Megaproject

building design + construction

Kpf Unveils Design For Repositioning Of Norman Foster’S 8 Canada Square Tower In London8 Canada Square, a Norman Foster-designed office building that’s currently the global headquarters of HSBC Holdings, will have large sections of its façade removed to create landscaped terraces. The project will be the world’s largest transformation of an office tower into a sustainable mixed-use building, according to a press statement from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which owns 8 Canada Square, and development partner Canary Wharf Group (CWG). The project is expected to start in 2027, after the current HSBC lease expires, and be completed in 2030. QIA and CWG recently released the architectural plans for the redevelopment of 8 Canada Square, which is located in Canary Wharf, a London business district. In 2023, Canary Wharf saw an all-time high of 67.2 million visitors, according to the statement. The design by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), which won QIA and CWG’s global competition, reimagines the office tower as a mixed-use building. The project will create multiple green terraces and breakout spaces to provide access to daylight, views, social spaces, and fresh air. The 1.1 million sf, 42-story building will feature workspaces, leisure, entertainment, education, and cultural attractions. The project will create a new publicly accessible route between the adjacent Elizabeth line station and Canada Square Park, while also offering views across London from Canary Wharf to the public for the first time. The design concept plans to retain as much of the building’s existing material as possible to preserve embodied carbon and reduce whole life carbon. In collaboration with a range of consultants, the team intends to retain up to 70% of the original façade framing and up to 75% of the structure. “This redevelopment is another step in Canary Wharf’s evolution into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood offering workspace, retail, homes, leisure and amenities all in one location—a true 15-minute city,” Shobi Khan, CWG CEO, said in the statement. KPF is working with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, QIA, CWG, and the wider design team to develop plans and submit a planning application. Here is the full press release from Canary Wharf Group:Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Canary Wharf Group (CWG) have today released the first images of architectural plans that display the ambition for the redevelopment of the iconic 8 Canada Square building in Canary Wharf. 8 Canada Square is fully owned by QIA, and CWG is the development partner. Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the world-renowned architectural practice won a global competition run by QIA and CWG to reimagine the building. KPF will work with a market-leading team across design, engineering, planning and delivery on one of the world’s largest redevelopment projects. The project is set to begin in 2027, following the expiry of the current HSBC lease. The images of the 1.1 million sq ft building demonstrate the transformation into a unique destination, which will include best-in-class workspaces, leisure, entertainment, education, and cultural attractions. The redevelopment will create a unique proposition for businesses within 8 Canada Square, with unparalleled sustainability credentials, excellent transport links and amenities. Set in the heart of Canary Wharf, the plans will enable a new publicly accessible route between the adjacent Elizabeth line station and Canada Square Park as well as offering the outstanding views across London from Canary Wharf to the public for the first time. The investment from QIA to transform 8 Canada Square is a flagship example of the sovereign fund’s vision for multi-use real estate of the future, ensuring that the iconic building has world-class ESG credentials and meets the changing requirements of business for the long term. The building’s changing shape will create a unique proposition for businesses within 8 Canada Square, with users also benefitting from being in Canary Wharf, where visitor numbers are at an all-time high with 67.2 million people visiting Canary Wharf during 2023. Shobi Khan, CEO of CWG, added, “We look forward to working with QIA on 8 Canada Square to deliver a building of outstanding design, engineering and sustainability standards. This redevelopment is another step in Canary Wharf’s evolution into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood offering workspace, retail, homes, leisure and amenities all in one location – a true 15-minute city.” Elie Gamburg, Design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), said: “We are extremely excited to collaborate with QIA and CWG to reimagine the single-use office building as a blueprint for the highly sustainable, mixed-use building of the future. This transformation embodies the ethos behind much of our work, we see it as an integral part of the evolution of today’s single-use neighbourhoods into vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods of tomorrow – an evolution of which CWG is already leading the way.” CWG and QIA will be working with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the appointed team to develop plans and submit a planning application. While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years. Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine. The Victor, as the building is now called, has nearly 400 residential apartments. Urban, market-rate housing that lower-income workers can actually afford is one of our country’s biggest needs. For multifamily designers, this challenge presents several opportunities for creating housing that workers can afford on their salaries. The Mullin Transportation Design Center at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., provides access for full-scale vehicular models, replicating a professional design studio. UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition. AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms. The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit. The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country. About a year ago our industry was abuzz with an idea that seemed like a one-shot miracle cure for both the shockingly high rate of office vacancies and the worsening housing shortage. The seemingly simple idea of converting empty office buildings to multifamily residential seemed like an easy and elegant solution. However, in the intervening months we’ve seen only a handful of these conversions, despite near universal enthusiasm for the concept. As cities grow, their office inventories remain largely stagnant. Yet despite changes to the market—including the impact of hybrid work—opportunities still exist. Enter: “Midlife Metamorphosis.”

