| Mr. Ali
Kashkooli a PhD researcher of
Architecture and
Structural Engineering at
School of Architecture, The
University of Sheffield, UK, as a team leader and his
other team members awarded Honorable Prize in Incheon
International Urban Design Competition 2009:
1. Introduction
Undoubtedly, the 2009 Incheon International Urban Design
Competition aims to contribute the transformation of Incheon
Metropolitan
City
into a world-class city, which is capable to carry out functions
and roles commensurate to such status. Moreover, it goals to
consider the current urban issues for the city.
The main theme of this competition is a futuristic U-Eco Community
where new technologies, the environment, and people are being
organized in acceptable harmonies.
So, the main design principles of this competition are:
l
Ubiquitous
City;
which can be defined as
striving for convenience and safety in life by introducing very
new and fresh IT technologies. This in turn, is considered a main
concern of this competition.
l
Environment-friendly city;
which means to design based on causing the lowest damages into the
environment and saving the natural resources.
l
Communal
city; which enhances its locality and acts as an educational
platform for future generations.
2. Overview
of the city and site
l
A
brand new city, which roles as the new gateway to
East Asia. Thus, in its design it deals
with the people who will ‘live and work’ in it. People who will
experience an paralleled quality of life as technology, resources
and innovation all come together to create the ideal environment.
l
The
perfect location: convenience and accessibility are two important
factors in determining the new Songdo city. Hence, its location is
a key aspect of what makes this city so unique. Nestled in the
heart of
East Asia’s economic region-40 miles south
of
Seoul- the Songdo is minutes away from an international airport.
While, one third of the world’s population (China) is located in a
3.5 hour flight away. Hence, it is highly desirable to set the
city as an essential centre for free trade and international
business.
l
A
city of the future potential: Songdo is supposed to be a symbol of
Korea’s role as a major force in today’s global economy. A new
city as the newest
financial and logistics hub for
North-East Asia.
Furthermore, most education bodies will be international and keep
up with global standard. Thus, it will give high standard
education for Korea’s future capability.
l
The
basic concepts for development on the Songdo city are: To develop
this area as a foundation for multinational corporations’
Asia-pacific head-quarters and international businesses; To
concentrate and intensify advanced knowledge-based industries; To
create an international business centre that includes convention
centres and exhibition sites; And to plan and develop an
environment-friendly city.
l
The
competition site is located in the part of area 11, Songdo,
Incheon Free Economic Zone and the area is approximately 1,677,704
m² and this site will be playing the role of the waterside centre
of the new Songdo city.
3. The
Off-
Grid City
The ‘Off-Grid’ can be defined as a city which does not rely on
municipal water supply, swear, natural gas, electrical power grid,
or similar utility services. Thus, the Off-Grid city could run
itself by some systems such as, generate electricity (from sun,
wind, biomass and waste), heat (from sun and geothermal
resources), and water (from rainwater harvesting and grey water)
recycling for any water uses except drinking water.
3-1: The Ubiquitous City
4 A's: Anywhere, Anyone,
Anything and Anytime
U-city allows information exchange
‘anywhere’ (at work, at home, within or outside the
city), and makes technology accessible and usable for
‘anyone’ (regarding gender,
physical capacity, or age). It also provides residents with the
capability to connect with
‘anything’ (with the use of intelligent home
appliances, and communication devices), and all of these can be
done ‘anytime’.
U-Cities will be a showcase of the most sophisticated technologies
available in the market such as radio frequency identification (RFID)
systems, smart cards applications, geographic information systems
(GIS), location based systems (LBS), sensor-based computing,
wireless communication devices, home networking, digital
multimedia broadcasting and video conference technologies, just to
name a few. Figure 3 shows how ubiquitous system in normal
activity of city life.
3-2: Environment-Friendly City/Sustainable City
Essentially, Sustainability can be defined as all methods and
approaches in all branches of knowledge, which are aiming to
decrease the waste of energy, money, time, and natural resources.
