CTBUH Research Paper

ctbuh.org/papers

Title: Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids

Authors: Swinal R Samant, National University of Singapore

Srilakshmi Menon, National University of Singapore

Subjects: Architectural/Design
Urban Design

Keywords: Connectivity
Density
Mixed-Use
Social Interaction
Sustainability
Vertical Urbanism

Publication Date: 2018

Original Publication: International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 7 Number 2

Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter

2. Journal paper
3. Conference proceeding
4. Unpublished conference paper
5. Magazine article
6. Unpublished

© Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Swinal R Samant; Srilakshmi Menon
International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
International Journal of
June 2018, Vol 7, No 2, 111-125
High-Rise Buildings
https://doi.org/10.21022/IJHRB.2018.7.2.111 www.ctbuh-korea.org/ijhrb/index.php

Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids

Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon†
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore

Abstract

By the year 2050, the world population is set to increase to 9 billion people, of which 66% will be living in cities. It is argued
that this will inevitably lead to further urban densification and soaring, inhumane and dense vertical environments. However,
innovative and disruptive technologies impacting all realms of life means that we will also live, work, play, learn and make
in novel ways, the beginnings of which are already becoming evident. These present opportunities for reimagining city
environments, and in particular tall buildings, with a focus on reducing redundancies and re-appropriating existing buildings,
creating novel hybrid environments, incorporating green and social democratic spaces, and integrating multiple modes of
transport. This paper examines how vertical cities may perhaps be dense, resource efficient, and yet humane, presenting three
possible scenarios for Singapore’s context, which are, however, common to many Asian high-density urban environments. The
scenarios presented are the outcome of Final-Year Thesis Projects undertaken by final-year architecture students at the National
University of Singapore (NUS) in 2017.

Keywords: Mixed-use, Vertical hybrids, High-density living

1. Introduction ironments. The scenarios presented are the outcome of

Final-Year Thesis Projects undertaken by final-year archi-
By the year 2050, 66% of the global population is esti- tecture students at the National University of Singapore
mated to reside in large, dense, service- and industry-based (NUS) in 2017.
urban agglomerations, transitioning from small, dispersed
agrarian settlements (Montgomery et al., 2004) and posing 2. Literature Review
a massive challenge to the built environment (UNDESP,
2014). Housing, education, healthcare, transportation and 2.1. Mono-Functional Megatowers to Mixed-Use Ver-
other infrastructure for the growing population will require tical Hybrids
efficient development measures in cognizance of climate Early modernist planning ideas of segregated-use zon-
change impacts, resource scarcity and rising energy costs. ing are often implemented in tall buildings, generating
Furthermore, emerging disruptive technologies such as mono-functional megatowers that “concentrate nodes of
cloud-based systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, advan- the same type in homogenous urban regions” (Salingaros,
ced materials, renewable energy, etc. are expected to imp- 1998). A prime example of this is the familiar office towers
act our lifestyles (Manyika et al., 2013) and provoke the within the Central Business Districts that witness high user
novel use of spaces that could potentially transform the volumes during work hours and negligible activity on the
built environment radically. Therefore, an assertive shift in weekends and during holidays. In principle, mono-functio-
the current urban fabric, and in that of the vertical devel- nality was enforced for the efficient utilization of resour-
opment model is expected. The paper hypothesizes that ces, however, the daily cycles of peaks and troughs in
the aforementioned challenges necessitate the rethinking usage suggest otherwise. Furthermore, in a comparative
of tall buildings with an emphasis on mixed-use hybridi- study between urban high-rise living and suburban low-
zation, multi-level access and transit integration, and the rise living, it was observed that downtown (homogenous
incorporation of green and social spaces, as outlined below. urban centers) residents spent 11 percent more time travel-
It argues, that in doing so, vertical cities may perhaps be ing per year, coupled with 9 percent greater vehicular
dense, resource-efficient, and yet, humane, and presents dependence dedicated to commuting to shops, restaurants
three possible scenarios for the Singapore context, which and entertainment spaces (Du et al., 2017). This refers to
would be common to many Asian high-density urban env- the inefficiencies associated with the mono-use model.
Most planning theorists, therefore, agree on the functio-
†
Corresponding author: Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon
nal, environmental, and social benefits of mixing land use
Tel: +65-6601-3437; Fax: +65-6775-3078 (Talen and Knaap, 2003) – particularly the fine-grained
E-mail: [email protected] mixed-use model (within individual buildings) – as a cru-
112 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Figure 1. Differences between Mixed-Use and Hybrid Buildings (Credits: Author’s Own).

