Friday 11 September 2009

Zira Island Master plan _ Carbon-Neutral Resort & Residential Development by BIG

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Azerbaijan seeks Danish expertise in proposing Central Asia’s first Carbon Neutral Master Plan.Zira Zero Island is a 1.000.000 m2 master plan for a carbon neutral resort and residential development on Zira Island located along the Caspian Sea.In October 2008 WAN caught up with the firm’s founding partner, Bjarke Ingles Group(BIG), following their presentation of residential development Mountain Dwellings at the World Architecture Festival Awards in Barcelona, which subsequently won in its category.
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The carbon-neutral eco-island is based on the seven peaks of Azerbaijan and its mountainous ecosystems. Located in the bay of the capital city Baku, Zira Island is a ferry ride away from a growing metropolis and will stand as an example to a region so dependent on oil, that it is possible to live off the wind and sun. The island will make use of solar heat panels, photovoltaic cells, waste water and rainwater collection, and an offshore wind farm.
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BIG Architects' Zira Island will feature seven major structures modeled after the peaks of Azerbaijan that are connected by trails, greenbelts and the coastline. The Seven Peaks will each house a residential development and public space, and there will also be 300 private villas near a golf course in the central valley. Zira’s new skyline of organic buildings will resemble a mountain range that merges with the natural topography of the island.
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Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner of BIG: “What we propose for Zira Zero Island is an architectural landscape based on the natural landscape of Azerbaijan. This new architecture not only recreates the iconic silhouettes of the seven peaks, but more importantly creates an autonomous ecosystem where the flow of air, water, heat and energy are channeled in almost natural ways. A mountain creates biotopes and eco-niches, it channels water and stores heat, it provides viewpoints and valleys, access and shelter. The Seven Peaks of Azerbaijan are not only metaphors, but actual living models of the mountainous ecosystems of Azerbaijan.”
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Each of the Seven Peaks house a residential development derived from the geometry of a famous mountain in Azerbaijan. Individually each mountain becomes a principle for mixing private and public functions.
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Together the mountains form an organic skyline merging with the natural topography of the island. A dense vibrant urban community connected to a series of private resort villages by a central public valley and surrounding beaches. A continuous public trekking path connects the mountains and invites visitors to scale the top of all seven peaks. In addition to the Seven Peaks the Master Plan also includes 300 private villas that take advantage of their setting with panoramic views out over the Caspian Sea.
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Lars Ostenfeld Riemann, Ramboll’s Group Director, Buildings & Design: “Zira Island will be an important step into the future of urban development in Caucasus and Central Asia. By help of the wind, the sun and the waste the Island will produce the same amount of energy as it consumes. In a society literately built on oil this will serve as a showcase for a new way of thinking sustainable planning.
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Following other ambitious eco-city projects like Dongtan in China and Masdar in Abu Dhabi this project will cause the carbon emissions of people living there to decline over the next decade. From an engineering point of view we are just as thrilled by the challenge of letting the design of the buildings reflect the shape of the mountains of Azerbaijan.”
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ZERO ISLAND
The vision of Zira Island is to create a new development that is entirely independent of external resources – in other words a self contained island. By combining the best of the traditional Azerbaijani building tradition with the newest technology, Zira Island will provide excellent living spaces for people, with a minimum usage of resources. It will be a showcase to the world combining high-end living with low end resource usage.

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SUN
The buildings of the island are heated and cooled by heat pumps connecting to the surrounding Caspian Sea. Solar heat panels integrated in the architecture create a steady supply of hot water, while photovoltaics on strategically located facades and roof tops power daytime functions as swimming pools and aqua parks.

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WATER
Waste water and storm water is collected and led to a waste water treatment plant, where it is then cleaned, processed and recycled for irrigation. The solid parts of the waste water are processed and composted and finally turned into top soil, fertilizing the island. The constant irrigation and fertilizing of the island supports the lush green condition of a tropical island, with a minimal ecological footprint.

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WIND
Zira Zero Island benefits from the fact that Baku is “the city of wind”. By harvesting the wind energy through an offshore wind farm, the island will have its own CO2-neutral power supply. Further by locating the wind turbines on sea, it transforms the existing offshore oil industry’s platforms & foundations in Baku into a more sustainable future of wind turbine platforms.
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The Zira Island Master Plan will be a part of the upcoming public exhibition entitled “Yes is More” at the Danish Architecture Center opening on February 20th at 6:00pm.
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tokyo

tokyo's avant-garde architecture tends to the monolithic, echoing the spirit of a city where things need to be big. here are some examples:

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^ tokyo international forum (1996), in yurakucho. architect: rafael vinoly - also known as "the ark." one whole side of the ship-shaped building is an unbroken glass wall. all the criss-crossing walkways are open to the public. it would be a great place for a game of tag.

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^ another view of the tokyo international forum (above).
for more, see www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Tokyo_International_Forum.html (great photos!).

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^ tokyo metropolitan government complex (1991), in shinjuku. architect: tange kenzo - nicknamed "gotham." home to a free observation deck on the 45th floor of each tower (see this article). more info at glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/168.php.

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^ fuji tv headquarters (1996), in odaiba. architect: tange kenzo - located on the landfill island of odaiba, home to a bunch of wild buildings. not surprisingly, it's often seen on tv. definitely one of the most recognized and recognizable corporate head offices in the land. a couple more cool photos at the architect's website: www.ktaweb.com/works/en_fcg.html.

