December 14, 2022
Could use-neutral towers be the future of urban real estate? Seattle-based architect Matthias Olt certainly thinks so
Renderings courtesy of Matthias Olt
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This conceptual rendering shows what an unTower might look like in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Since the pandemic the inefficiency and quite frankly the risk associated with inflexible building typologies has been thrown into sharp relief. This is especially the case when it comes to office buildings where we have seen space after space sit empty and project after project pivot to try and stay afloat in a volatile market.
Prominent Seattle-based architect, Matthias Olt, recently shared conceptual designs for a new kind of building typology which he says can offer a solution to this problem that is threatening to “spiral out of control.”
That solution is called the unTower.
The unTower is a flexible high-rise building typology which Olt describes as “both use and cost neutral.” unTower’s are cylinder shaped buildings made up of a series of stackable donut shaped floor plates built using sustainable materials and modular construction methods. The tower is designed to be programmed for multiple uses at one time and/or over time for the life-span of the building (which in theory could be infinite). These uses could include residential, commercial, and hospitality program functions.
unTowers are cylinder shaped and built using a series of identical stackable floor plates. A conceptual unTower in Bellevue is pictured.
The key ingredients that allow for this flexibility are replicability, adaptability, modulatory and componentization. “Use-neutrality is created by adaptable modularity of the floor plan, distribution of services and circulation, infrastructure, and construction assemblies that accommodate various program uses,” Olt writes in a recently published paper about the project.
The unTower’s circular floor plates open to both a shared central atrium, described as a character-building element of the tower’s design, and to the exterior. These plates would vary in size depending on the needs of each individual unTower project. Olt says that this cylindrical form enables easy adaptations between program functions and that the doughnut-shaped concept pairs program adaptability with modular prefabrication that allows easy assembly and disassembly, as well as reuse of spaces, building components, and materials. Unlike traditional buildings, the unTower’s elevators and vertical infrastructure are installed outside the main building. This enables the tower to adapt efficiently and economically to changing program needs. The project also has a shared service core. The durability and flexibility of the unTower is further bolstered by its proposed construction materials which include mass timber.
To look at conceptual renderings of the unTower with its unique floor plate and biophilic inspired design it does appear like something from the future or even from a sci-fi movie but the unTower is not some pie-in-the-sky utopian fantasy. Olt and the unTower project team, which includes professionals from Coffman Engineers, Mortenson, Silent Water Real Estate, and Robert Bird Group, have been working on the concept for nearly two years and have intricately researched and modeled two sites for design and cost feasibility of this use-neutral typology. Those sites are Bellevue, Washington and Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Making sure the tower was modeled for cost, both in terms of the pocketbook and the environment was really important, Olt shared during a recent phone call. “It’s all good and well to present innovative ideas but for them to be successful they need to be backed up by real world data,” he said, “especially in tech-focused places like Seattle.” The economic and environmental viability of the unTower is explained in detail in the paper but in short is achieved through the intrinsic concept of shared amenities, infrastructure, and circulation for all program elements and building uses.
Exploring the potential for a new building typology also gave Olt and his architectural design partner for the project, Mahzad Tashakori, an opportunity to re-think the kind of buildings they want to design and more specifically how they should make us feel.
To this end, the unTower’s design is heavily influenced by neuroscience and is intended to create an elevated experience that benefits occupant physiological and psychological wellbeing. This can be seen in the tower’s biophilic elements that would provide access to nature on every level and in its curved shape that mimics natural forms, something known to increase pleasure and health. The tower’s central atrium is infused with biophilia and biomimicry with its organic and curvaceous cascade of landscaped balconies and “hanging gardens” that evoke naturally occurring forms.
“The unTower is ideal for fast-paced, unpredictable program scenarios, and for projects in rapidly expanding cities, where adaptability, resiliency, and sustainability drive value,” Olt continues in the paper. During our call he also shared how, in his opinion, a flexible typology like this is the logical next step when it comes to the next generation of buildings and follows on from the reverse engineering of flexibility that we are currently witnessing across the real estate market as well as a new awareness of the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse over new construction.
So, could unTowers come to dominate the urban skyline in the not too distant future? Olt is certainly hopeful and shared that he has already spoken with several west coast developers who have shown a real interest in the unTower for its ability to take the fear out of building and the infinite possibilities of a typology that doesn’t box itself in. “The world needs new models (like this one) not only to improve the agility and value retention of real estate, but also for the decarbonization and environmental resiliency urgently required to reduce the impact of climate change,” Olt concludes.
The paper on the unTower, with more specific details about its design and projected economic and environmental costs, was published in the latest issue of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Journal. CTBUH has kindly removed the paywall for DJC readers. The paper can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/CTBUHdjcunTower
The full unTower project team is as follows: Matthias Olt, Arcadis IBI, architecture lead; Mahzad Tashakori, WRNS, architecture support; David Seel, Robert Bird Group, structures; Theodoros Mourtis, Robert Bird Group, structures; Robert Gerard, Coffman Engineers, fire and life safety; Kyle Johnson, Coffman Engineers, mass timber structures; Heather Brownlow, Coffman Engineers, mechanical; Chris Barker, Coffman Engineers, Technology and electrical; Broderick Smith, Silent Water Real Estate, CRE development; Cori Palmer, Mortenson, market analysis; Phillip Greany, Mortenson, cost and schedule and Keith Jurgens, Mortenson, constructability.
Emma Hinchliffe can be
reached by email or by phone
at (206) 622-8272.
This content was originally published here.
