Ribbon of life

First there was land, then came the buildings. Now the architectural way forward may be design that infuses green into grey creating structures with verdant pathways that bring life to soulless edifices of concrete and steel.

Solaris is a mixed-use project comprising two tower blocks separated by a naturally ventilated grand atrium. Office floors are linked by a series of sky bridges which span the atrium at upper floors. The building forms part of Fusionopolis, an office park in central Singapore master planned by Zaha Hadid. The design is by architect Ken Yeang of TR Hamzah & Yeang, with CPG Consult as the lead and implementing architect. The team won the competition from JTC, the company behind a number of leading-edge real estate solutions anchoring key activities critical to the growth of the country's economy. The Soilbuld Group was the winning developer for the Solaris building

Solaris features several eco-friendly strategies, attracting the Platinum certification in Singapore's LEED-equivalent Greenmark Programme. However, it is the landscaped ramp that unfurls in a continuous ribbon around the building that sets the project apart. From the ground level of the adjacent One North Park and a basement Eco-cell in Solaris, a 1.5km band of planting stretches up to the roof gardens at its highest levels, says Yeang.

"The green strip has a minimum width of 3m at any given point and achieves 113% replacement of the site's green ground coverage within the new built form," he says.

"Alongside the spiralling landscaping there is a pedestrian walkway that allows people to follow this Vertical Linear Park (VLP) as it weaves around the building face. The ramp climbs one floor level at each facade. However when it reaches a corner, the ramp opens out into a terrace, creating large external spaces that users of the building can enjoy. It also allows gardeners to look after the plants, without needing to enter the offices."

Essentially, the flowing ribbon, with its deep overhangs and large concentration of shade plants represents a key element in the comprehensive strategy for the ambient cooling of the building facade. This eco-infrastructure also provides social, interactive and creative environments for the occupants of the upper floors, and balances the inherently inorganic nature of the built form with a more organic mass.

Other features of Solaris include a solar shaft which cuts through the upper floors of Tower A, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the interior. The Eco-cell, located where the spiral ramp meets the ground, allows vegetation, daylight and natural ventilation to extend into the basement carpark floors below. The lowest level of the Eco-cell houses the storage tank and pump room for a rainwater harvesting system.

At the heart of Solaris, the naturally ventilated and day-lit grand atrium provides a public plaza for communal activities and creative performances. This is a mixed-mode, non-airconditioned zone with an operable glass-louvred roof, offering protection from the elements as needed.

Extensive use of louvres to provide shade is another of Yeang's green strategies. The climate-responsive facade design originated with close analysis of the path of the sun. This form of shading further reduces heat transfer across the building's low-e, double-glazed perimeter.

Solaris not only enjoys an ecologically friendly make-up, it also provides visual representation of the concept. Along with the ribbon of plants, the roof gardens and the double-height sky terraces bring a sense of harmony and tranquillity.

"The gardens allow occupants of the building to interact with nature and offer opportunities to experience the external environment," says Yeang. "When people think of green architecture, they imagine a solar cell or wind turbine Solaris and its living livery takes the concept to another level."

In addition, rainwater harvesting and recycling provide for all the irrigation needs of the extensive landscaped areas. Other elements include efficient low-flow plumbing fixtures and building materials that take the carbon footprint into account.

Project manager for developer SoilBuild Ganesh Soocelaraj says Yeang's vision benefits the planet as well as the greater area of Fusionopolis in which Solaris is located.

"More buildings like this are vital, but the Urban Redevelopment Authority will have to be part of this drive balancing the value of floor space against the need for integral eco-friendly elements to create greater commercial incentive for all developers."

Story by: Charles Moxham