SKYHIVE

City 2040 is a design for a ‘microclimate control tower’ for the metropolitan city of Daegu, South Korea. It takes one of the current urban challenges of the city, which questions whether to focus on commercial or cultural development, and proposes a dual response -  a cultural podium topped with a commercial tower, designed using heat pumps to respond to another urban challenge: reducing urban heat accumulation. The jury writes: “Besides the idea of a mixed-use building - the designer also wanted the building to assist with the urban heat that the city faces. Its heat pumps cause circulation, therefore breaking the heat sink. This idea of the microclimate is a strong concept that should have been developed even further. It is admirable in its ambitions, with a design that is impressively detailed and the concept supported with clear and understandable graphics.”

Tall Pile of CLT is a proposed mixed-use tower for a site located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. The project explores the architectural possibilities of cross-laminated timber, for use in a modular high-rise. To achieve variability in its form, the consistent floorplate is rotated among floors. The jury writes: “An innovative construction idea, the project addresses sustainability in a meaningful way. The use of the CLT panels seems advantageous - and there has been deep thought put into how loads are managed. It is a simple, but worthy concept with intriguing design. The presentation is clear, albeit wordy.”

Dharavi’s Redemption and Rebirth, designed for Mumbai’s largest slum, proposes a podium intended for conversion of waste into raw materials and energy for industry. Waste from future residential and industrial sites provides construction material for this podium. The tower of housing units is intended to be built over time, using capital gained from the waste conversion. The jury writes: “Waste and recycling is a critical issue for the 21st century. The approach to a ‘growing’ building is commendable. However, the actual design remains relatively conventional, and could be more innovative in terms of expression, form and presentation. Innovative and smart, this project takes into account a very problematic  environment - the slum - and turns it into something positive and productive.”