Electric Plant : Predator BLDG

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Electric Plant : Predator BLDG

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Commercial › Office

In our efforts to create a Zero-Environmental Footprint for the 300 North LA, we explored using many new sustainable technologies. Within such design moves, there is an overall objective to minimize the distance between the occupant and the outside world. This is what interested us most in terms of developing both the overall cross-section of the building, as well as the cross-section of the facade. The proposal addresses the lack of day-lighting and natural-ventilation. Specifically, the smaller proportions of the existing tinted-glass and the non-operable windows that equates to poor working space conditions. These conditions equated to large mechanical dependencies to keep the space properly lit and cooled, a trend that can be found in many buildings from that era. Our first design decision set the trajectory of the project, which was to maximize the size of the glass panel to produce larger transparency levels. This was possible by introducing the idea of slumping glass. Slumping the glass allowed us to produce structural folds/deflections within the cross section of the glass. In addition, we incorporated a system for harvesting water for occupant use and building functions. LA on average gets 10-20 inches of rain yearly, while most other major US cities receive double or triple the amount. The lack of precipitation, challenged us to devise alternative methods to obtained water by inducing the condensation of moisture and by filtering grey/black water via Living Machine. All of the above methods implemented within the design proposal are that of a inflated skin.This is critical in-order to begin to project into a future where our sustainable solutions are not seen as superficial applique or appliances, but rather a much deeper understanding of a holiestc design approach.