mixed-use

Aug 14, 2024

building design + construction

Top Building Products For July 2024Building Design+Construction editors bring you the top building products for the month of July. Collected across a variety of building sectors, these products provide durability, accelerate electrification, and offer simplicity. From the Fast Set Collection of stone panels to Ingenious Plank hybrid resilient flooring, here are 15 products being used in the industry today. — Façades by Design allows the application of imagery—such as photography, graphics, patterns, and color—onto any flat surface, including perforated sheet, linear sun controls, and louvers, as well as custom profiles and extrusions. Utilizing new capabilities in digital printing, the powder-coated images printed on the company’s façade solutions are backed by a 10-year warranty, are AAMA 2604 compliant, and are scratch- and fade-resistant. A dedicated project manager will provide support through the design process from material selection to final image and layout approval. Launching in three configurations in filtered and unfiltered options, the Sloan DropSpot line of bottle filters and water coolers are designed to provide safer drinking water while being attractive aesthetics that suit any commercial environment. While supporting facility maintenance teams with an easily accessible filter, the bottle fillers and water coolers’ filter achieves is engineered to comply with NSF 53, NSF 42 and NSF 401 standards that certify a product reduces health and non-health related contaminants, respectively. The On-wall bottle filler, On-wall bottle filler with single-level cooler and On-wall bottle filler with bi-level cooler are offered in standard stainless steel or black powder-coated finish options. As a brand focused on meeting the specific needs of masons and contractors, Toro Stone targets offering stone options for every aesthetic, starting with its launch with eight distinctive stone veneer collections. With an extensive dealer network and warehouses strategically placed for swift nationwide distribution, the stone veneer company aims to simplify the specification and ordering process while offering efficient stone solutions and consistent quality. This is exemplified through one of the newly launched collections, the Fast Set Collection, as the panelized products achieve the polished look of natural stone with a simple installation process. Other collections available include the Mountain Ledge Collection, Cobblestone Collection, and Reclaimed Brick Collection. As the currently largest LEED Platinum-certified complex, the 22-story Harmon and Merlin towers will house Amazon’s second headquarters, and to help meet the complex’s aggressive performance goals, the glazing on the Solarban 72 Starphire glass windows played a key role. Because it allows 68% of visible light to pass through while blocking 72% of the sun’s solar rays, 3,008 custom single-hung operable Solarban 72 Starphire glass windows were installed across the two buildings. A vision panel, spanning from 30 to 120 inches above the finished floor, has a 2-inch integral light shelf at the top that directs daylighting up to 50 feet into the building’s interior, which helps drive down lighting loads for 88% of occupied areas. An additional frit from Walker Glass—Walker’s AviProtek E pattern places acid-etched visual markers on the exterior surface of glass and Solarban 72 solar control low-E coating on surface two—was added to the building’s lower levels that face Metropolitan Park. An expansion of the Euro Style Restroom Partition Collection, the Skyline Series and Highrise Series combine luxurious design with a fully enclosed, floor-to-ceiling system that is custom engineered to the dimensions of a commercial bathroom application. Both partition series incorporate noise-minimizing features, like soft-closing doors. The Skyline Euro Style partitions are made from enameled tempered glass available in a variety of colors to bring light and brightness into the restroom. Made of water-resistant Phenolic LT material, the Highrise Euro Style series also offers LED occupancy indicators that turn from green to red. Designed to fit any building application seamlessly, the two models of Architectural Canopies can protect entrances from the elements and minimize the effects of the sun’s rays. Lightweight and built with 100% aluminum components that are functional, durable and aesthetically appealing, both the C800H and C800SH are 8-inch deep and available in preconfigured projections of 24, 36, 48, 60 or 72 inches. The C800H canopy allows for optional rain gutter for water control, while the C800SH features a visually pleasing flat soffit deck that incorporates interior and exterior rain gutters for water control. Designed to provide safe delivery services in hospitality and healthcare settings, LG CLOi ServeBot, an autonomous, door-type service robot, can perform simple and repetitive delivery tasks to reduce the burden on staff. Its four-door/internal compartment design holds items weighing up to 30kg and can be set to open or close automatically during operation; the robot can tell when a delivery has been completed due to internal camera sensors. An expanded operational coverage allows the robot to utilize elevators to move between floors for deliveries as well as to escort customers to a given destination and offer voice guidance for sight-impaired users. Connected Power allows building managers across North America to monitor, manage and automate a building’s power usage at the plug level, autonomously powering down unused outlets based on space usage or occupancy data. The solution also addresses workplace safety by ensuring equipment is powered down when not needed, detecting outlet temperatures to identify potential issues, and can send remote alerts if a business-critical device shuts off unexpectedly. In addition to being used as a stand-alone portal that can directly manage and control up to 2,500 outlets, the solution can be integrated into most existing building management systems. Prefabricated construction is challenging traditional paradigms in commercial construction and is no longer merely synonymous with flat box building designs, as a recent case study explores. Benefits to pre-fab include predictability, time efficiency, cost savings and reduced