integrate an electricity generating wind turbine into a
These could be ideas-in-progress spaces can increase
mixed-use, high-rise building. Ventifacts - rocks carved
public awareness of the changing city, showing exam-
Insulation. into aerodynamic forms by windblown sand. (eg. Ener-
ples from new farming techniques to a city without cars.
con E66 wind turbine to power 1500 suburban homes.)
Appropriate application of glazing, double/triple glazing
as well as thermal massing to mitigate heat loss/gain. Inland fish farms. Do fish necessarily have to be har-
New technologies include a Panelite IGU which has the TIilapia vested from open seas or fish farms just off the coast? Commuter-focused corridor as a building. Park and
adaptibility of tubular polycarbonate honeycomb core If fish can be cultivated inland, then the carbon trail ride schemes encourage people to take public trans-
for use in glazing and curtain walls. These panels can can be reduced through less dependence on ships and
Murray Cod port. If the ride component of this scheme can be further
also be used for sliding, pivoting and partition walls and overland transport. expanded to incorporate other modes of commuting
ceilings.
Blue Grenadier such as jogging tracks, cycling paths or even swimming
lanes, the buildings on either end would need to provide
facilities for showering and changing. Commuting to
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work can also be a healthy lifestyle experience.
Salmon
DISTRIBUTION
Colour of buildings.
The albedo of building facades could lead to substantial
energy losses or gains required in maintaining inter-
Institute/Museum of Urban Agriculture. Along in-
nal air conditions within the building. The colour of the
troduction of new building types, an institute/museum
building in relation to sun orientation should be taken
of urban agriculture acts as a research and develop-
into serious consideration.
ment facility that builds upon the examples seen in the
‘huertas’ of Cuba. This building will promote a culture
of sustainable living and educate the public through a
detailed documentation of the evolution of agriculture.
Community Urban Farms or ‘Safeway’ farm/market.
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Ventilation.
Minimizes distance crops are sourced from and deliv-
ered to, reducing cost of
Emphasis on stack and cross ventilation as passive
logistics.
cooling measures to reduce electricity consumption for
air conditioning.
Energy Stations I.
Stations generating their own power (eg solar energy)
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will provide energy for vehicles to ‘plug-in’ and charge
Manpower. their battery cells.
Gym equipment such as treadmills, elliptical runners
and rowing machines could be sources of dynamic en-
ergy transformations that could contribute to the build-
ing’s energy grid.
Recycled + Sustainable Materials.
We don’t necessarily have to look at manufacturing new
construction materials all the time.
Flexible Facades. Building facades that are customisable
Many materials around us can be reused and recycled.
to respond to changes in the weather. Examples include
Unique properties of some natural products used to influ-
motorised screens that move in response to the changing Energy Stations II.
ence the design of our buildings.
direction of the sun’s rays, or glass that change in opacity Stations generating their own power (eg solar energy)
in response to the intensity of light/interior temperatures. featured at each train station to recharge the electric
Users should also be given opportunities to choose from a trains sufficiently for it to arrive at the next station.
selection of ‘facade options’ to suit their needs.
Shared crop production Community Barter Trade Markets. If urban ‘huertas’
are small in scale in residential developments, commu-
nity barter trade markets allow exchange of crops grown
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Loblolly House, Kieran Timberlake & Associates, 2007
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by households. This creates a community supported
network of crop production, where a household ‘huerta’
can choose to focus on cultivating a particular type of
crop.
Renewable Energy - Biogas. Assuming that buildings of
the future will increase in density and inevitably increase
Energy Stations III.
Kit of Parts. Buildings could also be composed in size as well, the amount of human manure will also aub-
Offshore Stations generating their own power from hy-
entirely of off-site fabricated, ready-made com- stantially increase as a result of a larger dwelling popula-
droelectricity act as new ‘fuel’ stations, recharging sea
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tion. Energy can be produced from biogas for heating and
ponents which can assembled quickly on-site. vessels that don’t need to rely on oil for fuel.
lighting. Storage silos can be incorporated into these build-
This minimises disruption/inconveneince to activ-
ings for biogas production. After the gas has been taken