Autodesk Gallery: Hypergreen Tower Exhibit

The Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco has a new exhibit, Hypergreen Tower, that was at the Paris pop-up gallery last year.

People

• Jacques Ferrier Architectures // more

Software

• 3ds Max // more
• AutoCAD // more

Related Software

• Building Performance Analysis // more
• Revit // more

Renewable Energy Aspects:

• Wind turbines at the top of the tower generate some of the electricity
• 3,000 square meters of photovoltaic cells transform sunlight into electricity
• Mesh structure reduces heating and cooling requirements by regulating the ventilation of the tower
• Rainwater is collected for use in washrooms and gardens

Jacques Ferrier Architectures’ commitment to sustainability hits new heights with its prototype for an environmental skyscraper, the Hypergreen Tower. The building is sheathed in a lattice skin constructed with environmentally friendly materials, including new lightweight concretes. Beyond its handsome beauty, the skin contributes to the efficiency of the space by housing solar panels (helping control ventilation) and allows for open-air gardens that are tended with rainwater collected by the infrastructure. The laudable intent is to create large-scale buildings with modest carbon footprints.

The Hypergreen concept saw the light of day thanks to architect Jacques Ferrier. This 246-meter ecological tower complies with "sustainable building" criteria:

• environmentally-friendly materials,
• upgradeable construction techniques, and
• everyday respect for the environment.

The structural elements of the Hypergreen — the slabs, walls and columns — are conceived in self-placing, self-leveling concrete that reduces physical effort and noise pollution during the construction phase. The Hypergren Tower's outer skin, a mesh which guarantees the stability of the building, is made of ultra-high performance concrete that reduces the amount of raw materials needed for the construction and also reduces the total weight of the building. The mesh also optimizes the passage of natural light through the building and adjusts itself in line with the sunshine, the wind, and the weather. The northern façade allows the sunshine to enter while the southern façade acts as a sunscreen and protects against overheating. The mesh also channels air towards the wind turbines on the roof and enhances the tower's ventilation.

Come check out the Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco. The gallery is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is a guided tour on Wednesdays at 12:30 pm. Visit us.

Greenery is alive in the lab.