2. i
Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Dr.
Rami Farouk Daher for the continuous support during my B.Sc. Architecture
graduation project, for his patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense
knowledge. His guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing
of this thesis.
Besides my advisor, I would like to thank my parents, PhD. Samir Bata and
Arch. Amani Swais, along with my sister, Eng. Zina Bata, for supporting
me spiritually throughout my life, and their encouragement, insightful
comments and ongoing support during the five years of my Bachelor
studies.
My sincere thanks also goes to Arch. Mohammad Khalid, Arch. Rana
Zureikat, and Eng. Fahed Abu Jaber, for offering me what they have in
terms of architectural/engineering knowledge. This, indeed, added to the
progress throughout the different phases of the project.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my close friends, who pushed
me towards my goal, and helped me laugh during the days of stress.
Thank you all,
Maen Samir Bata
Acknowledgement

3. ii
TECTONIC
SCULPTURE OF
KNOWLEDGE
School of Architecture and the Built Environment
Department: Architecture
Presented by: Maen Samir Hamadeh Bata
Supervisor: Dr. Rami Daher
Semester: First Semester 2012/2013
Amman, Jordan

4. iii
NATURE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
THE PROJECT
- Nature of the Project
- Historical Understanding of the Site
- Physical Understanding of the Site
- Typological Understanding of the Site
URBAN CONFIGURATION
- Circulation Analysis
- Relationship with the City
TYPO-MORPHOLOGY
- High-Rise Development in Jordan
DISCURSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE
JORDAN GATE TOWER
GENERAL VISION
- Understanding Space
- Dialogue with Potential Investor
- Program Formation
CONCEPTUAL THINKING AND
BRAINSTORMING
- Revolution of Circulation
- Behavior in Spatial Formation
- Perception as One Architectural Product
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
- Application of Concept
- Schematic Design
FINAL DESIGN
Table of
Contents
1
10
19
22
44
55
61
79

5. 1
NATURE AND
UNDERSTANDING
OF THE PROJECT
Nature of the Project
The nature of the project was the first
statement introduced regarding the
project. It explained the overall idea of a
current challenge in the region, which is
rethinking the urban exclusive reality, and
instead of keeping on this state, we were to
research and offer a different architectural
discourse that is more inclusive in nature.
Consequently, this forms a socially-oriented
approach in the way it opens up to the city
and citizens at various levels.
The project is involved in understanding the
structural and technological logic of high-
rise buildings (i.e. the Jordan Gate Towers
in the case of our project), and attempts
to present and investigate an alternative
discoursethatisenvironmentallyresponsive.
How responsive? Well, not only in terms
of its approach to water and energy
consumption, but also in its contribution to
the city’s public spaces and sphere.
Historical Understanding of
the Site
‘Amra Park’ is considered one of the limited
number of parks available in Amman.
The park was always perceived as a
landmark. It used to gather residents of the
region, visitors from all across Amman and
(although rarely) international tourists, who
mostly used to stay at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel (known before as ‘Amra Hotel’).
Until 1989, it was only a private forest-land,
like many of Um Uthaina lands. During that
year, Mr. Tareq Masarweh (Assistant Mayor
of Amman that time), proposed to grant the
land to the Greater Amman Municipality,
as a permanent center for the book fair in
Amman.
With time, the forest-land began to take
the character of a public park. Therefore,
it became one of the most important and
largest open-parks in that area. Divided
into three zones, the park had skating rinks,
a large fountain and a sandy playground.
The two aerial
photographs
clarify the
comparison
of the site
s i t u a t i o n
before and
after it was
used to host
the two
towers of
Amman; ‘The
Jordan Gate
Towers’.
The first
photograph
dates back to
‘August2004’,
whereas the
second dates
to ‘May 2011’.
Figure 1: Current state of the Jordan Gate towers.
Figure 2: ‘Amra Park’.
Figure 3: Aerial photograph 2005.
Figure 4: Aerial photograph 2011.

6. 2
Until only recently, the garden was a
common gathering and leisure area for all
visitors, especially for the neighborhood of
west Um Uthaina.
Regarding how the urban context of the site
was affected with the new development,
we presented several aerial photographs,
each dating to a different year (starting
by May 2005, where the site was still intact
and constructed to host a relatively large
public park in Um Uthaina). However, this
study was not just limited to the (currently)
Jordan Gate Towers’ site, but involved
the nearby developments, marked in red.
Regarding the type of analysis used, we
notice that during the prior condition of the
site, the nearby developments were limited
to a number of projects, mainly residential,
which highly reflects the case of having a
calm, relatively-private neighborhood. For
those, the park was essential in choosing
the area of interest.
During the time the aerial photograph
(Figure 06) was taken, the park was
privatized and owned by the Arabian-
based investment company ‘Bayan
Holding Company’ in the United Arab
Emirates. Later on, the Jordan Gate Towers
were proposed to be the first phase of the
‘Royal Metropolis’ project, including the
Royal Village (which is currently still on hold
- Airport’s main street), which makes the
second phase of this investment.
Quoting Mr. Bater ‘Mohammad Ali’
Wordom - ‘Dostour’ Newspaper:
‫بقيت‬ ‫التي‬ ‫عمرة‬ ‫حديقة‬ ‫أرض‬ ‫تخصيص‬ ‫ذلك‬ ‫على‬ ‫مثال‬ ‫“أفضل‬
,‫فيها‬ ‫العائالت‬ ‫من‬ ‫وكثير‬ ‫املنطقة‬ ‫لسكان‬ ً‫ا‬‫س‬َ‫متنف‬ ‫طويلة‬ ‫لسنوات‬
‫استثمارية‬ ‫لشركة‬ ‫وتخصيصها‬ ‫الشبابية‬ ‫للمؤسسات‬ ‫وكذلك‬
‫هذا‬ ‫عن‬ ‫الناجتة‬ ‫املالية‬ ‫واألرباح‬ ‫باملكاسب‬ ‫مقارنة‬ ‫قليلة‬ ‫بقيمة‬ ‫عربية‬
‫واالقتصادية‬ ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫املنطقة‬ ‫لظروف‬ ‫مراعاة‬ ‫وبدون‬ ‫االستثمار‬
‫في‬ ‫الناس‬ ‫آالف‬ ‫وتواجد‬ ‫واملركبات‬ ‫السيارات‬ ‫ضغط‬ ‫وزيادة‬ ‫والبيئية‬
‫َان‬‫ك‬‫لس‬ ‫بالنسبة‬ ‫العقارات‬ ‫قيمة‬ ‫إنخفاض‬ ‫وبالتالي‬ ,‫ة‬َ‫سكني‬ ‫منطقة‬
.”‫األراضي‬ ‫أصحاب‬ ‫أو‬ ‫املنطقة‬
Figure 5: ‘Amra Park’ - main fountain and passageway.
Figure 6: Aerial photograph 2005.

7. 3
Figure 7: Aerial photograph - late 2005.
Excavation work started as soon as ‘Bayan
HoldingCompany’tookoverthepreviously-
known ‘Amra Park’. Notice how the original,
fertile site is transformed into a beige,
dusty construction site. This meant that
the harmony of the surrounding residential
block is lost. Under these conditions, the
perception of the entire neighborhood
changed in terms of noise, traffic flow and
rapidity in construction development.
Figure 8: Aerial photograph 2009.
As can be seen in (Figure 8), the two towers
were erected, which gives a completely
opposing perception in the satellite image.
In addition to this major change, notice
how the urban context has had multiple
development in terms of construction.
Therefore, how is this negatively affecting
the region? Well, as more and more
construction development occurs in a
neighborhood, the percentage of green,
natural land to constructed land decreases
incredibly. Consequently, this increases the
population within a fixed area, leading to
the overload of infrastructure, dramatic
increase in traffic congestions and large
demand on resources. What makes the
situation even worse, is the fact that until
the present time, the Jordan Gate Towers
project is still unfinished, and has been on
hold for more than two years, leaving the
neighborhood, the traffic flow and the
skyline of Amman instable.
Figure 9: Aerial photograph 2011.

8. 4
Physical Understanding of
the Site
Throughout the physical analysis phase of
the project, a number of different studies
has to be made. This, hence, clarifies
problems and suggests solutions, required
to the long-term success of the project.
Multi-layered analysis helps in defining
the strengths and weaknesses of the site,
providing information for the conceptual
solution that is needed. A number of layers
is shown below.
Figure 10: Solid and void analysis in the direct context.
Figure 11: Inverted solid and void analysis in the direct context.
Figure 12: Building heights analysis.
Forming an initial impression of the site is
important in terms of clarity. Therefore, both
the solid and void analysis and the building-
height analysis is responsible for specifying
‘what kind of urban context is the project
located in’. As a result, the combination of
the built/non-built spaces gives freedom
in choosing the best area of intervention.
Moreover, the building heights gives a basic
idea on the use of the built environment,
and the harmonious configuration in terms
of skyline and open/closed views.
In following up with the first three layers
(i.e. Figure 10/11/12), the next phase of
the physical analysis starts, which is mainly
concerned with how the land is used, and
the different zones created regarding the
functional duty of neighboring buildings.
This is considered helpful in terms of knowing
what are the majority of activities in an
area, and how to adopt certain solutions
that would not affect it.
Figure 13: Land-use plan.
Figure 14: Government-defined zoning plan.
In comparing the land-use (i.e. actual
case) plan to the defined zoning plan
(i.e. as planned by the Greater Amman
Municipality), we notice that approximately
all categories are matching, except for
a number of changes, including how
the previously-known ‘Amra Park’ site is
changed from recreational to commercial.
This hence gives a hint on how manipulation
of regulations is possible.

