Posted on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 by Allison Byers
CCA Architecture student Anesta Iwan (BArch, 2013) received an honorable mention for her project design entered in “Reimagining Tall: Considering Context, Sustainability & Efficiency,” the second annual International Student Design Competition sponsored by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The goal of the 2012 competition was to shed new light on the meaning and value of tall buildings in modern society.
Learn more about the CTBUH International Student Tall-Building Design Competition »
“There has been a major transition in the sense of the value of the tall building and what it can contribute to the urban realm, and society in general,” said 2011 competition jury chair William Pedersen.
CCA Architecture Course Inspires Project
Iwan’s project, Slip-in Urbanism, proposes to transfer the new and unbuilt air rights into a new high-rise typology located above urban intersections. Iwan produced the project in one of his studio courses, “Non-Stop Architecture Advanced Studio,” taught by Architecture faculty member Thom Faulders, which looked at building/project sites through conditions, rather than through a geographic location.
Read more about Iwan’s Slip-in Urbanism project »
Rethinking & Reinventing the High-Rise
“I looked at the potentials of developing above urban street intersections to create a new tower typology that can be replicated under similar site conditions,” says Iwan. “Rather than generating a piece of architecture using the information gathered for a specific site, the studio looks at site more as a condition that can be found at multiple geographical locations.”
The competition tasked students to rethink and reinvent the role of the high-rise building type, taking into consideration a wide range of multilayered elements such as the local climate of their building site, local social and cultural conditions, and sustainability.
Design Addresses Changing Zoning Codes
Iwan reflected, “Given the increasing demand for space within the urban fabric, new zoning codes will emerge. Instead of continuing to build upon the given footprints, Slip-in Urbanism proposes to transfer the new and unbuilt air rights into a new high-rise typology located above urban intersections.
“Along with the joint air rights, this project sees the concept of ownership as one that constantly shifts over time -- looking at the feasibility to slip in and out of the space -- as opposed to the conventional single-owner towers.
“This site typology also allows for both a rise in verticality as well as the preservation of street life. The new tower does not regard itself as an autonomous object, but rather as one that facilitates the interconnection between the two zones of street and air across an urban network.”