Jeanne Gang Designs Sustainable Skyscrapers

Jeanne Gang Sustainable Skyscrapers Jeanne Gang is an architect known for her creative designs and innovative solutions to ecological and environmental sustainability issues. After completing her Bachelor's degree in Architecture at the University of Illinois in 1986, Gang earned her master's degree in architecture from Harvard University in 1993. She then worked as a project architect and chief designer at OMA and founded her own firm, Studio Gang Architects, in 1997. Gang has earned considerable recognition for her efforts in using environmentally friendly materials and irrigation systems.

Aqua Tower

Aqua Tower, an 82-storey residential skyscraper located north of Chicago near Lake Michigan, comprises 5,100 m² of retail and office space, 215 hotel rooms, 476 rental apartments, 263 units, and a penthouse. Aqua is considered the most popular building designed by Jeanne Gang. The structure features a three-storey platform of 13,000 m², composed of irregularly shaped concrete floor slabs that give the facade a wavy and sculptural appearance. All floor slabs in the building, each having a different curve at the slab edges, required individual shaping. The difficulty created during construction by building 82 different slabs for each storey was overcome through software engineering and positioning systems, with computerized digital CAD files and the transfer of each robot's coordinates to the stations used in the space. Aqua was designed as a vertical landscape consisting of hills, valleys, and ponds, inspired by the characteristics of terrestrial topography. The striped limestone outcrops common in the Great Lakes region served as design inspiration. With curved, white concrete balconies and colored glass, a waterfall-like appearance was created on the sides of the building. Thus, Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang gave the skyscraper a sculptural appearance rather than an ordinary box-like design. In this respect, the design of Aqua Tower can be evaluated as a new and brilliant solution to a problem that has occupied minds for centuries: how to achieve aesthetic design in practical high-rise construction. Possibly the most striking feature of Aqua is its curved, undulating balcony projections. These projections were designed to minimize wind breaks so they could be placed on all sides of the tower and to facilitate the distribution of strong winds. Additionally, the balconies were designed to prevent birds from striking windows. Furthermore, sight lines between adjacent terraces allow building residents to converse with neighbors and thus facilitate social interaction. From Aqua Tower's balconies, beautiful Chicago views such as Lake Michigan, Harbour Park, Millennium Park, Frank Gehry's Bridge, and The Cloud Gate can be easily seen. Sustainability was a determining factor in Aqua's design. Gang and her team designed a lighting system that provides energy efficiency as well as an irrigation system that allows advanced water efficiency. Rather than feeding plants with collected rainwater, a drip irrigation system was installed for efficient water use. The architects preferred to use environmentally friendly components and materials such as bamboo flooring or recycled fixtures that provide water conservation. Additionally, terrace extensions were added to the structure to maximize solar shading.

MIRA

MIRA, a residential skyscraper in downtown San Francisco, is another building designed by Gang. The 400-meter tower, just a few blocks from Bay Bridge, Embarcadero, and Rincon Park, has become a warm and new neighborhood in the developing Transbay district. The wavy tower design reinterprets the city's architectural traditions while offering new sustainable models while addressing San Francisco's dense housing needs. Moreover, it develops the traditional bay window, adapting it to a high-rise environment, a common feature of early period homes in San Francisco. The layout and bay windows of each unit in the tower are slightly different as a result of the spiral design. The building was constructed with spiral layers. Sections that gradually extend upward along the height of the tower, in addition to affecting the building's unique form and texture, provide beautiful views, intense daylight, and fresh air. The sections transform each residence into a corner unit by expanding the habitable areas within and providing platforms that allow viewing from all directions of the city. The sections can be attached to a reusable structural panel from inside the building thanks to an advanced curtain wall system that eliminates the need for a tower crane on the construction site and reduces energy consumption and construction disruptions in the surrounding area. At the same time, the sections provide a high-performance facade that is 51% opaque without blocking approximately 180-degree views in each unit.

St. Regis Chicago

St. Regis Chicago, a 101-storey skyscraper overlooking the Chicago River near Lake Michigan, is another building that reflects Gang's creativity and talent. St. Regis contains 191 hotel rooms, including 33 suites, and 393 apartment units. The building was constructed with columns extending inward and outward rather than using columns that progress straight. Three interconnected towers, at various heights, create a step-like arrangement to form the structure. The wavy appearance of the towers stems from the bodies being made of shapes called "frustum"—truncated pyramidal shapes with alternating patterns of different glass types and colors. Its unconventional design gives the building eight corners instead of four, enabling building residents to access light and fresh air from various directions while providing green space above the various high points of the building. Additionally, near the top of the structure, there is a series of "transfer floors" to reduce sway in the wind. In addition, St. Regis uses six tanks filled with a total of more than 400,000 gallons of water to break the wind.

One Hundred Above the Park

One Hundred, designed by a team led by Jeanne Gang, is a residential building in St. Louis with views of Forest Park. The tower, longer than 115 meters, houses apartments, retail space, amenities, and parking while offering views of both the park and the Gateway Arch to the west and east. The apartments were implemented to allow residents to access views of Forest Park and the Gateway Arch. Each apartment features a living room with light from both corners, which not only provides panoramic views but also increases the amount and quality of light in the apartments. Throughout the height of the tower, four-storey layers are brought together. One quarter of the apartments have terraces thanks to the angled design of the facade, which also provides common use areas for the community on the green roof platform. The apartments feature, among other features, floor-to-ceiling windows and LED lighting. The building's leaf-shaped plan and stepped mass maximize performance by increasing directional awareness and opportunities provided by environmental forces, reducing overall energy load and enhancing resident comfort. Prepared by: Murat Soygür

Sources

•https://web.archive.org/web/20150318024316/http://studiogang.net/sites/default/files/Jeanne%20Gang%20CV_10%2001%202014_0.pdf • https://studiogang.com/project/aqua-tower • https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/aqua-tower/ • https://www.archdaily.com/42694/aqua-tower-studio-gang-architects • https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/aqua/ • https://studiogang.com/project/vista-tower • https://studiogang.com/project/mira • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Hundred_Above_the_Park • https://studiogang.com/project/one-hundred