9. 5
Figure 15: Topography analysis plan.
Topographic analysis comes with many
benefits regarding the project. For example,
knowing how the site dominates a region
(i.e. in terms of elevation above sea-level)
defines how massive/light the project is
required to be. Nevertheless, the design
decision can be made using different
interpretations of the topographic nature
of the site.
As (Figure 15) shows, our site dominates
the top of a hillside, which makes any high-
rise development viewable from distant
locations in either West or East Amman. This,
hence, would be taken into consideration
during the conceptual phase of design of
the Jordan Gate towers, dominating the
skyline of Amman. Furthermore, the natural
flow of water/sewage can be defined,
which at a certain stage (during the
Jordan Gate construction) was considered
a threat to flooding the 8th Circle/Wadi Al-
Sir zone. Figure 16: Diagram showing the pattern of landform and drainage.
1
“The energetic basis of the urban heat island”. Quarterly Journal
of the Royal Meteorological Society 108 (455): 1–24.
The surface water drainage depends on
the natural composition of the area, where
topography directs the flow of water.
Hence, water starts moving downhill as
a slight slope of (4.62 Degrees = 5.13%) is
dominant along the street.
Revisiting the change that the site went
through, the topographic analysis of the
project showed that the land used is fertile,
hence rich with minerals and compounds
necessary for the well-being of vegetation.
Was it worth the change?
Unfortunately, the lack of open, green fields
in Amman is causing a major change in the
climatic state of the city. Basically, the most
common type of climatic change is the
urban heat island effect, where buildings
block surface heat from radiating into
the relatively cold night sky. This causes a
change in the energy balance of the urban
area, often leading to higher temperatures
than surrounding rural areas.1

10. 6
As the analysis showed, the Jordan Gate
towers occupy a region that is within the
comfort zone (labeled in yellow). This shows
that the site chosen for implementation
has the temperature/pressure/etc. levels
suitable for this kind of development.
However, even if the climate of the chosen
site is suitable for the development, it is the
operation and occupation of the building
which defines how the neighborhood
is affected. Based on different studies,
as shown in (Figure 18/19), the
negative effect of the high-rise
development on disrupting,
well-ventilated sites
and wind flow
is obvious.
Figure 17: Solar analysis and comfort zone of the Jordan Gate towers.
Figure 19: CFD (Computation Fluid Dynamics) system.
Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is
considered a vector representation for the
air flow in the lower air layers. It is part of fluid
mechanics science, that uses methods and
algorithms to solve and analyze problems
that involve fluid flows. Usually, lower
buildings create turbulence at a lower
level, which keeps the overall flow of wind
within a comfortable range. Conversely,
high-rise buildings (including 10 to unlimited
number of floors) obstruct the wind flow
completely. Ignoring the influence of wind
in design can lead to discomfort. It includes
both pedestrians, spectators (walking
around, standing or sitting in an area with
insufficient protection .
Figure 18: Solar analysis and comfort zone of the Jordan Gate towers.

11. 7
Typological Understanding
of the Site
Different architectural styles can exist in one
place. This, known as the typological study,
is important to define the architectural
aspects of an area. Therefore, it includes
the different materials used, and the most
common material in a region. In addition,
it provides a relatively-accurate way of
defining where a building is on a time line
(i.e. reaching a conclusion about the year
in which a building was built. For example,
1940s, 1960s, 2000s, etc.).
Taking these steps in the area surrounding
the Jordan Gate towers’ plot, categorizing
the buildings started (in regards to the
Ammani development in construction and
architectural design).
Figure 20: Marking the buildings surrounding the Jordan Gate towers’ plot - West side.
The fact that the area is mainly residential
give us an idea about the result of such an
exercise. The overall buildings surrounding
the plot are a combination of Ammani
villas and low-rise apartment buildings.
Viewed from the Jordan Gate towers, the
context appears smaller in terms of scale
(both human-scale and architectural
scale). Consequently, this gave another
challenge in terms of dealing with the
current state of the Jordan Gate towers.
Comparing again to the case before
‘Amra Park’ was demolished, these
housing alternatives were dominating
the surrounding, giving a perception of a
private residential block, where a central
park exists. In these cases, it was accessed
by the residents of the block. Compare to
(Figure 21) in terms of openness and urban
balance.
Figure 21: ‘Amra Park’.
Viewing the architectural context from
different angles reflects other styles that are
dominating the site. Next page, you can
view the other types, such as the modern
villas, temporary steel hangars (actually
used to manufacture glass for the Jordan
Gate towers, etc.

12. 8
Figure 22: Marking the buildings surrounding the Jordan Gate towers’ plot - South side.
Figure 23: Marking the buildings surrounding the Jordan Gate towers’ plot - South-East side.

13. 9
Figure 25: Low-rise Ammani apartment building.
Figure 24: Low-rise Ammani apartment building. Figure 26: Low-rise public/office building.
Figure 28: Modern/contemporary Ammani villa.
Figure 27: Low-rise commercial building.
Along the edge-line of the Jordan Gate
towers, a number of different architectural
typologies exist. The majority of which make
up the residential zoning plot of the region,
reflecting the ‘Ammani’ style in either the
low-rise apartment buildings, or the modern
and contemporary villas of Amman.
Examples on the different prototypes of
these can be viewed in the images present
in this page. Notice how the same type of
building may have several interpretations
rather than one, basic image.
‘Typological thought refers to the whole, to
the manifold relationships among things, to
the extreme and at the same time the
harmonious. It is a way of thinking that does
not refer to the age but to the place. A
place at which borders and opposites melt
together into an intellectual universal.’1
Reflecting on the quotation above, the
relationship between the different built
structuresinanurbancontext(i.e.residential
block, street elevation, etc.) makes up the
characteristics of the setting. As a result, a
definition of the best solution in developing
a plot/site within the study can be easily
supported.InUmUthaina,themajorityofthe
area is considered residential. Hence, this
was one of the major reasons for adapting
a site as a public park for the residents/
visitors (i.e. ‘Amra Park’). Nevertheless, that
resolution was dramatically changed into
a ‘neoliberal’ development.
The commercial strip (existing around the
site - especially the Northern and Eastern
parts) is consisting of a range of dominating
materials. Of such, glazed buildings (Figure
26) or aluminium-cladded elevations
(Figure 27) are only a few of the different
styles present. This, hence, gives a general
idea of the context, and what are the
prevailing activities in the neighborhood
(which leads to the choice of program).
1
Ungers, O. M., “Ten Opinions on the Type” Casabella, 509-510:
93-95, (1985).

14. 10
URBAN
CONFIGURATION
Circulation Analysis
In order to perform a complete analysis on
how an architectural product fits within the
surrounding, an urban analytical approach
is preferred, which includes a circulation
analysis. This is considered extremely
important in terms of traffic and pedestrian-
friendly solutions. The project is located in
Um Uthaina region, adjacent to Crown
Plaza Hotel (known formerly as Amra Hotel).
The block surrounding the site is bounded
by Amra Street to the south, King Faisal Ibn
Abdel Aziz Street to the east, Hikmat Al Masri
Street to the north and Najran Street to
the west. The most important intersections
around the site are the 6th Circle junction,
which is the intersection of Zahran Corridor
and King Faisal Ibn Abdel Aziz street.
It is worth mentioning that the site is close to
a very large commercial zone (Suwaifieh),
which generates significant traffic on the
street network in the influenced area. As
(Figure 30) shows, the traffic flow leads to
two major traffic congestion zones (marked
with the red circles). Hence, Amra street
is considered to be a major obstacle in
running such a large project (i.e. the Jordan
Gate towers). In regards, a solution to this
area is essential.
Considering the nature of a crowded street,
multiple negative effects are observed.
Some of which are in terms of the pollution
rate overall Amman. In addition, an
essential factor is noise (especially being
in the middle of a residential block). Noise
is considered a pollution itself, leading to
the degradation of the neighborhood
and, sometimes, to the urge to sell houses/
apartments and move out of a previously
excellent living environment.
Figure 29: Streets of importance to the project. Figure 30: Traffic directions and congestion points.

15. 11
(Figure 31) explains how the maximum
amount of noise is directly linked to the
junctions that require a minimum of three-
direction flow pathways. Therefore, as
mentioned earlier, the traffic flow is the
direct force causing this kind of pollution.
In order to clarify the exact reason for noisy
junctions, a study of the capacity of each
surrounding street, and the flow of traffic
per unit time, is necessary. Following are
details about each street.
Figure 31: Study of noise pollution levels.
Figure 32: Zahran Corridor - Capacity and flow study.
Figure 33: King Faisal Ibn Abdel Aziz St. - Capacity and flow study.
Starting with the major corridor (i.e. a
relatively long street that links more than
one junction - roundabout in this case - and
has a high average in terms of flow and
capacity), Zahran Corridor makes up one
of Amman’s major corridors linking the 1st
Circle (i.e. roundabout) and the 8th
Circle.
Zahran corridor is a 6-lane divided carriage
way with three lanes in each direction.
Considered a main East/West spine, it is
classified as a major arterial road.
In terms of King Faisal Ibn Abdel Aziz street,
the flow is considered slower. However, due
to the fact that this street hosts the major
commercial strip in the neighborhood of the
site of the Jordan Gate towers, it is prone to
continuous traffic congestions (Figure 33).
Nevertheless, there are still no restrictions
regarding parking along the street. What
this reflects is the need to have legislations
that limit parking to specified areas only.

16. 12
Figure 34: Amra St. - Capacity and flow study.
Figure 35: Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah St. - Capacity and flow.
In terms of King Faisal Ibn Abdel Aziz street,
the flow is considered slower. However, due
to the fact that this street hosts the major
commercial strip in the neighborhood of the
site of the Jordan Gate towers, it is prone to
continuous traffic congestions (Figure 33).
Nevertheless, there are still no restrictions
regarding parking along the street. What
this reflects is the need to have legislations
that limit parking to specified areas only.
Regarding Amra street, to increase the
area, one lane (of the two-way Amra street)
was integrated within the site. This meant
changing it to a single-direction passage,
leading to a limited flow of vehicles and
hence, a street which is more prone to
traffic congestion. It, therefore limits the use
of the distributor.(Access to Najran street
forces excessive vehicular access through
Zahran Corridor and Hikmat Al-Masri street).
Figure 36:=
Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah street (Figure
35) is one of the major North/South arterials
in Amman. It allows traffic generated from
Southern and Western sides to access the
site. It is a 6-lane divided carriage way
with three lanes in each direction. The left
turn from Zahran Corridor to Al-Madinah Al
-Munawwarah street is provided through a
2-lane one-way tunnel. How the junction
works is shown in (Figure 37).
Conversely, the complexity of the junction
is not considered an optimum solution
in terms of accessing Amra street. An
‘X-condition’ is obvious (as the purple circle
shows in ‘Figure 37’), affecting both Zahran
Corridor and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah
street. In addition to the transformation from
a 2-lane to a 1-lane Amra street, the traffic
gridlock condition is covered along the
entire street. At this point, we question how
the residents of the street (and adjacent
local distributors) are able to commute
freely.Figure 37: Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah St. congestion point.

