Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) has unveiled a new glazed skyscraper for Toronto, Canada. Due to begin construction in 2019, the 46-story office building is slated for LEED Platinum (a green building standard), and will feature a tapering form that's designed to reduce the effects of the wind.
160 Front Street will be located in downtown Toronto near the iconic CN Tower, and oriented parallel to the direction of the site's prevailing winds, to reduce wind loads. Concern over wind has also informed its overall design.
"We spent a significant amount of time on analysis," explains Smith. "The tower is tapered both at the top and the bottom, assisting the structure when resisting wind, minimizing its effect on the pedestrian realm, and creating a spacious respite to the compressed neighboring sidewalks."
Indeed, AS+GG knows rather a lot about the effects of wind on a building – the firm is responsible for the massive 1,007 m (3,303 ft)-tall Jeddah Tower, which is still under construction. Smith also designed the Burj Khalifa when he was at SOM.
To achieve LEED Platinum certification, 160 Front Street will be required to demonstrate it has significant energy-saving design and technology. The building is also slated for WELL Building Standard certification, which measures a project's overall impact on human health.
At this early stage we don't have much information on the its sustainable features, but we do know that its glazing will reduce glare, and daylight will reduce the need for electric lighting. Furthermore, there will be a green roof and "tremendous" water savings, says the firm, so rainwater harvesting and grey water systems are a safe bet.
160 Front Street is being created in collaboration with local firm B+H Architects and is developed by Cadillac Fairview. We've no word on how tall it will rise, but the Skyscraper Center says it'll be 240 m (787 ft).
Source: AS+GG
