ILLUMINATING GROWTHCaitlin Collins & Janaki Douillard

A Kit of Growing PartsCeiling

Walls

Floors

Th e kit of growing parts shows the diff erent tools we have available to transform this site into a living building. Th e ceiling, walls, and fl oors can be covered in growth of vegetation. Th e make and model of these systems can be very large to a sliver of the area. To create a wall of growth, pockets can hold the soil needed to fertilize individual plants or metal frames can en-close large amounts of soil to allow for more widespread growth. For roofi ng and fl oor, at times the same thing, a modular system is used to create either an intensive or extensive system. Th e intensive systems allows for larger biodiversity, growth, and people to walk on the vegetation. Extensive systems have smaller biodiversity and growth, but provide the same amount of benefi ts. Th e combination of all these diff erent parts allows the vision of a living building to come to pass.

Th e focus of this design is to maximize the use of light in the process of growing and cultivating a living building. A living building is not alive solely because of the plant life that engulfs and pervades the building but in its ability to create a supportive environment for its human and animal inhabitants. Light is a guiding source for plants to grow and people to fi nd their way. It has a remarkable tendency to fi nd its way into the darkest of corners of a space and fi ll it with luminescent warmth. Th is phenomenon provides the foundation for a space that glows and in doing so brings light and life to the nature inside. Natural light nourishes plants and thus pro-vides living scenery that has been shown to be a powerful tonic in helping people recover from illness. But why wait for illness to take hold before immersing oneself in a living world that bestows health and vitality? Why not accept the reality of the biophilic relationship between plant and hu-man life and then choose to live, work, and play in this natural utopia? Light is the mother of the living landscape and our remedy to the harsh concrete world around us.

In the section above, the paths that natural light will take through the building is shown. Large atriums and skylights will allow light to venture to almost every section of the building and surrounding areas. Th e curtain walls and seemingly endless win-dows will permit light to enter at diff erent fl oors as well. Th is will ensure that in the summer months less electricity will need to be used and heating will be lessened in the hours that sunlight is present in the winter months.

Th e elevation to the left shows the vertical gardens on the building. Th e vertical gar-dens create a way to make the building feel more connected to the surrounding area. Th is allows the building to not stick out like a separate entity, but become one with the park. Th e vertical gardens also produce a protection barrier for the building. Th is makes the structure stronger and insulated.

Concept

Natural Light and Vertical Gardens

Sprouting Refl ectivity

As it can be seen in this sun shade exploration, Copenhagen has many less hours of sun in the winter than in the summer months. Th e little sun in the winter months makes utilizing the light that is available during the day imperative. With lighting being of central focus to our design we incorporated as many skylights and glass atriums as possible to create an indoor experience that takes advantage of the natural lighting in Copenhagen when it is available.

Sun-Shade Diagram

Summer Winter

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

Th e rooft op garden on the west side of the building is ide-ally located to reap the best lighting from noon to sunset. Which is when the gardens will be in most use because the culture of Copenhagen encourages people to eat outdoors, so lunch and dinner meals outside will be well lit through-out the seasons.

Th e green roof above the parking garage on the east end is situated so that the early morning sun is not an issue for commuters. Th ey drive into the parking garage with the sun on their back and by the aft ernoon or evening they depart again with the sun on their backs eliminating the potential hazard of direct sunlight in the eyes of the com-muters as they try to enter and exit the building.

A glass atrium along the main building axis pulls light down to the street below, which not only makes for a more enjoyable driving experience but allows for a fl ourishing road median fi lled with growth as large and lush as a red oak.

A Radiant Approach

SITE PLAN

B Line

Long Way Home

Meanderer’s Paradise

Connectivity throughout the site allows each person to experience a diff erent journey specifi cally tailored to suite one’s lifestyle needs. To allow these jour-neys to take place we created pathways that allows people to easily experience what they are feeling in that moment. Th e B-Line path is a straight line from one side to the other and is useful when in a hurry. If time isn’t available, this path allows people to not be distracted by the surroundings and focus on the end point. If time is more available, the Long Walk Home is for people who would like to enjoy their surrounding and get lost in nature for a little while. Th e path allows for people to relax and “smell the roses.” Th e last path is Me-anderer’s Paradise which is suited for people who would like to spend a couple hours enjoying the park. Th e serenity of being immersed in this context is very calming and can positively boost one’s health. Th e long meandering path leads to the center of the park where people can fi nd a place to picnic or read. Th ese pathways are all connected to the building where the journey will further continue.

Illustrious Journeys

Garden Journeys

Program Use

Circulation

SECTION A

SECTION B

Th e programmatic intention of this building is to move from a quieter, secluded residential space to a bustling commercial axis on the other side. Th e residential tower and wing have access to a private agricultural garden and a central opening in the tower that draws natural light down to each of the units. Th e purpose of the commercial zone is for restaurants to use the produce grown on the green roofs in their shops. Th ese agricultural green roofs are situated in a variety of diff erent environments, to accommodate the many diff erent needs of plants.

