The Environmental Performance of Tall Buildings

Tall buildings represent one of the most energy-intensive architectural typologies, while at the same time offering the high density work and living conditions that many believe will an important constituent of future sustainable communities. How, then, can their environmental impact be lessened? This insightful book takes in: an overview of the tall building and its impacts (looking at cityscape, place, mobility, microclimate, energy and economics) design principles and the development of the sustainable tall building global perspectives (covering North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia) detailed, qualitative case studies of buildings in design and operation the future for sustainable tall buildings. Not simply another showcase for future utopian designs and ideals, the information presented here is based on hard research from operating buildings. Highly illustrated and combining analysis with solid detail for practice, this is essential reading for architects, building engineers, design consultants, retrofitters and urban planners interested in or working with tall buildings, and researchers/students in these disciplines.

Introduction 1. The Tall Building and the City 2. Global Perspective 3. Towards an Environmental Approach 4. The Environmental Paradigm of Tall Buildings 5. Final Considerations: Lessons Learnt and Issues that Remain for the Future of the Environmental Tall Building Appendix: Design Exercises of Ideas for the Environmental Tall Building

Professor Joana Carla Soares Gonçalves is an Architect and Urbanist at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Sao Paulo, and is also a member of the teaching staff of the Environment and Energy Studies Programme at the Architectural Association Graduate School in London. Contributer: Érica Mitie Umakoshi is an MSc Architect and Urbanistat the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Sao Paulo.