Designing a Skyscraper

[cholical]

In the near future, I will be using a computer program (either Autocad or another good architectural software, likely the former) to design a very basic layout for a skyscraper for a project.

In order to do this, I need to decide level of detail I would need. I am currently a high school student doing this for a science project, and I will be honest and say I do not have much experience designing buildings other than an introductory architecture course. Can I get away with a blueprint with dimensions or should I aim to design a full 3D model?

 

Secondly, I need to decide dimensions. I am aiming for this to be a sustainable office building skyscraper that incorporates wind and solar power. I realize it would need to be slightly larger to accommodate these extra things. Is there anything that makes an architect/designer decide on a specific height/width/length or is it simply whatever they want to make it after considering structural stability and location?

 

Any ideas/suggestions welcome.

Thank you in advance.

[michel123456]

Woaw, you are embarking on a difficult subject.

In real life projects, there are a lot of requirements existing prior to making the architectural project.

IMHO there are 2 ways to follow:

1. real life simulation

2. fantasy

 

Option 1 is almost impossible. You have to decide for a real location, a real pupose (offices, appartments, hotel, shops, etc.) and many many other parameters.

 

Option 2 is doable. You can rely on the laws of physics and your imagination.

Choose a location (not necessarily in a city) that can be anywhere (in a desert, in the middle of a lake). In all cases the location will be a strong parameter. For example if you are in a desert the building should be self-sustainable. It means it should have its own resources in energy and in food and in water. The needs in shops and offices would be a function of its inhabitants. Maybe there would be some factory also.

That is not an easy exercise.

What kind of science project is it? About stability?

--------------

or is this about the ability of manipulating a CAD program?

Edited February 7, 2014 by michel123456

[CaptainPanic]

Although I am a chemical engineer, not an architect, I would suggest that you first set yourself some boundary conditions, and then calculate some key-numbers (and use only a very crude sketch of the building at this stage!).

 

Boundary conditions

Boundary conditions would normally be derived from the 1st chat with your employer (the guy with the money who wants a skyscraper), and would be derived from what your building is going to be used for. If the purpose is to have a luxury office for 5000 people, including restaurant, helipad, and fitness area, using only sustainable energy, then you can derive:

- The total floor area (how big is 1 office, how many offices do you need), plus the size of the other facilities

- The energy requirements (focus only on electricity, or you'll go mad)

- The climate control (keep it simple: just the total flow of air, and then you may be able to calculate the heating needed)

- Capacity of the elevators / stairs

 

If you are with 2 people, you can do a short role-playing. One is the employer, the other the architect. The employer has a wish-list, while the architect is able to logically derive things from that wish-list. No designing yet. No opinions yet. Everything follows logically.

 

I know you don't have an employer. But your life will be easier if you pretend you do.

 

Design

Now that you know what the employer wants, you can start designing. There are many ways to achieve the things your employer wants.

- You can go high and narrow, or wide and not so high.

- Each floor can be the minimalistic 2.5 meters high, or a spaceous 5 meters high (or anything in between).

- Glass front, or brick... (or other options)

- Elevators and stairs - this is a big mathematical challenge: how to optimize the elevators. How many do you need? They eat up a huge volume of your skyscraper if you don't pay attention.

Make sure it still fits the budget set (or the description - simple, luxurious, modern, etc...).

 

Make sure to also make a list of stuff that you don't include in your design (you could for example ignore the strength of the steel/concrete skeleton that keeps the whole thing up, or its earthquake resistance - such civil engineering may be too difficult).

[cholical]

Hi everyone,

 

Sorry for the lack of details that I have provided. At this point I am just throwing ideas around; I am yet to draw a sketch or set boundaries although I will be very soon.

 

The project's primary purpose is to create an appealing design and include features that portray the concept as sustainable and green. This includes trying to address the problem of thermal autonomy, as well as trying to achieve independence from the electricity grid and water grid.

 

That being said, it is more of a fantasy rather than a realistic simulation since I obviously do not have the resources/insight to make it the latter.

 

To calculate energy requirements, I am assuming I would use the occupancy of the building along with average usage per person right?

And for the climate control, would I have to find the volume of the air in the building and calculate the amount of energy needed to heat it?

 

I think it is doable to design a building and write a paper the four-five weeks I have to complete this project. Is there anything I should be adding that would enhance the project other than what was suggested?

 

Thank you so much for the information; it really helped clear up some doubts.

[michel123456]

Hi everyone,

 

Sorry for the lack of details that I have provided. At this point I am just throwing ideas around; I am yet to draw a sketch or set boundaries although I will be very soon.

 

The project's primary purpose is to create an appealing design and include features that portray the concept as sustainable and green. This includes trying to address the problem of thermal autonomy, as well as trying to achieve independence from the electricity grid and water grid.

 

That being said, it is more of a fantasy rather than a realistic simulation since I obviously do not have the resources/insight to make it the latter.

 

To calculate energy requirements, I am assuming I would use the occupancy of the building along with average usage per person right?

And for the climate control, would I have to find the volume of the air in the building and calculate the amount of energy needed to heat it?

 

I think it is doable to design a building and write a paper the four-five weeks I have to complete this project. Is there anything I should be adding that would enhance the project other than what was suggested?

 

Thank you so much for the information; it really helped clear up some doubts.

I'd suggest to begin with an idea, a very strong concept that will raise eyebrows, and find the details afterwards.

For example you can mimic nature: make a tree with roots to collect geothermic energy and water and maybe food, and leaves to collect the sunlight.

 

Or

You can imagine an energy tower like a Solar updraft tower or even a downdraft energy tower since you are in the fantasy world and don't have to look at feasability issues.

I am sure you will find some wonderful idea.

Edited February 7, 2014 by michel123456

[CaptainPanic]

I just gave you a bunch of examples of things you can calculate - if you don't know how to do a particular calculation, I suggest you don't do it... The important thing was to set the boundary conditions, then make a plan what you're gonna do... and then start the design.