Accordingly, it is based on three factors as ‘environment’,
‘economy’, and ‘society’.
|
ENVIRONMENT
Balance
between conserving and protecting the environment and using
renewable resources |
ECONOMY
Create equitable but viable economic
systems with an ethical basis |
SOCIETY
Encourage equitability and
responsibility within social and cultural systems and values |
Three key points of
Sustainable developments, Source: DWN by Authors
To be an environmentally friendly city, it should meet the
following criteria: energy efficiency and use of clean renewable
energy, green buildings, green transportation, ecologically
friendly, water management, waste management, social harmony, and
Heritage conservation. All systems and concepts for the city can
be found on design poster as following signs.
4- Design Procedure
The design procedure in this project has been done in
3 stages:
1-Research stage, data collection and different
analysis as: site analysis (location, topographical feature,
environmental situation), cultural analysis (traditions, customs,
and handicrafts), historical analysis (East
Asia,
Korea,
Inchon:
political history, urban planning, and architecture), economic
analysis (Korea,
Inchon:
economic classes and zoning), Material and technical analysis
(local construction materials, vernacular architecture)
2-Design stage:
a. Theoretical design, and brain storming;
analyzing the requirements of the project (investors and users)
b. Design in action; at this stage based on the
results of previous phases sketching in real scales has been
started. Thus, established on the basic guide lines of the
land-use, framework of units has been sketched up, and the master
plan of project has been established.
Following the design of Songdo master plan the different units has
been designed for aforementioned project. Furthermore, all the
buildings have been designed to provide their own energy from
sources as: wind, solar energy, recycling the waste of materials.
To continue, the report deals with describing each unit as
follows:
4-1: Dragon Village
A principal goal of this project is to provide some potential in
the region to attract the commercial activities and business
prospective. This in turn, improves the need of having some
residential apartments for local and international business men.
Moreover, this complex should be supposed as a sign for this site,
and a representative of high-tech life-style with a Korean sole.
·
Shape:
The general shape of this complex has been reflected from a
traditional symbol in Korea and East Asia, which has a deep
history and a large number of stories and legends; the ‘Dragon’.
In terms of sun orientation the complex has been organized in site
in such way that most of the parts of it are facing the direct sun
shine. Moreover, in some parts there are some cuts and differences
in height of building to let the other parts -in the back- get the
sun light and the view of sea.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy and green design, all the building tops have
been designed as green-roofs to decrease the use of energy in
heating and cooling systems. Moreover, wind turbines and PV panels
to provide the energy of buildings.
4-2: Songdo Tower
Undoubtedly, high-rise buildings are the phenomenon of new
high-tech life style and a symbol of development, power and
technology. Thus, ‘Songdo
Tower’
can be considered as a sign for a high-tech city as ‘Sondo’.
Shape:
From aesthetical view, the general shape of ‘Songdo
Tower’
is taken from typical style of traditional Korean women dressing.
·
Structure:
Established on the seismic situation of region and the high
potential of earthquake, the structure of this building is
designed as a mixture of ‘Core high-rise’ and ‘bridge high-rise’
structural system.
The approach of indirect transmission of vertical forces into the
foundation,
Thus, in those terms a ‘High active’ structural system
has been employed (Fig 9). Hence, a core structured by armed
concrete load-bearing walls has been designed in the center of
tower, which handles the tensions of earthquake as the body of
tree, and the slabs of floors has been connected to it by beams,
and cantilevers. Moreover, the body of building has been designed
in such way that by enhancing the high the size of building is
being smaller.
Thus, in terms of structure, these
considerations can provide a strong resistant in building against
earthquake, and wind power.
·
Safety and fire:
In contrast with many high-rise buildings around the world,
In terms of fire or other hazards which lead the residents to
vacant the building, this building has been designed in such way
that there are several places in different floors for helicopters
and rescue teams to land. Hence, the procedure of rescuing will be
easier and more efficient.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and eco-build, all the energy for
building services is being provided by solar energy (PV panels).
Moreover, to decline the use of energy for heating and cooling a
green façade has been suggested for some parts of building.
4-3: Songdo Mall
·
Shape:
From aesthetical view, the general shape of ‘Songdo mall’ is taken
from ‘Caterpillar’, which can be considered as a sort of ‘Bionic
design’.