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^ telecom center (1996), in odaiba. architect: HOK architects - my favourite building in odaiba, particularly because the flightpath to nearby haneda airport passes right behind, so that you can see planes suspended for a split second in the middle of the building. very surreal. buildings with holes in the middle seem popular in japan. i saw several others, but none were as grand as this.

Azerbaijan’s Carbon Neutral Zira Island

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Zira Island is a 1,000,000 sq meter island In the Caspian Sea that will soon be developed into an incredible eco-community and sustainably built resort. Master-planned by Denmark-based BIG Architects, the carbon-neutral eco-island is based on the seven peaks of Azerbaijan and its mountainous ecosystems. Located in the bay of the capital city Baku, Zira Island is a ferry ride away from a growing metropolis and will stand as an example to a region so dependent on oil, that it is possible to live off the wind and sun.

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BIG Architects‘ Zira Island will feature seven major structures modeled after the peaks of Azerbaijan that are connected by trails, greenbelts and the coastline. The Seven Peaks will each house a residential development and public space, and there will also be 300 private villas near a golf course in the central valley. Zira’s new skyline of organic buildings will resemble a mountain range that merges with the natural topography of the island.

Many carbon neutral communities are currently being developed around the world, like Masdar, Rioja, and Dongtan. All promise a new way of life completely independent of carbon-based fuels. Zira Island is less of a city and more or a resort, but it still holds the same promises of sustainability and will use the sun, wind and water to heat and power the island.

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Heat pumps, which plunge into the surrounding Caspian Sea, will heat and cool the buildings on the island, and Solar Hot Water Collectors are integrated into the architecture to provide hot water. Photovoltaics on strategically angled facades and roof tops will generate electricity, and an off-shore wind farm will be constructed in the Caspian Sea, utilizing the existing oil platforms and foundations for the new and more sustainable power supply.

Potable water will be provided via a desalination plant, while waste and stormwater will be collected in a wastewater treatment plant and recycled for irrigation. The solid waste will be composted and reused as fertilizer for the island. Many trees and lots of lush vegetation will be planted to create a tropical environment, although no information is provided for how the island will deal with their trash or whether or not they will grow any of their own food.

Eko Prawoto on my task









dis is my task for my architectural critics last year. i wrote bout Eko Prawoto, Indonesian talented architect, based in Yogyakarta. His work based on tectonica and locality concept. living in humble Javanese atmosphere.

Calatrava in Calgary

The bridge is not a typical Calatrava, at first blush I can’t see his hand in the design. When you buy a signature bridge from one of the guiding lights of bridge design, you want a Calatrava.

You want to point and say, “see the tower, the white ribs, definitetly a Calatrava”.

When you get Frank Gehry, you want a oddball, multi-surfaced structure.

Calatrava’s bridge reminds me of a bullet train from Japan or a Christmas candy cane. Its high contrast color does not seem to fit the home of the Calgary Stampede, the World’s largest rodeo. Check out more images of the bridge over at the pontist and let me know what you think of the bridge.

Prairie Style Bridge

I have just finished up a plan for a new Prairie style 2 span overhead bridge. I started to model my plan in Sketchup, both as a way to learn more about SU and to catch any mistakes in my design.

One of the things I am battling against is how “realistic” to model my bridge in SU. By that I mean, do I include the parabolic roadway grade, which leads to showing camber in the concrete beams, which leads to a varying concrete haunch. (The concrete between the deck and the beams, which helps in adjusting for the camber of the beam.)

Each wing is slightly different because of the 28 degree skew combined with the roadway grade. I don’t think anyone could see the small differences in a “accurate model” vs. a less refined drawing but I would like to see if it is possible to build a model that you could use to verify things like elevations.

I also downloaded a ruby script from here, which allows me to calculate volume quantities from groups or components in my SU model. This helps me check how accurate my concrete quantities. If you want to know more about ruby scripts, drop me a line.

Santiago Calatrava


Santiago Calatrava was born on July 28, 1951 in a town near Valencia, Spain. As a youth, Santiago attended the Arts and Crafts School. He then pursued his undergraduate studies at Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura (The Architecture School). Afterwards, he continued onto graduate studies at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland for civil engineering where he received a Ph.D in 1975. During this time, Santiago met and married his wife, who had been a law student in Zurich.

After Santiago’s studies, he began completing engineering commissions in developing various structures such as Stadelholfen Railway Station in Zurich. His legacy of bridge designs began when he designed and built the Bach de Roda Bridge in Barcelona, Spain. He operated firms in Zurich, Barcelona, and Valencia. Thus far, many of his works have been featured in Spain, Italy, Swedan, England, Germany, New York City, and Chicago.

Santiago’s work has been noted to be the union of structural engineering, architecture, and art. Most of his works portray constant motion and even incorporate the human body movement. Santiago’s Turning Torso is inspired from the way a human’s torso would twist; this is a very natural movement (nature), yet used in a very non-natural manner (building). Also, sphere forms are evident in his designs, as well as overlapping layers- most obvious in roof structure (I see it as a hovering/bending-over effect). Glass and windowing are also used to create transparent “space”, which almost creates the illusion of a cut-out.

In my opinion, the works of Santiago Calatrava are very unique and one of a kind, as he combines realistic qualities (mathematical exactness/geometry) with a dreamer-like aspect (the constant movement/flight/rise). The natural world and its repetitive forms are evident through his works.

Turning Torso in Swedan:

The Tenerife Opera House in Spain:

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (the City of Arts and Sciences) in Spain:

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Lyon Airport in France: