Tall & Urban News

The "Regenerative High-Rise" is a concept for a modular timber tower by architecture studio Haptic and engineering firm Ramboll that could be used to transform tricky sites in cities worldwide. Aiming "to futureproof the high-rise", the conceptual structure is designed for maximum flexibility to extend the lifecycle of tall buildings and prevent the need for their demolition.

It was developed by Ramboll with Haptic's research arm, Haptic Green, specifically for use on complicated sites in inner-city areas that are often overlooked. The Regenerative High-Rise lends itself to be used for anything from housing, offices and hotels to leisure or production facilities, but the idea is that it can also be adapted to a city's changing needs.

"The project is designed to push boundaries in sustainable, adaptable high-rise architecture, and the universal design concept could be commissioned for any city in the world," explained the team.

The Regenerative High-Rise's design centers around a timber-composite superstructure comprising three-story structural decks that are fixed in place. Cross-laminated timber elements would be used for these floornplates, while steel-composite glulam and reinforced concrete would be used for the columns and core respectively. If built, each of the main decks would be engineered to support up to three secondary floors, or up to three levels of pods that can be slotted in and out to alter the tower's use.

The servicing strategy would be localized to ensure adaptability and a maintenance unit at the top of the tower would be used to lift and replace the pods and secondary floors.

For more on this story, go to Dezeen.