CU GSAPP, 2012
THE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR LIBERATION OF HONG KONG HARBOUR WHICH IS CURRENTLY OVERWHELMED WITH PORT TRAFFIC, FREIGHT SHIPS, BUT MOSTLY BY SMALL PRIVATELY-OWNED PLATFORMS, WHICH ARE ANCHORED AWAY FROM THE SHORE AND STORE SHIPPING CONTAINERS, THUS THREATENING THE ECOLOGY OF THE HARBOUR AND THE CITY. THE DESIGN ATTEMPTS TO FIT A PORT TYPOLOGY INTO A VERTICAL VOLUME: REINFORCED STEEL AND CONCRETE STRUCTURE MAKES UP A HEAVY-DUTY “SHELF” FOR CONTAINERS, WHERE THEY ARE STORED; THEY ARE MOVED THROUGH THE STORAGE BY A HEAVY-DUTY CRANE THAT TRAVELS UP AND DOWN OF ONE OF THE STRUCTURAL PILLARS.
THE BUILDING IS ALSO DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT IT BECOMES A POWER-PLANT: THE USE OF CFD ANALYSIS HAS LED TO SPLIT TOWERS, PREDICTED AS EFFECTIVE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF WIND TURBINES. THE CONCEPT HAD BEEN TESTED AT VARIOUS REYNOLDS NUMBERS. THE PRESENTED DIAGRAMS OF WIND SPEEDS RANGING FROM 1 TO 33 m/s (COLORED REGIONS OF INCREASED/DECREASED FLOW ACCELERATION) DEMONSTRATE THAT FLOW SPEEDS UP DRASTICALLY BY GOING THROUGH THE NARROWING VOID IN-BETWEEN THE TOWERS, INCREASING WIND TURBINES' EFFECTIVENESS. ON TOP OF THE TOWER GREYWATER COLLECTORS ARE ALLOCATED.