environmental burden. Showcasing pre-fab construction technique, the Union on 24th student housing high rise met the architects’ objective to deliver a finished look that was elegant yet low-maintenance and on time even with an aggressive project schedule. A key feature of the building is the ALUCOBOND PLUS panels in ‘Brushed’ finish, which helps the prefabricated panels live up to the project team’s expectations by delivering a sleek, consistent appearance. While the fabrication of the 42- by 9-feet panels took place at an off-site facility, the installation process was meticulously coordinated with the construction schedule so that as the envelope for each floor was finished the interior work on the floor below could be finished. EnergyShield XR Continuous Insulation is a polyiso continuous insulation board that delivers a strong sustainability profile—delivering a higher R-value per inch than XPS—in a thinner profile to optimize wall designs while meeting the latest energy codes. Designed for both above- and below-grade applications for residential and commercial projects, the polyiso continuous insulation board maintains its UV stability and won’t deform from heat buildup. In addition to a simplified wall insulation strategy, it offers efficiencies like less storage space used and material required per project. Engineered to protect new and existing exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), Sto Strike Defense is a fortification option that defends against punctures caused by woodpeckers as well as blunt and sharp objects. A key component of the ultra-high impact puncture-resistant solution is StoArmat Classic Plus—a cement-free, organic high-build acrylic plaster. For restoration applications, Sto Mesh is embedded in StoArmat Classic Plus over the existing EIFS; for new construction, StoArmat embeds into the basecoat along with the fortification layer. This enhanced durability does not mean sacrificing design as it allows for a wide range of aesthetic options, including wood, brick, stone and textured finishes. The 1000 LED Lighted Handrail provides a solution for nighttime lighting within hospitals, senior living communities and long-term care facilities looking to enhance safety measures and patient care. Helping reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls, especially in low-light conditions, the handrail is easy to install, integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, and meets all relevant safety codes and standards. Its energy-efficient LED technology offers long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance, and the lighting is dimmable and has a choice of light temperatures. Launching across several AHF brands including Armstrong Flooring, Bruce and Robbins, Ingenious Plank represents an innovative standard in sustainability, performance and design. The next-generation hybrid resilient flooring has a core composed of natural wood fibers encapsulated within a high-performance resin, making it an eco-friendly solution and PVC-free. The hybrid flooring is waterproof, dent-proof, scratch-resistant and has an attached pad for sound absorption. In addition to being 40% lighter than traditional rigid core products, the flooring’s Angle Lock system enables an easy, secure installation. When transforming two former foundry structures into spaces for a range of retail, restaurants and offices, the project designers wanted to harken back to the site’s long history as an iron and steel producer, with metal products from Petersen playing a prominent role. The centerpieces of the Raleigh Iron Works are the Bow Truss building, which dates back to the 1800s, and the Double Gable building from the 1950s; both were previously owned by Peden Steel and operated as a welding shop and steel fabrication facilities, respectively. To emphasize the buildings’ industrial histories, 40,000 sf of PAC-CLAD Tite-Loc Plus roofing panels in a Zinc finish top the two structures, while the Bow Truss’s walls feature an additional 30,000 sf of PAC-CLAD M-36 Corrugated wall panels. With every opening and closing of a bifold door, the newly designed Strap Latch door offers simplicity, cleanliness, and reliability. The strap latches firmly hold the door against the building in all positions, securing it when open or partially open and will firmly lock the door when closed. Eliminating the need for cables, chains, sprockets, pulleys, extra motors and additional parts, it also offers protection from wind gusts while the door is in any position of operation. Available in yellow, black, gray, and white strap latches. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan for implementing a new label program to boost American production of more climate-friendly construction materials and products. The label program will prioritize steel, glass, asphalt and concrete. It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. The Contra Costa County Administration Building in Martinez, Calif., is the world’s first public project to achieve the zero-waste-focused TRUE Gold certification for construction. The TRUE Certification for Construction program, administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), recognizes projects that achieve exceptional levels of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide 38 grant recipients with nearly $160 million to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products. This month, Building Design+Construction editors are bringing you the top products displayed at the 2024 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design. Nearly 550 building product manufacturers showcased their products—here are 17 that caught our eye. BD+C Editors break down May's top 15 building products, from Durat and CaraGreen's Durat Plus to Zurn Siphonic Roof Drains. Gordian’s Q2 2024 Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report indicates that supply chain issues notwithstanding, many commodities are exhibiting price normalization. BD+C Editors break down April's top 15 building products, from CLiC On-demand Privacy Glass to NovaCore Thermal Insulated Sheathing. SGC Horizon present 7 ProConnect events in 2024. BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2024 issue of Building Design+Construction.

mixed-use

Jul 31, 2024

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