17. 13
Figure 38: Najran and Hikmat Al-Masri streets.
Figure 39: Najran St. and Hikmat Al-Masri St. - Junction.
Hikmat Al-Masri street is located on
the northern boundary of the site. It is
considered as a local distributor, serving a
limited number of buildings in the region. It
is an undivided two-way street which serves
the residential units, the San Rock Hotel and
a commercial strip. It has one of the main
entrances of the project.
It has three levels: two perpendicular
tunnels and the main street above. Traffic
volume using this junction during the peak
hours are very high.
On the other hand, or basically the
perpendicular direction, Najran Street is
located to the western boundary of the
project. It is considered as a local distributor,
which serves the site directly. It has a
longitudinal slope of more than 5%. This is
considered important in terms of drainage
and water management.
In terms of the most important junction in
the urban context of the Jordan Gate
towers’ plot, the 6th Circle junction is one
of the most important roundabouts along
Zahran Corridor.
Figure 41: Accessibility to/from the site.
Figure 40: Najran St. and Hikmat Al-Masri St. - Junction.
At the current state of the Jordan Gate
towers, the project is made accessible
from different locations, considering both
vehicles and pedestrians. Unfortunately,
the question remains about whether it will
stay a safe environment after the operation
of the Jordan Gate ‘twin-towers’.
The area is considered an active residential,
commercial and pass-by zone. As part
of Amman and its young generation’s
behavior, the youth generation participate
in a variety of night activities. Of which
are car drifting (considered dangerous -
especially due to the presence of children/
youngsters), to-go coffee drinking and
shopping.

18. 14
Relationship with the City
A high-rise architectural development,
regardless of the function it occupies,
has always a relationship with the city.
This relationship, anyhow, has different
dimensions; including visual interaction,
physical interaction and human-scale
in perceiving the project. Starting with
what the Jordan Gate towers consist of,
it includes the podium which connects
the two towers and shows the four levels
above ground, and the four-floor-high
underground parking. Towards the west
are the neighboring villas and apartments.
where one can see the water tank and
tower ‘Hawoz’ to the East, which supplies
the neighborhood. The two towers rise
above the white stone buildings (the
dominating material) –almost 10 times the
typical height.
Figure 42: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - West.
The current functional program of the
Jordan Gate towers is as follows:
1) 5-Star Hotel (Southern tower).
2) Office Buildings (Northern tower).
3) Shopping Center (Podium).
Therefore, at the planning level, it is worth
showing the nearby locations with similar
functions. As (Figure 43) illustrates, along
Zahran Corridor, different options of hotels
is obvious, especially the Crowne Plaza,
located exactly adjacent to the new
development. This is considered important
to trace out similarities in the region (i.e.
constructing a hotel/office building is not
a priority in terms of Amman’s city plan,
whereas public parks - similar to the ‘late’
Amra Park’ - are of crucial need to the
balance within a city. Amman is turning,
step by step, to a ‘concrete-city’, dull and
green insufficient.
Figure 43: Landmarks present at the planning level - Hotels.

19. 15
Figure 44: Landmarks present at the planning level - Shopping Centers
Shopping centers are expanding more
and more in Amman. It is now considered
normal to have two-three shopping
centers along the same street. Therefore,
why constructing more shopping centers,
especially in the middle of a residential
block. (Note the contradicting functional
programs, in terms of noise, traffic flow and
sense of security). All in all, the harmonious
character of the neighborhood is taking a
different shape.
The Jordan Gate towers visually meet the
eye from different angles across Amman.
Due to that impact, it was worth analyzing
how the towers are perceived from different
locations, whether from East or West
Amman (each having another interesting
factor - the socioeconomic status of the
region). As a result, the topographic nature
of Amman led to discovering different
realities on how a neoliberal development
affects the skyline of our beloved city.
As viewed from the top of Jabal Al
Lweibdeh, the Jordan Gate towers are
partiallyhiddenfromthevariationinbuilding
heights covering the distance. In addition,
the position of the “Zara Expo” towers
(shown on the left side of the image) forces
some kind of a visual disorder, which drifts
the attention to the Jordan Gate towers,
hence decreasing the superimposed
effect (based on height and materials) of
the distant towers.
The visual perception created here may
distort the actual height of the Jordan Gate
towers, depending on how the perspective
changes as a nearby landmark (i.e. Zara
Expo) offers a closer eye-catching effect.
On the next page (Figure 46) is a schematic
section, showing that the field of view of
a person standing at Jabal Al-Lweibdeh
would allow for a semi-clear view of the
upper part of the Jordan Gate towers due
to the change from a lower-topographic
nature of land to a higher one.
Figure 45: Perception of the Jordan Gate - Jabal Al-Lweibdeh

20. 16
Figure 46: Schematic section from Jabal Al-Lweibdeh to the site.
Another mountain adjacent to Jabal Al-Taj
also offers an exclusive perception of the
Jordan Gate towers. As viewed from Jabal
Al-Natheef, the area covered by the towers
and the consequent projects show a simple
representation of the social segregation
in Amman between the eastern and the
western parts. In the background of the
image above, the typology of the built
environment conveys many differences
and hence, a social inequality.
The visual perception created here is out of
the original context of early Amman.
The material used, the number of floors and
the overall neighborhood does not reflect
the same essence of Jabal Al-Natheef (or
Eastern Amman in general).
The schematic section (Figure 48), showing
that the field of view of a person standing
at Jabal Al-Natheef would allow for a
clear view of the Jordan Gate towers due
to the direct line of vision and the similar
topographic nature of land.
The Citadel of Amman is positioned on an
L-shaped mountain known as Jabal Al-
Qala’a. It is known for being the highest
mountain between the original seven
mountains of Amman. Of course, due to
the height of the mountain, the Jordan
Gate towers can be easily identified from
the top. This allows the residents of Jabal
Al-Qala’a to perceive the towers as a
“non-contextual” project that ruined the
essence of old Amman.
The visual perception created here is
a contradiction to the original state of
Amman. It was used as a stone-oriented city
and an organic approach was adopted in
dealing with a sloped site (i.e. topographic
challenges).
The schematic section, showing that the
field of view of a person standing at Jabal
Al-Qala’a would allow for a clear view of
the Jordan Gate towers due to the high-
elevation of the “Jabal” and this gives an
understanding of the built development.
Jabal Al-Taj (Figure 51), which actually
overviews the Amman Citadel (Jabal Al-
Qala’a) on the right of the photograph,
and Jabal Al-Lweibdeh, provides a clear
dimension of how the Jordan Gate towers
are perceived from the area. Notice how
the original residential buildings are directly
reflecting the contours and elevations
of the mountains. This, however, is being
interrupted by the Abdali Project (i.e. three
towers present on the right side) and the
Jordan Gate towers. The “Le Royal” Hotel
also acts as an element of disruption of
the sky-line/horizon-line of Amman City.
This, as a matter of fact, raises the question
of whether positioning high-rise buildings
on a lower point would force a different
perception?
Figure 47: Perception of the Jordan Gate - Jabal Al-Natheef
Figure 49: Perception of the Jordan Gate - Jabal Al-Qala’a
Figure 48: Schematic section from Jabal Al-Natheef to the site.
Figure 50: Schematic section from Jabal Al-Qala’a to the site.

21. 17
Figure 49: Perception of the Jordan Gate - Jabal Al-Taj
The visual perception created here is
rather brutal and out-of-scale. This is clearly
marked by the action of “ripping” the
constant level of horizon.
Below is a schematic section, showing
that the field of view of a person standing
at Jabal Al-Taj would allow for observing
the Jordan Gate towers due to the similar
topographic characteristics 50 of the two
areas.
Taking the region of Ras Al-Ain, as being
an important extension of the city center in
Amman, it is rather obvious that the Jordan
Gate towers cannot be viewed from that
exact location. Seven hundred and eighty
meters (780 m) above sea-level, and
compared to the elevation of nine hundred
ninety meters (990 m), marking the base of
Figure 50: Schematic section from Jabal Al-Taj to the site.
the two towers, it cannot be noticed from
the ‘valley’ occupied by the headquarters
of the Greater Amman Municipality, the
Amman Electricity Hangar, etc. Therefore,
a proper visual perception is not possible
to mark from a low-elevated area such as
Ras Al-Ain. Below is a schematic section,
showing that the field of view of a person
standing in Ras Al-Ain would not allow for
observing the Jordan Gate towers due
to the slope and the built environment
surrounding.
Figure 51: Lack of vision of the Jordan Gate towers - Ras Al-Ain.
Figure 52: Schematic section from Ras Al-Ain to the site.
Jabal Amman, as the name itself suggests,
is one of the seven mountains that originally
contributed to the formation of the city.
Due to this value, it is important to examine
the effect of the Jordan Gate towers
on the general expansion of the built
environment. As the photograph above
shows, the towers are partially hidden due
to the different building typologies that
occupy the region. Consequently, this acts
as a method of ‘camouflage’, decreasing
the superimposition of the towers on the
view from Jabal Amman.
The visual perception presented reflects
the two towers as ineffective in imposing
a center of attraction (i.e. an eye-catcher
when viewing the western part of Amman).
The viewer is, hence, unaware of the
monumentality of the towers.
On the next page is a schematic section,
showing how the built environment limits
the viewable area of the towers, making it
less imposing.
Figure 53: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - Jabal Amman.

22. 18
Figure 54: Schematic section from Jabal Amman to the site.
The fourth circle is considered an important
node in Amman, where the headquarters
of the Prime Ministry are positioned.
Being geographically close in relation to
other locations viewing the Jordan Gate
towers, it exaggerates the monumentality
of the buildings, and is therefore directly
viewed above the turnabout linking the
third, fourth, fifth and sixth circle.
The visual perception presented reflects
the two towers as the main concentration
along the Zahran Corridor, coming from the
eastern to the western part of the city. This
corridor is considered a straight link along
Amman, making it a must-pass-by street
when commuting.
Viewing the Jordan Gate towers from the
Seventh Circle shows how the gradual
increase in the topographic elevation is
being visually broken by the incredible
height of the towers. This is highly noticed
in comparison with the contextual built
environment, where the street elevation
(i.e. elevations of buildings adjacent to the
main street) represents a smooth increase
while going uphill (in the direction of the
sixth circle).
The visual perception created imposes a
visual distortion of the horizon line, making
the two towers obviously out of context
to the viewer. The distribution hierarchy is
ruined, and thus the towers can be visually
compared to the poles along the street.
Here is a schematic section, showing
how the topographic elevation increases
gradually, allowing a greater field of view,
keeping the built environment within a fixed
range of floor levels.Figure 55: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - Fourth Circle.
Below is a schematic section, showing how
the topographic nature of the relationship
is not greatly effective due to the location
(along Zahran Corridor - opened and
visually clear rather than being blocked by
the built environment surrounding).
Figure 56: Schematic section from the Fourth Circle to the site.
Figure 57: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - Seventh Circle.
Figure 58: Schematic section from the Fourth Circle to the site.
Figure 59: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - Al-Rabieh.
Figure 60: Schematic section from Al-Rabieh to the site.

