Contemporary cities no longer represent ideal order or the identity of a nation. Through globalization paired with market forces, the built environment caters to disconnected and heterogeneous desires but often does so through indiscreet strategies. High-Rises, as a major architectural practice in this context, typically and merely convey the defensive gesture of market defined guidelines; maximum area in the zoning envelope, efficient structural arrangement for necessary vertical expansion, minimum circulation to maximize rentable space, curtain wall design to unitize the surface, ceiling height in the arrangement of necessary HVAC and other technical needs, repetitive plans, and so on. These efficiencies are only internal agenda within the production of a building, disconnected from the larger context of city, culture, and diverse people. Therefore, the studio will pursue research on the design of tall buildings focused on 1. alternative behaviors (structure and efficiency), 2. modes of generation (vertical growth and horizontal network) and 3. methods of sustainability (skin performance and urban impact). We will propose a prototypical systems to 63 Madison Ave, New York City, with guidance from visiting instructors (a structural engineer and a designer from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York office).

Conceptboard