C.F. Moller, a Sweden-based international architecture firm, has recently won a competition to design a new high-rise residential building in Vasteras, Sweden. The building is aesthetically complex and interesting, but it stands out most because of its materials. The building is a hybrid of solid wood and concrete, combining perhaps the most ancient of human building materials with the relatively new technology.
The high rise's concrete aspect comes in the form of the balconies, which wrap around and envelop the entirety of the building's facade. The innermost walls of the building comprise its wood, which is divided into thin panels to give off a late-sixties interior design sensibility.
C.F. Moller decided to build green into the building as well, with a rooftop garden and the 15th storey being entirely devoted to a raised park with shrubs and trees (rather than living space.)
Hybrid Concrete-Wood Towers
C.F. Moller's Vasteras High-Rise Features Solid Wood and Concrete
Trend Themes
1. Hybrid Building Materials - Opportunity for creating innovative structures by combining traditional and modern building materials.
2. Green Architecture - Disruptive potential in incorporating sustainable design elements, such as rooftop gardens, into high-rise buildings.
3. Integrated Nature Spaces - Opportunity to create unique living spaces by integrating natural elements, such as raised parks, within buildings.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - Innovations in hybrid materials and sustainable architecture can reshape construction practices.
2. Architecture - Architects can explore new possibilities in design with the integration of nature spaces in high-rise buildings.
3. Environmental Design - Integrating green elements in buildings presents a disruptive approach in environmental design.