23. 19
From the region of Al Rabieh, the two
towers are perceived as one due to the
direct northern-southern line of vision. This,
indeed, shows a new intervention in the
nature of the built environment, and thus
adding a mass, breaking the steady horizon
line. As the image above suggests, there is
a gradual height increase in the sequence
of buildings, stretching until the base of the
towers.
The visual perception presented reflects
one of the two towers and how it forces
a new typology to the region. In addition,
the material itself used in construction is
out of context, comparing it to the natural
typologies present.
The previous schematic section shows how
the built environment is totally different
from what is presented by the towers. This,
then, indicates the superimposition of these
new structures in the region. Hence, the
question of whether Amman is ready for
high-rise developments or not is raised.b
Figure 61: Perception of the Jordan Gate towers - Tla’a Al Ali
The way the Jordan Gate towers are viewed
from the region of Tla’a Al Ali adds a new
experience, knowing that the topographic
nature of the land of Tla’a Al Ali is of higher
elevation than that of the towers. It is clear
that the distance between the line of vision
and the object is closer than being viewed
from Eastern Amman, showing the general
orientation of the towers in relation to
different sections of the city.
The visual perception created provides
the discontinuity of the built environment,
making the two towers obviously out of
context in relation to the modern residential
buildings in Western Amman. However, the
actual message from constructing high-
rise development (i.e. Capitalism or the
power of the large) can be clearly shown
regarding the Jordan Gate towers. Viewing
(Figure 61), we notice how the towers stand
out when viewed from a distance, which
means the purpose of its construction is
fulfilled.
Below is a schematic section, showing
how the topographic elevation decreases
gradually, and although this decrease
should be reason for a better line of vision,
but the massive nature of residential
buildings contributes to the blockage of
the lower area of the towers.
Figure 62: Schematic section from Tla’a Al Ali to the site.
TYPO-
MORPHOLOGY
High-Rise Development in
Jordan
What is Typo-morphology? Why is it
important? Well, Typo-morphology is the
study (i.e. historical record) of how the
architectural development in an area
moved from an era to another. ‘Style’ plays
a major role in defining how the types of
constructed architecture differs in terms
of functionality, need and economical
stability.
It is considered highly important in terms
of knowing the external factors (i.e.
economical, political, social, etc.), which
gave birth to a new typology of building in
the city.
Therefore, this study has a certain AIM:
“To evaluate the public opinion of the
theory that believes in introducing and
erecting skyscrapers to improve economy,
which has been adopted by the Jordanian
Government to stimulate economic
growth.”
Based on the study of ‘Skyscrapers as Tools of Economic Reform
& Elements of Urban Skyline’ , 2007, Dr. Samer Abu Ghazalah

24. 20
Figure 63: Screenshot from the study conducted by Dr. Samer
Abu Ghazaleh.
“Amman’s skyline, as most Middle Eastern
cities, remained intact and had human
scale until the 1990s. Since then several
skyscrapers started to tear its traditional
urban tissue as they became the main
indicator of economic growth and power
in the world. To many inhabitants and even
architects, skyscrapers represent the state
of power.”
Therefore, what are the legislations that
allowed for skyscraper development
in Amman? Below are brief headlines,
showing a time-line of how the laws
changed throughout the last fifty years:
-1966: Law (no. 79) paved the way to erect
several high rise; Buildings between 40 and
90 m.
-1979: Second building regulation:
produced phenomenon which continued
till 1990s.
-1990s: 100 m high building, no restrictions
for where high rise buildings could be built.
-2002-2006: Development plan no
boundaries between sectors and districts.
(Jordan Gate within this time period.)
-2005: Legislations allows for construction
of high rise on any plot regardless of
previous use.
-2007: GAM proposes a new master
plan which defined the zones for high-rise
construction.
Figure 64: Different types emerging in Amman and its surroundings.
Figure 65: Futuristic vision for the city of Amman.

25. 21

26. 22
DISCURSIVE
ANALYSIS OF THE
JORDAN GATE
TOWERS
‘Discourse’ is the better way in telling the
detailed story. In order for us to understand
a whole situation, a great effort in research
and data collection is necessary, to create
a scenario, reflecting a sequence of events
that occurred and lead to the final result,
which we have as the Jordan Gate towers
in this situation.
Our approach depended on the
multiplication of the number of sources in
hand. This meant taking what professionals
wrote and published, what the Greater
Amman Municipality set as regulations
and law regarding high-rise development,
how the investor and developer worked in
making the best profit out of this project,
and many more.
Nevertheless, how would this information
be enough as an analysis, without taking
the public opinion in the Jordan Gate
development? Hence, was the motive to
interview the maximum number of residents
and visitors in the region. This enriched our
approach in dealing with the situation.
Figure 66: Futuristic vision for the city of Amman.
In narrating how the developers of the
Jordan Gate project contributed to its
being, it is rather important to start with
identifying these developers.
The list of the developers is as follows:
–Designer: Consolidated Consultants
–Developer: Kuwaiti Bayan Holding
Company (BHC).
–Financial Partner: Bahrain-based Gulf
Finance House (GFH).
–BHC Shareholder: Kuwait Investment and
Finance Company.
–Partnership: Greater Amman Municipality
(GAM).
–Contractor: Sharjah-based Al Hamad
Construction and Development Company.
“Amman – Neoliberal Urban Management” Newsletter / 06
The New Cities Landlords (Article) – Dr. Rami Daher
“Consolidated Consultants”, led by
Architect Jafar Tukan, is the designing
partner of the Jordan Gate towers project.
How does ‘Consolidated Consultants’
relate the project to the surroundings?
“The decision was to create a low-
rise podium that is in harmony with the
surroundings. The towers are described as
‘minimalist crystals that dissolve in the sky
with completely glazed facades.’”

27. 23
Figure 67: The current-state of the Jordan Gate towers.
As the rendered image presented here
shows, the surrounding urban fabric of
the former ‘Amra Park’ is not taken into
consideration while presenting the Jordan
Gate towers.
This disappearance of the neighboring built
environment raises the question of whether
‘harmony with the surroundings’ was taken
into consideration?
Figure 68: Rendered image of the towers, missing the context.
The ART OF ADVERTISING is extremely
important when it comes to the client
to accept/decline a project. Therefore,
rendered images act as the main image
given to future investors in a project.
As can be seen from the image below,
open spaces within the towers for public
use reflect the essence of ‘interaction’.
However, the exclusiveness is obvious in the
rendered images.
Figure 69: Persuasion for future investors in the project.
Figure 70: The office environment in one of the towers.
The promising images of the suitable
working environment within the offices
grabs the attention of viewers and visitors
BAYAN HOLDING, known as a Kuwaiti
private shareholding firm, was set up with
$420 million in paid-up capital as a joint
venture of Bahrain-based Gulf Finance
House and Kuwait Finance and Investment
Company (KFIC) to develop Jordanian
investments.
Since its foundation in 1999, the GULF
FINANCE HOUSE (GFH) has established itself
as one of the worlds most innovative Islamic
investment banks. They are, hence, the
direct investors in the Jordan Gate towers
in Amman.
Its strategy is based on identifying and
delivering investment opportunities in the
Islamic financial services and infrastructure
sectors of the Middle East, The Levant, North
Africa and Asia, as a measure to expand.

28. 24
Figure 71: Illustration of how investors benefit geographically.
GFH has also led the conception and
delivery of Jordan’s biggest commercial
infrastructure project, the Jordan Gate in
Amman. The chairman of the Gulf Finance
House, Mr. Esam Janahi, suggests that the
bank is convinced about the emerging
economic prospects and investment
potential of Jordan. In December, 2007,
Chairman of Gulf Finance House visited the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and met
the Prime Minister of Jordan. The discussion
was about how GFH views Jordan as an
attractive investment destination as the
country is taking steps to build its economic
infrastructure.
Mr. Janahi said, commenting on their
recent investment in Amman, Jordan at
that time:
“We first invested two years ago when
we launched the Jordan Gate and Royal
Village projects in and around the capital
city of Amman. We are pleased to say
that both of these projects are proceeding
satisfactorily.”
“ … over 40% of the construction work has
been completed. The twin towers are due
to be completed in 2008.”
Figure 72: Logo of the Gulf Finance House Investment Bank.
WHO ARE AL HAMAD GROUP OF
COMPANIES?
Al Hamad Group of Companies has
been at the forefront of the construction
industry for more than 20 years and has the
capability to carry out design, execution,
and maintenance of both conventional
and turnkey construction projects with a
workforce of over 18,000 employees in the
Middle East.
Figure 73: Logo of the Al Hamad Group - Construction company.

29. 25
The Jordan Gate project is currently on
hold due to financial difficulties that are
said to be solved and continued starting
from January 2013.
The Groups in-house capability to design
and execute all activities related to the
construction industry, from pre-tendering
conceptual stage, through design and
construction to hand over to the client “is
a feature that distinguishes the group from
most other companies in their field.”
Figure 74: Construction of the Jordan Gate towers - Early phase.
C u r r e n t
s t a t e
of the
J o r d a n
G a t e
towers
GREATER AMMAN MUNICIPALITY:
During September 2006, GAM’s Mayor
Omar Al-Maani suspended works in the
Jordan Gate project --> no proper licensing
given.
The Municipality withdrew from the
partnership and sold its 10% stake to
Bayan Holding Company. The project
posed challenges to GAM, including the
inappropriate location in the city, approved
by the previous administration of GAM.
Below is the cover of the report that came
out in response to the improper regulations
in building towers.
Figure 75: Cover of the report issued in 2007, entitled ‘High Rise
Towers: An Integral Part of Amman’s Urban Landscape.
The Greater Amman Municipality
suggested the vision of making the city
‘an organized city with a soul’. From such
a vision, several aspirations were set to
regulate the development of Amman.
Some of the aspirations mentioned in a
report about High-Density Mixed Use, 2007
include:
–A Green and Pedestrian City.
–A City built to a Human Scale.
–An Inclusive and Multi-Cultural City.
–A Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly
City.
TheGreaterAmmanMunicipalitypresented
this new vision of the city based on previous
decisions, that did not work out beneficial.
One of the main reasons of presenting this
change are the Jordan Gate towers in the
region of Um Uthaina, were it is said by the
former GAM Mayor Omar Maani that no
proper licensing was issued for the project.
What is the order in events happening in
regard of the Jordan Gate towers (from the
GAM point of view)?
–Partnership between the Kuwait
Investment and Finance Company, Gulf
Finance House and GAM.
–Withdrawal from the partnership by selling
the 10% shares to Kuwaiti Bayan Holding
Company (JD 10.5 Million for the shares).
Figure 76: Logo of the Greater Amman Municipality

30. 26
Howthestatedealswiththecurrentsituation
is based on a planning program, which is
set to serve the city in three different levels,
each tackling a ratio of the whole. This is,
hence, divided into three simultaneous
categories:
– Metro Growth Strategy; dealing
with the entire region of Amman
and identifying the growth centers,
corridors and policies.
Figure 77: Metro Growth Strategy - Amman, Jordan.
– Growth Area Master Plans; After
choosing the growth centers, the
detailed master plans are being
generated.
Figure 78: Growth Area Master plans - Amman, Jordan.
– Intensification Plans; For selected
corridors and sites across the city.
Figure 79: Intensification plans - Amman, Jordan.
In order to go gradually through the
process of planning, the Greater
Amman Municipality suggests the use
of a participatory / community-based
approach. This, indeed, requires the input
of multiple stakeholders in the decision
making process.
The stakeholders involved in the process
are:
–City Council.
–Citizens, Civil Society and NGO’s.
–Business Community, including Investors.
–GAM Employees.
–Central Government Agencies.
–National Political Leadership.
–Professional Associates.
–International Donors.
As the report from the Greater Amman
Municipality states, ’Collectively, the
projects would have had major negative
impact on’:
– The existing, predominantly four-storey
buildings; urban form and character of
Amman.
– The infrastructure and transportation
system.
OBSERVATION:
–The projects are having these major
negative impacts already, as the previous
layers of transportation analysis, building
heights analysis and typological analysis
suggest.