cial component of urban vitality (Rowley, 1996; Jacobs, “The intimacy of private life and the sociability of public
1961). life dwell within the hybrid and produce constant activity,
The pervasiveness of technology such as social media, making it a building working full-time.” (Per et al., 2014)
mobile devices and e-commerce in our daily lives has led
to the continuous evolution of personal and organizational Fenton (1985) was one of the earliest to categorize the
systems (Robinson, 2013). This has necessitated the built architectural form of high-rise, mixed-use buildings into
environment to accommodate evolving user demands and three types: the “fabric”, “graft” hybrid the “monolith”
their immediate context, (Schmidt III et al., 2010) and has hybrids. The fabric hybrid borrows from the grain of the
led designers to innovate spatial typologies that are flexi- surrounding urban context, while the graft hybrid repre-
ble and multi-functional. Buildings now require internal sents a combination of different building forms within an
infrastructures that integrate such spaces with their sur- urban block that articulate the different functions. The
roundings and, even further, connect to the city-wide net- monolith hybrid is a high-rise structure that merges differ-
work of movements through transit integration. ent functions under a unifying skin. Complex forms; archi-
Tall buildings have been evolving in response to these tectural layouts; hybrid indoor-outdoor interfaces; under-
challenges and opportunities, and the past few decades ground, multi-level and elevated public spaces are some
have seen a rise in mixed-use developments the world of the design variants of such hybrid developments.
over, and to the coining of the term “vertical hybrids”. For example, Linked Hybrid in Beijing by Steven Holl
(Fig. 2) is an example of a “graft hybrid”, which integ-
“(Vertical) hybrids are (tall) buildings which have the rates mixed-uses within its eight, high-density blocks (68
mixed-use gene in its gene code, that revitalizes the urban meters high) connected by skybridges.
scene and saves space.” – Steven Holl (Holl 2011) Further intensification of the mixed-use model within
hybrid buildings is made possible by the concepts of time-
Vertical Hybrids are characterized by high programma- and space-sharing. There is an emerging nexus of industry
tic complexity that is in constant exchange with its surro- and academia, for example, fuelling the growth of a rich
undings. Unlike mixed-use buildings that stack up vari- ecosystem of future-ready learners (Hagel et al., 2015) and
ous programs within their built form, vertical hybrids rec- a gig economy that relies on “crowd-work”, “work-on-
ognise the interconnectivity between programs with an demand”, or work across different time zones. The result-
understanding of “the social dimension of users” and rel- ant fast-changing, creative, problem-solving and multi-
ate them back into the urban context (Fig. 1)(Per et al., disciplinary work cultures with varied schedules warrant
2014). flexible spaces (Stefano, 2015) with heightened social
The mixed-use programs are mutually synergistic, sug- interaction that “business-as-usual” spaces may fail to pro-
gesting unconventional methods of space usage that sup- vide. These lifestyle changes also necessitate a variety of
port co-existence, cohabitation and integration often ena- services to be available at different times of the day, sub-
bled by advancements in technology and catering to tending to the “24-hour” culture (Ang, 2016). Therefore,
changing lifestyles. the ensuing vertical, high-density hybrid buildings need to
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 113

Figure 2. Linked Hybrid, Beijing (Credits: Terri Meyer Boake via CTBUH).

