The tower in question was designed by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut and it is great to see it finally beginning to take shape in Taipei, Taiwan. Construction of this sustainable building began in 2013, and it is aptly named the Agora Garden Tower, since it will be clad in all sorts of greenery, including full-sized trees.
The unique shape of the tower was inspired by the double helix of DNA strands and it twists 4.5 degrees at each floor, to a total of 90 degrees. This twisting shape offers panoramic views of the surrounding cityscape to all residents. When completed the Agora Garden Tower will have 20 stories. This will yield a total of 40 luxury apartments that will each have a balcony clad in greenery. The total floorspace of the building is 455,690 sq ft (42,335 sq m), which also includes amenities such as a fitness center, swimming pool and rooftop terraces.
But the most interesting thing about this tower is that the complex will also feature 23,000 trees. These will be located in the grounds as well as on the balconies of the apartment units. According to Callebaut’s calculations, these trees will be able to absorb 130 tons of CO2 per year.
They are also aiming to receive the LEED Gold certification. The building will feature a rooftop rainwater catchment and recycling system, and the water collected will be used for flushing the toilets. There will also be a 10,763 sq ft (1000 sq m) solar panel array mounted on the tower’s roof, which will offset the building’s energy needs considerably.
The building is slated for completion by September, 2017, and it will be very interesting to see how the finished tower will look, as well as how well it will perform.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.