31. 27
Greater Amman Municipality suggests
that towers are an essential component of
thriving, modern cities. How?
1) Encourage intensification of growth
(instead of sprawl).
2) Represent smart growth.
3) Address real and emerging market
demands and meets the interest of
investors.
There is a cumulative impact of the
proposed towers relative to Zahran’s
corridor. The diagram below describes how
the traffic (i.e. part of the infrastructure and
transportation system analysis) is defined.
The diagram below (Figure 80) represents
Zahran’s corridor and the traffic status
linking each roundabout with another. As
can be seen, the traffic in the region of the
Jordan Gate towers is critical and gridlock
(i.e. severe road congestion and critical to
find a solution.
Figure 80: Traffic situation along Zahran’s Corridor.
Figure 81: Steps in reaching the ultimate solution for the city.
As a response to the current situation
and the negative impact that unresolved
solutions had on the city, Greater Amman
Municipalitysuggestedanewmethodology
to follow, in order to take the correct
decision regarding future development
projects in Amman.
The following model describes the process,
starting with the vision until the local input
to it. Therefore, the approach is as follows:
•Protecting the complementing the city’s
heritage and antiquities.
•Complementing Amman’s unique urban
fabric and topography.
•Maintaining public views of key landmarks
and vistas.
•Protecting existing, stable neighborhoods.
•Ensuring land-use compatibility with
adjacent neighborhoods.
•Promotingmixed-useinordertoencourage
pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.
•Can be serviced efficiently without
overloadingAmman’sexistinginfrastructure
– water, sewage and storm water systems.
•Ensuring and promoting “green”
environmental standards.
•Providing for safe and efficient

32. 28
transportation access to public transit as
well as sufficient on-site parking.
•Encouraging high-quality architectural
design.
Figure 82: Different sketches in terms of topographic concerns.
Concerns for the location of high-rise
buildings in Amman has started since the
1987 Comprehensive Development Plan
for the city. This concern lead to different
theories about whether to position high-rise
buildings on the highest / middle-high
/ lowest elevations of land in Amman. The
following slide explains the idea.
These three configurations (Figure 83) show
the different options in adopting high-
rise buildings, based on the topographic
nature of the land in Amman. It is said
that the monumentality is less effective by
positioning the high-rise buildings lower in
valleys. This raises the question of ’What is
the effect of such a combination on the
visual clarity for the buildings positioned on
the upper and middle-high land?’
Figure 83: Variation in positioning high-rise developments.
Protecting the topographic-challenging
nature of Amman, the Greater Amman
Municipality introduced new studies on
whether to position futuristic high-rise
architectural development up/mid/low-
hill. This introduced different 3-dimensional
studies (Figure 84), showing how view
corridors are important to maintain as part
of the Ammani heritage. However, the
negativity of such a solution is still a complex
issue to solve.
Figure 84: 3-D analysis on the impact of high-rise positioning.

33. 29
Figure 85: Different types of areas, regarding further development.
The rationale behind having this kind of
arrangement by the Greater Amman
Municipality has different dimensions. These
include the importance of addressing a
cross-section of urban conditions, which
means that the inner city is regenerated,
the periphery is being intensified and the
outer city is expanded further. However,
this cannot be achieved without setting
a requirement of having the existing and
future-planned public transit close to such
developments.
In addition, to create the correct balance
in the city, an equalized Northern and
Southern Amman is a must, which hence
distributes the development across
Amman. In regards, this balance is not
achieved unless new public green spaces
are planned and built, to work in parallel
with new tower construction. This, hence,
can be accessible and keeps on the variety
within the city. A huge negative impact
was created by the Jordan Gate towers’
development, which caused irritation and
Figure 86: Regeneration areas (infill); within the urban envelope.
Figure 87: Intensification areas (outfill); on the periphery.

34. 30
Figure 88: Greenfield areas (expansion); outside the urban area.
and dissatisfaction for the surrounding
stable neighborhood. In this sense, high-
quality urban and architectural design
is encouraged (i.e. ethical practice of
knowledge).
This importance on how the neighborhood
plays a major role in further construction
in the region gave more potential in
the study. For example, the analysis of
having the same built-up area (in terms of
functions and users’ occupation) in either
vertically-expanded towers (i.e. smaller
surface area as a footprint) or horizontally-
spread high-rise buildings (i.e. larger
surface area as a footprint) showed that
the vertical approach is less-effective on
the surrounding neighborhood. Figure 90: Shorter, wider blocks (large floor plan).
Figure 89: Taller, thinner towers (small floor plan).
VERTICAL: lighter, wider view angle.
HORIZONTAL: Bulkier, narrower view angle.
MODERATE: Original image of Amman.
The study conducted by the Greater
Amman Municipality came up with multiple
solutions to the issue of future expansion.
This, however, was introduced two years
after the construction of the Jordan Gate
towers were constructed.
Nevertheless, in order to prohibit future
failures, the study acts as a decent work of
research in terms of the ultimate solution to
the next generation Amman.
What enriched the information provided by
the analysis is the heritage study that shows
some of the early high-rise developments
in Amman (or even Jordan as a whole).
These include the Insurance Headquarters
building in Jabal Amman, and Al-Burj,
constructedin1989.Atthattime,astandard
high-rise building was compared the same
way towers are compared to neighboring
Ammani residential architecture.
Disagreeing with the Greater Amman
Municipality, we found that the position of
vertical development, set downhill, destroys
the Ammani hierarchy in construction (i.e.
loss in the heritage of how the city was and
still is an organic developing uphill). Taking
the development to the outside of the
urban envelope of the city is one effective
solution, keeping Amman intact in terms of
building typologies, and making use of the
empty, deserted plots (increasing as the
radius of the city increases). Consequently,
traffic congestion due to commuting to/
from work decreases centrally, contributing
to the well being of the residents.

35. 31
Discourse involves more than one
stakeholder. In the process of knowing,
different parties are considered to receive
the comprehensive result. In response to
that, the local community had a huge
input to the study.
To start understanding the fabric of the site,
we planned a survey and asked people in
the region surrounding the site about the
direct effects it has. The criteria that acted
as the basis of this survey included:
– Events and happenings.
– Area’s safety.
– Economical effect of the project.
– Psychological effect of the project.
– Suggestions for dealing with the project.
As the percentages suggest, more than
three-quarters of the local residents in the
region are against such a development in
the region, whereas one-quarter thought it
is a positive economical move to Jordan.
Figure 91: Local response to the Jordan Gate towers.
The way residents interacted to the project
was no surprise to us. More than one factor
played a role in their decision. Hence,
several problem were introduced. Below
are some of the mentioned drawbacks:
– Currently unsafe since the children in the
area used to play and hangout in the park.
– Sun glare is annoying during dusk. Glass
panels act as direct mirrors.
– The rent of the apartments in the region
increased dramatically when the execution
of the project started.
– Traffic problems will increase in the region,
contributing to sources of noise.
– Medical problems due to the dusty
atmosphere surrounding the site.
– The sound of wind in winter (passing
between the northern and southern towers)
is loud and uncomfortable.
– Customers of retail shops in the region
have decreased. On the contrary,
pharmacies and restaurants profited from
the construction work.
Figure 92: Some phrases used to describe the project.

36. 32
Different caricatures were drawn during the
last five years in response to the ‘boom’ in
the construction development in Amman.
Some of which resemble how “outsider
investors” are using the Middle East as the
hub of worldwide investments due to the
geographic values of the region. Others
suggest how high-rise construction is an
“unforgiving” upside-down representation
of the current status of the lower/middle
class.
Figure 93/94: Sample of the caricatures representing unfairness.
Different artists give different interpretation
for a single topic. For example, the previous
examples shown reflect the unfairness in
recent development in the region, making
the rich richer and the poor poorer. At
the same time, others went into a more
sarcastic/comedic response in drawing
and expressing opinion.
As the next figures show, some local
artists presented the idea of concern,
especially here in Jordan, regarding the
slow construction process. These projects
are seen as “far-fetched” for the local
community within a city. Hence, a reflection
of how simple people interpret such a
development in the country is sarcastically
commented upon.
A hilarious caricature drawing is shown in
(Figure 96), where the Jordan Gate towers
have become a new heritage site, open
for international tourists to contemplate.
Figure 95: Never-ending process of construction - Caricature.
Figure 96: The Jordan Gate towers turning into a heritage site.
The Arab world has become a great
opportunity for foreign developers and
investors to invest in. This, however,
made the situation critical in terms of
having the freedom to refuse/object on
the progression that we find unfair and
inhumane. Unfortunately, as an essential
hub in international investment, the Arab
world has taken a different form of what
used to be genuine.
Heritage and tradition in architecture/
urban planning is heading towards a dead
end, which raises an important question in
how would the future generations reflect
on the history of the region? As far as the
situation is heading, the real value of our
traditions will be lost, and re-introducing
it at a later phase would be a failure.
What (might) ease the case is the artistic
approach in recording historic events.