Accordingly, it has got the potential for future ‘linear
development’
by adding new urban areas.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and eco-build, all the energy for
building services is being provided by solar energy (PV panels),
and wind turbines. Moreover, to decline the use of energy for
heating and cooling green roofs have been suggested for all parts
of building.
4-4: Songdo
Village
·
Function:
This section has been designed as residensial area (Appartments),
and aims to reside the midle economic class of people and
students.
·
Shape:
The general organization of this unit has been designed based on
most efficient sun orientation. This in turn, declines the use of
enrgy in heating during the cold seasons.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and green-design, all the energy for
building services is expected to be provided by solar energy (PV
panels), and wind turbines which will be installed on top of
buildings. Moreover, to decrease the use of energy for heating and
cooling green roofs have been suggested for all parts of building.
4-5: Songdo Eco-Comunity
·
Function:
This section has been designed as turistic villas.
·
Shape:
The general organization of this unit has been designed based on
East Asian style of high-tech buildings. Moreover, the villas and
their landscapes have been organized enstabilished on the shape of
‘Dragon village’as a fundomental part of this site, in order to
keep unity in plan. Furthermore, in detail each villa has been
place in such way that attracts the most solar energy.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and green-design, all the energy for
building services is expected to be provided by solar energy (PV
panels), and wind turbines which will be installed in different
places of landscape. Moreover, to decrease the use of energy for
heating and cooling green roofs have been suggested for all the
villas.
4-6:Songdo Research and Cultural
Park
This section has been design in two parts:
a. The research centre , including
libraries, training classes, museums, Seminar rooms, conference
halls, cafés and restaurants.
b.
The
auditorium including cinemas, theatre halls, sport centres, cafés
and restaurants.
·
Shape:
the general shape of ‘Songdo research and cultural park’ is based
on a concept in East Asian building styles which is ‘Two
dimensional developments’.
Accordingly, it has mixed the features of high-tech design with
cultural and vernacular parameters of region.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and environmental friendly design,
all the energy for building services is being provided by solar
energy (PV panels), and wind turbines, which are recommended to be
installed on top of buildings. Moreover, to decline the use of
energy for heating and cooling green roofs have been suggested for
all parts of building. Furthermore, in terms of ‘natural
ventilation’ and sun orientation the building is designed based on
‘courtyards’ and openings in different areas.
7- Songdo
Industrial park
This section has been
design in three parts:
a. Industrial areas, which has been
designed to be use for IT industries (Fig14).
b. On the top of industrial building,
three floors have been designed for official use of industrial
areas.
·
The
parking section, designed to provide parking spaces for industrial
park Shape: the general shape of ‘Songdo industrial park’
is based on dynamic form in wavy roofs, which reveals electric and
energetic function of this section. Furthermore, it is recommended
to decrease the number of columns in future structural design.
This in turn, can improve the usability of building in terms of
storing and initial movements, and also the possibilities for
future functional changes.
·
Green design:
In terms of energy efficiency and environmental friendly design,
all the energy for building services is being provided by wind
turbines-which are recommended to be installed on top of roofs- ,
and recycling the waste of materials. Moreover, to decline the use
of energy for heating and cooling green roofs have been suggested
for all parts of building.
Summary:
In summary,
Off-Grid City can be considered as a piece of urban,
architectural, and technological design, which includes several
solutions in terms of energy efficiency and waste management, as
well as original cultural values of location, and contemporary
requirements of high-tech 21st century life-style.
Moreover, it
represents the Zero Carbon, Zero Energy, and Zero Waste attitude
in different urban space with various functions as: Residential,
Industrial, business commercial, research, cultural and shopping
spaces.
Thus, the
project won an ‘Honorable Prize’ award in 2009 Incheon Urban
Design Competition.
The
distinction of height-structures does not depend upon a
specific mechanism of redirecting forces as in the case of the
other four structure ‘families’. From this perspective the
‘structure families’ are as follows:
1-
Grid
high-rise buildings;
2-
Casing
high-rise buildings;
3-
Core
high-rise buildings;
4-
Bridge
high-rise buildings.
Moreover, sometimes a high-rise building can be a mixture of
two or more of these families.
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