Th e circulation of the building is designed to bring people from every access point through a dark space and into bright and green living world. We want people to have this experience of rebirth as they enter a new environment full of life, greenery and vitality. From the parking garage, commuters emerge from the dark onto a beautifully lush green roof right on top of the parking garage. From the train and bus stop, commuters ascend via dimly lit elevators into a glass-enclosed skywalk with life literally dripping from the ceiling and walls. And then from the outside journey gardens, users move through a darkened tun-nel before awaking in the well-lit tunnel where cars make their way through a veritable jungle of glowing greenery.

Shedding Light on Plans

Glass Enclosed Skywalk:

provides open walkway with views of hanging gardens andgreen roof.

Terraces: retrofi ted to become greenhouses where more climate sensitive argriculture can grow.

Wood fl oors: natural fl ooringto that continues the theme ofbring the outdoors inside

Crops and wind breaks:

green roofs are urban farms that supply the restaurants inside with local fare. Parking Lot Green Roof:

intensive system to mimic ground-level park on west end.

Brick: to carry the the language of the hanging gardens aroundthe building

Cultivating Garden Experiences

Th e juxtaposition of solid brick and glass paneling puts an emphasis on the transparency that is provided by the curtain walls and windows. Th e refl ectivity of the windows and glass allows sunlight to bounce off of those surfaces and reach garden areas that might not otherwise receive enough light. A walk through the terraces has been transformed into a lush jungle of overgrowth and life by incorporating a discrete glass ceiling which creates a sophisticated greenhouse experience. Th e brick and vegetation creates a sense of connectivity that is carried though the entire site. Th e crops are located on the green roofs for urban cultivation. Th is supplies the restaurants inside with local fare. Since there are high winds in Copenhagen wind breaks provide protection to these crops. Th e wind breaks are wood screens that allow for growth up them and diff erent amounts of natural light to reach each plant. Th is means that micro ecosystems can exist creating higher diversity.

Materials

Th e historic language of the hanging gardens was a design style we thought gave character to the building, so we ex-panded its use around the structure. Th e rich brick texture interacts beautifully with the lush greenery of living systems, so we created private balconies on the residential tower from the same curving brick language

An idea we loved at the start of this project was to create a world of vegetation through verdant growth in overhead planes or ceilings. By incorporating an abundance of living roof, walls and even ceiling systems, the mood imbued by a green living world can be experienced throughout our journey.

SECTION C

SECTION D

Vitality in VegetationHistoric Preservation

Green Ceilings

Photo Credits

A Kit of Growing PartsStairs Wall & Plant Wall http://www.greenfortune.com/plantwall.phpPocket Wall http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/garden-hanging-baskets-00400000064879/Pocket http://weelicious.com/2011/09/01/woolly-pocket-giveaway/Vine Ceiling http://salonmonster.com/blog/?p=674Vine Tunnel: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wj4_ZtoZ3rs/SYeoxp3SJtI/AAAAAAAAAWo/mfopkarDcZk/s400/tunnel.jpg Hanging Agriculture http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/powder-keg/91621-hanging-tomato-growing.htmlModular Green Roof: http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/green-roof-containers.jpgIntensive Green Roof: http://winterstreetarchitects.fi les.wordpress.com/2010/08/intensive-green-roof1.jpg

Light guiding the path: http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/182326Living walls in Church: Leila Tolderlund powerpoint

Sprouting Refl ectivity

ILLUMINATING GROWTHJungle vines: http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/182326Light through trees: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=light+coming+through+trees&hl=en&client=fi refox-a&hs=NlH&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:offi cial&biw=1056&bih=904&tbm=isch&tbnid=dtJRLjd6RwFWhM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.chriscrawfordphoto.com/%3Fp%3D178&docid=eTSkpnNe5wdIyM&imgurl=http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com/fi ne_art/portfolio/abandoned/images/pics/rays-of-sunlight.jpg&w=644&h=431&ei=ntnnTpzaHtGlsALX7K2ICQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=375&sig=118361590564893761782&page=1&tbnh=168&tbnw=237&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=177&ty=52Meadow: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lighting_photography_5&hl=en&client=fi refox-a&hs=wWc&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:offi cial&biw=1056&bih=904&tbm=isch&tbnid=X7RWsyh-oKeA3M:&imgrefurl=http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/30-magical-examples-of-natural-light-photography&docid=Y8TbQGZ0l09IvM&imgurl=http://webdesignledger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lighting_photography_5.jpg&w=540&h=359&ei=ItvnTveAGon9sQKPxPWGCQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=349&sig=118361590564893761782&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=215&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=98&ty=89

Th ank you for your time and consideration