37. 33
Social media plays a major role in sharing
personal/general opinions on different
topics. Therefore, we found it interesting
to try and reach the maximum number
of people around Amman, asking them
about their honest point of view regarding
the Jordan Gate towers’ development in
Amman, and the high-rise-era that Amman
is going through (i.e. different projects, such
as the Abdali project, etc.).
The strategy we adopted involved creating
the best question that provides a maximum
amount of information from the other side.
This meant using an open-ended question,
that allows for sharing opinions, and
triggering an argument between citizens
of Amman, to reach a specific settlement.
As (Figure 97) shows, different sources were
chosen for this task, including Facebook,
Google+ and Twitter. Why? To allow the
maximum amount of users to participate
and be involved in the discussion. A better
understanding of the national opinion is
then obtained.
Figure 97: Strategy for reaching the local social-media audience.
The different responses were as follows:
FOR
•“We need to be proud of such projects
happening in Amman.”
•“We should support and encourage such
projects.”
•“We need to be very thankful to those who
want to make Amman more beautiful.”
•“6thCircleareawillhaveabigeconomical
boom,makingAmmanfinanciallystronger.”
•“It will make Jordanians work in the towers,
and so less unemployment.”
Figure 98: Amman Page - Facebook screenshot.
AGAINST
•“These towers are just a decoration
nothing more.”
•“The towers have a bad psychological
effect on the residents because they are
afraid it will fall down on them.”
•“It will have a big negative social effect. It
will attract some people only.”
•“Traffic jam will occur and kill the area.”
•“Converting a public park to towers area
is not acceptable. They didn’t ask even the
person who originally donated his private
land for public use years ago.”

38. 34
As part of the modern world architectural
concern, ‘sustainability’ has become a
major concept in design, application
and long-term functioning of a project.
The discourse of the project involves, in
regards, the suitability of adopting ‘green
architecture’ measures and technologies.
Unquestionably, each country has its own
profile and economical status, which
allows defining the best method in applying
new innovations and technology. This
profile, hence, includes where the country
financially stands, what are the most
suitable methods, etc.
Figure 99: Study by the CIA on the economical status of Jordan.
Jordan is one of the countries that suffered
from the last world economical crisis, as the
industry/economy is directly related to the
market of the United States of America.
Consequently,thenumbersshownin(Figure
99) reflect the economical instability of
Jordan, giving an introduction to the future
increase in expenses, such as the cost of
electricity generation, fuel consumption,
food, etc.
Regarding sustainability, there are different
types that must be taken into deeper
consideration. The major three categories
are described in more details next.
ECONOMICAL SUSTAINABILITY
Economic sustainability is the term used
to identify various strategies that make it
possible to utilize available resources to best
advantage. The idea is to promote usage
of those resources that is both efficient and
responsible, and likely to provide long-term
benefits.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
From a socially-responsive perspective, a
sustainable society is that which guarantees
the right to a dignified life to humans (Littig
2001). This involves the right of employment,
education, well-being, health and much
more. -> This would support the functional
programming of a project.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
This is the most-common type of
sustainability. In various scenarios,
environmental sustainability has taken
over other types by playing the role of the
comprehensive envelope. The present issue
suggests methods of how to ensure the
continuity of life, by efficient environmental
treatments.
As described above, the different types
are all parts of the greater picture. This
means that in order to be completely
sustainable, the three types should all
be comprehensively applied and prove
successful.

39. 35
It worth noticing the amount of energy
that is being consumed in Jordan on
the built environment. Unpredictably,
the percentage of energy consumed is
around 45% (Figure 101), nearly half of the
complete energy consumed by the six
million inhabitants of Jordan.
Compared to some selected Arab
countries, we are in the ‘average-phase’
if compared to Egypt or Lebanon.
Nevertheless, this is not an excuse for the
ongoing high consumption. Therefore, the
use of economically-suitable sustainable
design methods could decrease energy
consumption by a large percentile,
opening up for a better and more mature
environmental future.
What raises the greatest concern is
the category of countries with similar
economical profile (based on the CIA
Factbook, 2011 / Figure 100). When
comparing to Guatemala, Conga and
Ethiopia (i.e. generally categorized as
‘poor countries’), we have to be aware
that further degradation takes Jordan
to the lowest level in terms of well-being.
Jordan is already suffering from major
water shortages, putting it among the worst
countries in terms of water-poorness, if not
THE worst country in regards. Accordingly,
finding the best method for decreasing
water consumption is needed, which
assists the transition to a sustainable level in
Jordan, thus knowing the best methods to
adopt for best practice.
Figure 101: Chapter 6, Cities and Buildings, Mohammad Al-Asad/Tareq Emtairah, P.179.
Figure 100: Countries compared to Jordan in terms of economical status. (CIA Factbook, 2001)
Going simple in applying methods of
environmental sustainability is essential for
the Jordanian market, as the initial cost and
running costs are meant to be kept in the
minimum range. Next are some of the
methods described viable for application.

40. 36
Initially, the implementation of solar
power costs a relatively large amount of
money. However, the revenue of such
an implementation makes it worth the
investment, especially with the regular
increase in electricity generating costs
(both worldwide and locally). Therefore,
this method would be suitable for the
Jordanian market, and saving the local
environment for years to come.
Methods in reducing energy and resource
consumption are necessary in the futuristic
vision of the built environment. One of the
leading techniques is WATER HARVESTING,
which is achieved by designing and
installing water catchment techniques.
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation
and deposition of rainwater for reuse
before it reaches the aquifer. Uses include
water for garden, water for livestock, water
for irrigation, etc. In many places the water
collected is just redirected to a deep pit
Figure 102: Water catchment system. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/
with percolation. The harvested water can
be used as drinking water as well as for
storage and other purpose like irrigation.
Secondly,animportantaspectoftheMiddle
Eastistheamountofsunlightprovidedalong
the entire year. Significantly, the use of sun
shading systems (i.e. louvers, overhangs,
etc.) is encouraged. It is considered a non-
expensive method in reducing glare and
interior heat, which subsequently reduced
costs for air conditioning. Additionally,
the implementation of solar-operated
electricity is possible, and so more than one
factor is handled. The exploitation of the
geographic and climatic conditions is the
key factor in choosing the best methods.
Figure 103: Sun shading. http://www.spec-net.com
Figure 104: Solar panels. http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/files/

41. 37
Natural ventilation techniques are the
simplest in all energy-saving techniques in
architectural development. The concept
of natural ventilation depends on supplying
and removing air through an indoor space
without using mechanical systems. It refers
to the flow of external air to an indoor
space as a result of pressure or temperature
differences. “There are two types of
natural ventilation occurring in buildings:
wind driven ventilation and buoyancy-
driven ventilation. While wind is the main
mechanism of wind driven ventilation,
buoyancy-driven ventilation occurs as a
result of the directional buoyancy force
that results from temperature differences
between the interior and exterior.”1
1
“Linden, P. F. (1999). “The Fluid Mechanics of Natural Ventilation”.
Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics 31: 201–238.”
Figure 105: Ventilation. http://arch3230mayorga.files.wordpress.com/
As a matter of fact, insulation (in its simplest
form) plays a huge role in sustaining a
project. Insulation materials have been
world widely spread and used, but
sometimes this (rather standard option
now in construction) is being neglected.
This means higher consumption of fuels in
heating, higher consumption of electricity
in cooling and, hence, a disastrous result.
Available insulation materials are
widespread, which makes it easy to find
and to install. Each year, new innovative
insulation materials are invented, both
respecting health issues (i.e. decreasing the
use of toxic elements in the manufacturing
process of insulation materials), durability
and quality of indoor environment after
installation.
Some of which are recycled insulation
materials. How? Well, excess materials
(i.e. leftover materials) are now being
reused rather than manufacturing the
same product again. This is a resource-
saver technique, especially related to
adaptive reuse projects. Old glass panels,
stonework, steel structures, etc. are
dismantled and re-fabricated to be used,
with the same quality as getting newly-
manufactured products. Accordingly, the
cost of purchasing materials is reduced,
and the environmentally-harmful output
from factories and industrial complexes
is reduced. Some examples of innovative
and recycled insulation materials are
presented on the right.
Figure 106: Aluminum foil bubble insulation.
Figure 107: Recycled denim (i.e. jeans fiber) insulation.
Figure 108: Sprayed foam concrete insulation.

42. 38
Among a vast number of case studies, it is
worth coming across the Commerzbank
building in Frankfurt, designed by Foster and
Partners.Whenconstructionwrappedupon
the 53-story Commerzbank Headquarters
in 1997 it stood as the tallest building in
Europe, but what made it revolutionary,
was its combination of form, inventiveness,
and technical expertise to create an
entirely new building type: the humane
and socially responsible skyscraper.
Breaking away from the American model of
deep-planned, air conditioned structures
with a central service core and identical,
spatially separated floors; Commerzbank
tower is flooded with daylight and naturally
ventilated, has as full-height atrium, and
four-storey landscaped gardens evenly
distributed over the height of the building.
Working in conjunction, these architectural
elements unlock the internal space.
Figure 109: Podium plan of the Commerzbank Headquarters.
Commerzbank is a
social, economic,
and ecological
statement in
architecture. Foster
considered the lives
of the users, clients,
and neighbors of
the building when
formulating his
design.
Foster’s social,
economic, and
ecological goals
oftenoverlapped.This
meant compromising
one factor to satisfy
another.
Figure110:SectionaldiagramoftheCommerzbankHeadquarters.
Foster could have designed a cheaper
building than what Commerzbank is
today, but he asked his clients to consider
additional investments to realize long-term
gains. The building’s program enhances its
users lives and because of this increases
their productivity. The ecologically friendly
design lessens the energy costs required
to maintain the building over time. Even
the decision to build in the urban core
of Frankfurt rather than on cheaper land
in the suburbs, continued the growth of
Frankfurt’s development and contributed
to the strength of the city as a whole. As a
result, the combination that added to the
city fabric proved successful. Figure 111: Glazing panel axon. (Environmental solution)

43. 39
Considered to be the world’s first ecological
office tower, Commerzbank Headquarters
relies heavily on passive strategies to
create a pleasant work environment for
its occupants. These strategies include
a triangular (doughnut) floor plan, ‘sky’
gardens, and a full-height atrium that
allows for every office in the tower to
have operable windows for views, natural
ventilation, and daylight.
The four-storey ‘sky’ gardens (which spiral
up the sides of the tower) provide fresh air
and allow for passive solar gain, while the
central atrium space acts like a natural
ventilation chimney for the inward-facing
offices.
Despite the effectiveness of passive
systems in Frankfurt’s temperate climate
zone, Foster recognizes the potential for
technical (active) systems to maximize the
building’s efficiency.
A computer controlled building
management system decides whether
passive or active systems are most
appropriate for use at a given time and
adjusts openings and shading devices
accordingly. Commerzbank tower also
uses water, instead of air, to condition
the building, which saves a tremendous
amount of energy over the life of the
building. Foster deemed the social and
environmental responsibility of the building
as the driving force behind the structure
and construction assembly.
Figure 112: Diagram of truss used in radiant heating.
Figure 113: Diagram of heat loss if trusses aren’t used as radiators.
The glazing system of the sky gardens
was designed to be both a structural
and environmental response. Structurally,
the system consists of a series of vertical
bowstring trusses that are connected
to the steel of the floor levels with slip
joints that allow the structure above to
deflect and still provide lateral restraint.
The bowstring trusses also integrate the
hollow vertical mullions of the glazing grid.
Environmentally, the hollow trusses are filled
with water and connected to the building’s
heating system. This transforms them into
large radiators for the gardens and ensures
that condensation and down drafts do not
occur in the atrium during winter months.
Figure 114: Sun penetrating through the whole tower in daytime.

44. 40
Commerzbank Tower utilizes the low solar
insolation in the region as a means to
effectively daylight the entire building with
minimal glare and overheating from direct
gain. At the same time, the orientation of
the building allows for passive solar heating
for the majority of the year, as well as the
growth of sky gardens, which spiral up the
interior of the structure. The sky gardens
themselves are a direct response to solar
orientation with the warmer south facing
gardens containing plants and trees
which are prevalent in the temperate
Mediterranean, the western gardens
containing species from North America,
and the cooler east facing sky gardens
containing plants more native to the
Frankfurt region.
Passive Solar: Large glass facades
surrounding the sky gardens and offices
allow for direct and indirect solar gain
throughout Commensurate for the majority
of the year when heating is desired.
Shading devices and ventilation systems
are utilized to counter overheating.
When conditions are too cold for passive
strategies to be an effective means for
creating thermal comfort, heating is
provided by ordinary, thermostatically
controlled panel radiators below the
windows.
Therefore, it is essential not to compromise a
certain type of system while constructing a
project. Due to the continuously changing
atmosphere/climate, it is necessary to
have a backup system in harsh weather
conditions.
Nevertheless, the heating system is not the
only important system to adopt. Ventilation
playsamajorroleinthehealthyatmosphere
Figure 115: Application of the passive solar system.
Figure 116: Application of the conventional heating system.
of a building. When conditions call for a
level of cooling in Commensurate tower,
passive and active internal ventilation is
utilized to extract heat along with night
flushing and radiant cooling.
Natural ventilation as a means for aiding
in thermal comfort in Commensurate is
possible for roughly 60% of the year. This is
a result, thanks in large part to four twelve-
story atrium spaces in which windward and
leeward sky gardens take in and exhaust
fresh air using cross ventilation and stack
effect.
When analyzing the environmental systems
withinCommerzbankTower,it’sworthnoting
that the number one goal of Foster’s design
is to create a pleasant work environment
for the building’s 2,000+ occupants as a
means of increasing worker productivity.
While this significantly increases up-front
building costs of the skyscraper, in the grand
scheme of Commerzbank’s expenses,
worker salaries significantly outweigh any
Figure 117: Commerzbank HQ is within the comfort zone.

45. 41
construction costs over a prolonged period
of time. Therefore, it can be assumed
that the documented increases in worker
productivity from abundant daylighting
and views to the outside makes Foster’s
scheme financially justifiable.
Commerzbank’suseofthedoughnutplanin
conjunction with the four-story sky gardens
allows for every office in the building to be
daylit with an unobstructed view to the
Figure 118: Commerzbank HQ floor plan and perspective sketch showing how light penetrates the building.
outdoors. Full height windows and shallow
floor plates ensure that the amount of
natural light penetrating into the building is
sufficient enough to substitute for artificial
lighting through the majority of the workday.
Frankfurt, Germany’s low solar insolation
and diffuse lighting conditions make
daylighting an incredibly effective
environmental response in that glare and
unwanted direct solar gain in the region
is minimal.
Whilethemajorityofmodernskyscrapersrely
heavily on the use of massive mechanical
systemstoheat,cool,andcirculateairwithin
the building, Commerzbank Tower utilizes
natural ventilation as a primary means
for creating year-round thermal comfort.
Natural ventilation in Commerzbank occurs
at multiple scales, ranging from individual
rooms to several building stories, which vary

46. 42
based on climatic conditions.
When looking at the building section as
a whole, it appears as though the entire
central atrium space acts like a giant
chimney with air being exhausted out the
top of the building by way of stack effect.
While this was Foster’s original intention
when designing the building, the incredible
scale of the space would have resulted in
a powerful updraft of air that would have
been undesirable for the building patrons.
Consequently, in the final design, the
atrium is segmented by glass decks into
four twelve-story spaces, each consisting
of three deliberately positioned
sky gardens.
Figure 119: Commerzbank HQ central atrium ventilation (left), winter sky garden ventilation (middle) and summer ventilation (right).
In this particular scheme, fresh air enters the
building through windward gardens at the
bottom of every twelve-story segment, and
exhausted out of leeward gardens at the
top of them. The glass decks are completely
sealed off from the atrium space below,
divorcing them from the tower’s natural
ventilation process, which includes both
cross-ventilation and a limited amount of
stack effect.
The means by which natural ventilation
occurs in the tower section varies for the
cold winter and warm summer months. In
cold winter conditions, sky garden windows
are closed to store heat, but are reopened
to let in desirable breezes when conditions
warm up. In both circumstances, warm air
rises up and out of the building to naturally
ventilate the interior.
One of the main reasons as to why
Commerzbank Tower is considered to be
the first “ecological skyscraper” is that
passive strategies are utilized at all scales
ranging from window detailing to the full-
height atrium. Typically, modern office
buildings full of heat-producing machinery
have a higher demand for cooling, but
Frankfurt winters typically require heating
as well.
Foster responds to this dichotomy of needs
in the cladding system by utilizing double
skin glazing with ventilated cavity spaces,
operable casements, and Venitian blinds.
Whenever heating is desired, exterior vents
are closed to allow heat to build up in the
cavity spaces, which protects against cold
winds while improving the thermal insulating
properties of the windows by as much as
20%. When cooling is required, the cavity
vents and operable casements are opened
to allow for natural ventilation with cool air
entering low and warm air exiting high after
circulating through the office.
Figure 120: Passive Heating/Cooling/Ventilation systems.

47. 43
Whilepassivestrategiesforheating,cooling,
andventilationareeffectivelyimplemented
in Commerzbank office spaces for the
majority of the year, Frankfurt’s cold winter
months and hot summer period require
active systems as a means to create
thermal comfort within the tower. When
in active modes (as determined by the
central building management system),
Commerzbank offices utilize radiant floor
heating to effectively warm objects instead
of air, and chilled (water) panel ceilings to
cool the space in a more energy efficient
manner than the forced-air alternatives.
Spiraling up the sides of the building,
Commerzbank tower`s nine four-story sky
gardens occupy three different faces,
which all have distinct solar orientations.
With gardens oriented to the south, east
Figure 121: Active Heating/Cooling/Ventilation systems.
and west, the design team recognized
early on that plantings from different
climates would be required to respond to
the varying levels of solar exposure.
The south facing gardens, which receive
the most amount of solar gain throughout
the year consist primarily of Mediterranean
plantings including olive trees, cypresses,
and a ground cover of thyme. The west
facing gardens, which receive a significant
amount of afternoon sun throughout the
year are filled with north American plants
including acarias, evergreen oaks and
ornamental grasses.
The northeast facing gardens, which
receive very little to no sun over the course
of the year are composed of various Asian
plantingsthatthriveinshadedenvironments
such as bamboo.
Figure 122: Different gardens, arranged along the tower based on the orientation.

48. 44
GENERAL
VISION
Understanding Space
After understanding the site well, either by
physical site analysis or by the discourse of
the city, the investors or the residents in the
region, one can build upon the research
material. Having a vision in a project is
necessary to start visualizing ideas, and
transferring what once was a mental image
to a physical interpretation that matures
and develops into the final product of
design.
In the formation of the concept design, the
first phase includes a statement of design,
which reflects how the student/architect
wants to tackle a certain problem, or a
specific functional program. As a matter of
fact, the vision comes upon the previously-
explained site and discursive analysis. Thus,
the individual can manage to find the best
solution, or the optimum solution in an area.
This is based on its context, inhabitants,
drawbacks and strengths.
Consequently, once the vision is clear, the
functional program and the target users
reflect to it, thus the architectural design
work starts and transitions from one level to
another, until the final product is done (i.e.
the final design stage).
Figure 123: Illustration describing the main vision of the project.
The illustration above is a brainstorming
image of my vision to the project. As a
result, the vision statement is:
“The act of sculpting
permeability of knowledge,
through TRANSFORMATION OF
SPACE. In order for the society
to contribute to the success of
the project, it is a major duty to
re-from the understanding of this
space.”(Reflecting on the towers).
The approach taken to deal with this project
was to re-articulate how it interferes with
the surroundings, regarding the materials
used in the building process, the functional
program of the project and the distance
kept between the society and the business
profile of the towers.
Challenging enough, the Jordan Gate
towers have many strings attached,
which makes tackling each and every
issue essential in keeping the project
comprehensive. Amman, as a whole, is
effected by skyscrapers, knowing that it
has not been exposed to such massive
structures. On the other hand, the targeted
users of the project are concerned with the
spatial configuration inside, making up the
direct contact between the user and the
building. Accordingly, the vision acts upon
three different levels. These are the urban
perspective, the architectural image and
the spatial expression that defines the
direct user-experience within.
Figure 124: Highly-noticable structure based on another typology.

49. 45
Figure 125: The Jordan Gate towers at an urban level.
Figure 126: The Jordan Gate towers at an architectural level.
Figure 127: The Jordan Gate towers at the spatial level.
To a major number of Ammani residents, the
project is currently an eye-sore, and in order
for it to be an icon it has to be aesthetically
acceptable, and should reflect what the
average user is looking forward to have in
his/her city.
An icon is usually related to a sculptural
element, and this exactly is the purpose of
giving the towers a character of their own.
Behavioral patterns of users within space
can prove a space successful or a failure.
Therefore, the application of humanistic
studies in altering the space based on
behavioral patterns increases tolerance of
suchalargearea,removingtheunbearable
difference of scale.

50. 46
From a spatial perspective, the adaptation
of the original spatial value of the Jordan
Gate towers is necessary for adopting
a new theme, function and hierarchy.
Therefore, from analysing the case
study “1315 Parktree” (shown below),
TRANSFORMATION OF SPACE produces a
totally different spatial configuration, which
diverts the behavior pattern towards the
project:
- Tangible; through physical behavior (or
motion) within/about the space.
- Intangible; through mind mapping and
understanding the value the SCULPTURE OF
KNOWLEDGE holds.
Figure 128: The original state of the current 1315 Parktree.
1315 Parktree is an adaptive reuse of a
1985 office structure transformed into a
high performance civic-focused building.
Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta
across from the High Museum of Art, the
new building continues to house the
Peachtree Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton
County Public Library. It introduces a new
street-level tenant space occupied by the
Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA).
The Midtown Atlanta location was chosen
for its reuse challenge, understanding
that reusing and retrofitting an existing
building with an average level of energy
performance almost always offers
environmental saving over demolition
and more energy-efficient over a new
construction.
The 1600 square-foot facility was
deconstructed, revealing the concrete
structure and diverting over 80% of the
furnishing, finishes and demolition debris
from landfills. Perkins+Will is able to match
materials for reuse with local needs.
Figure 129: The change that took place in the design.
The 5th floor atrium was redesigned with a
high-performance curtain wall and glazing
system, in order to prevent solar heat gain
and glare from the west.
This change also allowed Perkins+Will to
reshape the structure with minimal impact
and provide connections between the
floors of the office as well as add an exterior
terrace, creating a variety of spaces to
support a creative and collaborative
Figure 130: Facade treatment compared to (Figure 128).

51. 47
atmosphere for office-wide meetings
and events. A steel trellis and motorized
shade system protects from too much sun
penetration.
Figure 131: High-performance curtain wall and glazing system.
Figure 132: Exterior terrace, used as a meetings/events space.
Significant energy efficiency is achieved by
using water rather than air to heat and cool
the space. Cold and hot water is pumped
through small capillary mats in the metal
ceiling panels throughout.
Fresh air ventilation comes from the raised
floor system that covers the floor except
at our core. By replacing large fans and
ductwork with smaller pumps and piping,
both space and energy are saved.
Figure 133: Water-catchment system for heating/cooling.
Figure 134: Capillary mats in the metal ceiling panels.
The working environment within the newly
developed office building (1315 Parktree) is
given importance, as can be seen through
the rendered images of the project,
where the casual interaction is obvious,
with the appropriate lighting. Compared
to the Jordan Gate’s rendered working
environment, it is more corporate defined.
Figure 135: Interior working environment - healthy and productive.

52. 48
After reviewing the case study, the spatial
perspective of change is clear. The way
the 1315 Parktree was transformed is
evident by the action of the users within this
space, which takes us straight to the point
of human behavior.
In reality, human beings actually adapt
to the place they occupy. This means,
hence, that our motion patterns, reactions,
and interaction all are dependant on the
location (i.e. space, since we view the
world in a 3-dimensional perspective).
As a result, the environment that surrounds
us, and offer us the space we live in, is a
main driving force in human-beings being
‘human’, which means acting and reacting
spontaneously. This analogy is also applied
on all living creatures, such as plants in their
habitats, and animals in their territories.
Figure 136: How activities and human responses are related. Figure 137: Reversing the act of space effecting human behavioral patterns.
Regarding the concept of space and
behavior, it is interesting to start and
challenge the normal scenario, which
makes behavior the main driving force for
spatial arrangement.
‘Baby-steps’ are often linked to basic
intuition that a person acquires. Therefore,
thedrivingforceingainingbasicknowledge
is BASIC INTUITION, which is learning without
reason (i.e. without the need of searching
for a piece of information - it is alredy there
and obvious). Therefore, what matters the
most is a spontaneous reaction.
The NEW SPACE conception is
described by Joan Ockman, in the essay
“The Road Not Taken”. It mentioned
how matter is divided into two different
categories:
- Decomposed into simple surfaces and
lines.
- Became transparent and interpenetrating
(i.e. in the form of ENERGY)
Hence, space is understood as ‘a crossing
of movements and energies.”

53. 49
Figure 138: Energies moving through a sphere called SPACE.
Figure 138: Reaching a well-defined functional program.
What are buildings? A question that we
always ask ourselves about. Buildings are
acting space machines, that absorb and
generate energy in the form of functional
outcome.
Forusers,themainbenefitofanarchitectural
product is the functional convenience it
has. Thus, buildings, although physical, but
act as social objects.
- REAL SPACE: Objects and physical spaces
we occupy and move about.
- LOGICAL SPACE: Expressive forms, signs
and symbols.
“What we see of society in space-time
- apart from physical and spatial milieu
- is individuals interacting, transacting,
encountering and perhaps also seeking
refuge.”1
This evolution is based on functional
continuity. Consequently, this continuity
reflects and resembles it with time, which is
guaranteed wherever society, itself, persists
through time.
The physical formation of space depends
on two major characters:
- Positive elements.
- Negative elements.
Positive elements are the figures that stand
out in a space, while negative elements are
the acting backgrounds for those figures.
This combination means that merging the
two characters together, we get a unity of
opposites. A major reference in the formal
existance in space is Ching (in his book
‘Architecture: Form, Space and Order).
Space in language is described as the
‘three-dimensional extent in which objects
exist and events occur and have relative
position and direction.’
1
“Bill Hillier / 2004 - 2007. “Space is the Machine”.
To better comprehend the structure of
a visual field, we tend to organize the
elements within it into the opposing groups
mentioned. It is the same case in directing
a movie, where the actors (i.e. positive
elements) are directly related to the scene
(i.e. negative elements), which makes each
and every part outstand and be obvious for
the audience (in the case of architectural
design, the audience are the USERS).
Belowin(Figure139)aresomeofthedifferent
intrepretations that Ching described, each
showing a different combination and
approach.
Figure 139: Ching’s interpretation of form existence within space.

54. 50
Dialogue with Potential
Investor
In any major architectural development,
investors are encouraged to invest. This
investment is based on expecting the
maximum amount of gain.
Investors are considered “financial
supporters” in the implementation of an
idea. For investors, it is the financial revenue
that matters at the end of the day. For
an investor to take a decision regarding
a project, a sense of guarantee must be
presented. This, then, contributes to the
persuation process, giving the green light
for developers to start implementing.
Concerningthebestpracticeofinvestment,
an eye must always be open on previous
expriences. In the world of investment,
analyzing previous experiences helps in
defining WHAT TO DO and WHAT NOT TO
DO, to ensure the same mistakes are not
repeated.
Figure 140: King’s Cross - London / United Kingdom.
Figure 141: Times Square - New York / United States of America.
The King’s Cross and Time Square projects
suffered from negative investment, which
neglected the social property of urban
development in the region. The two projects
began within the public sector. However,
the pressure forced the developers (i.e.
the private sector) to design projects with
maximum financial return (i.e. offices and
corporations, claimed to nurture economic
expansion).
Therefore, the lessons learned from these
previous case studies include some
common mistakes in investment, such as:
- Abandoning ‘viable businesses’ and
the implementation of non-contextual
solutions.
- Unwillingness in experimenting different
non-conventional possibilities.
In response to the mistakes, proper
investment has a different approach:
- Create occupational functions that serve
the community.
- Encourage commercial enterprises
already existing.
What a better method to show a case of
proper investment than Quincy Market -
Boston. It combines two major ingredients
of success; a QUALITY PRODUCT and
MAKING PROFIT.
Figure 142: Quincy Market - Boston / United States of America.
A quality product of architecture is
considered insufficient if only analyzed in
terms of visual satisfaction. Other factors
that contribute to quality are:
- Emotional Quality (sense of belonging to
a place).
- Behavioral Quality (managing the
existance in a place).
- Functional Quality (satisfying the need of
the user in a place).

55. 51
For investors, a project that has a market
is an eye-catcher. This means that the
investment should feed into ongoing
activities, guaranteeing its sustainability.
During specific periods of time, the wants
and needs of users change. As a result, a
successful investment is one that responds
to the users, and ensures its ongoing
progress by keeping track of what is new
and fresh.
On the other hand, the architect and the
developer play a major role in completing
a successful architectural product, which
sustains its importance and revenue. In
the case of Quincy market, a committed
architect worked hand in hand with the
developer to convince the investor in the
idea, thus leaving all parties satisfied.
Although the BRA (Boston Redevelopment
Authority - Investor) still had clear goals with
respect to completion dates in the back of
their minds, they wanted to make sure they
found the best use for the buildings.
They met frequently with Thompson
and Rouse (architect and developer
repectively), to make sure all understood
the costs and advantages of the proposal.
Jim Rouse (The Rouse Company -
Developer) wanted to try his hand at
downtown development, based on his
social concerns for urban areas + his belief
in a strong economic future for central
cities.
Figure 143: Possible dialogue made between the developer and the investor.
Based on (Figure 143), exposing the
statistics of the project to an investor would
increase his interest and motivation to
take it to the next level. For investors, as
mentioned before, the revenue in unit time
is the major concern. Nevertheless, if the
architect could merge both, the concept of
maximum revenue and creation of a user-
comprehensive environment (along with
the right developer), then the complete
message of architecture is made clearer
and obvious to next generations.
The flow of development in Quincy Market
is shown below.
Figure 144: Quincy Market’s diagram of development.

56. 52
Program Formation
Choosing the right functional program of
a project is a challenge, with more than
one string attached. This means that the
program is intended to best serve the
users, be worth the financial investment put
into it, reflect the context and respect the
community it falls between.
Different steps are used to find the best
program within a location. Sites usually miss
certain characteristics, and finding these
characteristics to invest in is the optimum
solution in hand.
The first step (after finding the proper site)
is to define the STAKEHOLDERS, who are
directly involved in forming the project. We
start by noticing the society, which means
giving a chance for people from different
backgrounds (socially, economically and
politically).Inaddition,peoplefromdifferent
age groups are encouraged to participate
in the process of decision making (offering
each age-group a function for their own).
Of course, not forgetting the investor and
developer of the project, who work in
relation to the architect in the production
phase.
Subsequently, the hierarchy in building
the most appropriate functional program
starts, based on the six steps model shown
in (Figure 146). This information creates a
basis for the development, which increases
its reliability.
Figure 145: Stakeholders included when forming the program.
Figure 146: The six steps of fucntional program formation.
The phase of
establishing goals
and objectives is
necessary for the
next phases. It
makes it easier to
go ahead with the
goals, and filter the
different functions
that could make up
a building, to the
ultimate usage.
The Jordan Gate
towers were meant
to host an office
building and a 5-star
rated hotel. These
two main functions
actually grasp the
attention of a very
limited number of
people, of a specific
s o c i o e c o n o m i c
profile, rather than
diversity.
A main goal set
is to change the
‘limited users’
d e v e l o p m e n t ’ ,
and reform it into
a more diverse
u s e r - d a t a b a s e .
Accordingly, the
project turns socially-
respective.