support live-work-play-learn-make environments incorp- ping, F&B and entertainment) through the juxta-position-
orating a great deal of flexibility, e.g., “time-sharing” of ing of the atrium typology with traditional street spaces,
spaces and reduced redundancies. offering multiple access routes on different levels within
this 15-story building. The spatial layout sculpts a valley-
2.2. Multi-Level Access and Transit Integration like hollow space with an artificial interior landscape that
Buildings with large user catchments that are only acc- “reflects the complexity of Japanese cityscapes: vertical
essible at the ground level “burden city infrastructure” dimensions, interlocking networks, fluidities of space and
such as roads and sidewalks during peak hours, impacting discontinuities of scale” (Cho et al., 2016). Hybrid build-
the efficiency of fast-paced urban lifestyles. Therefore, ings that integrate multiple transport modes and pedestrian-
multiple/alternative connections to the urban networks, friendly networks within vertical developments, therefore,
while preventing an “over-concentration of nodes”, are hold a significant potential to re-envision dense urban env-
critical (Kunstler and Salingaros, 2001). Buildings require ironments, such that they are more efficient and humane.
internal infrastructure that integrates with their surroun-
dings, and even further, connects to the city-wide network 2.3. Green and Social Spaces
of movements at multiple levels (both vertical and hori- “The most successful cities of the past were those where
zontal). Furthermore, increasing urban density necessitates people and buildings were in a certain balance with nat-
“two-level circulation” segregating pedestrians from vehi- ure.” – Constantine Doxiades (Blake 1977)
cular traffic (Nielsen, 2007) through the use of footbridges,
podiums, subways, car-parks, atria and lobbies into a uni- Mechanized work-cultures, along with tall building env-
fied environment (Tan and Xue, 2015). The points of ing- ironments with low ground accessibility and overcrowding
ress and egress, accessibility to commuters, and adjacency are known to provide users with low levels of “satisfac-
to open spaces provide opportunities to re-activate points tion” (Gifford 2011). This is augmented by profit-driven
of interaction and provide greater local and global integ- developments in prime locations that seek to economize
ration (Heng and Rashid, 2006; Pomeroy, 2011). This is on floor space at the expense of green and social interac-
reflected in contemporary urban development initiatives tion spaces.
that have strategized extensive, multi-level pedestrian sys- Vertical hybrids exhibit perforation of the building form
tems (that also support1 the use of Personal Mobility Dev- with the strategic positioning of green, open spatial feat-
ices) via linking of hybrid buildings to major transport ures, such as sky decks, skybridges, sky gardens and the
interchanges to enable seamless movement of people (Plan- like, that break down the soaring verticality into discerni-
ning Department 1999). Kyoto Station by Hiroshi Hara is ble human scale and soften the harshness of the built en-
one such stellar example of a hybrid building which com- vironment. “Multiplying the ground” on upper levels with
bines transit infrastructure with mixed-use programs (shop- various types of greenery and water elements improves the

1
For e.g., the Active Mobility Bill in Singapore supports the use of Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) as a green, convenient and efficient option
for first- and last-mile journeys supported by contiguous urban pathways.
114 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Figure 3. Vertical distribution of greenery, SkyVille @ Dawson (Credit: Authors Own).

overall aesthetic quality, contributing to calm, restorative kilometers (Tobergte and Curtis, 2013). It presents a suc-
and stress-relieving environments (Ulrich et al., 1991). Such cessful model of compact city planning with high-density,
spaces create important opportunities for formal and infor- livable conditions for its citizens (Ministry of the Envir-
mal interactions, alongside social activities such as urban onment and Water Resources; Ministry of National Dev-
farming, and community gardens that may help mitigate elopment (MND), 2009). The shortage of land and other
consequences of high-rise living while invoking a sense resources have led to the intensification of the built env-
of belonging to the building (Cho et al., 2016; Yuen and ironment over a period of 52 years since its independence.
Hien, 2005). This has been made possible by the integrated planning
SkyVille @ Dawson, Singapore by WOHA is a high-rise efforts by various national agencies, headed by the MND,
public housing development that demonstrates a balance which directs the formulation and implementation of poli-
between high-density living and social amenity in its inn- cies related to infrastructure development in the country.
ovative use of sky gardens at strategic levels, creating “ver- It importantly oversees the operations of the Urban Red-
tical villages in the sky” (Fig. 3). Units are located at a evelopment Authority (URA) for land-use planning, the
maximum of five stories away from the sky gardens that Housing Development Board (HDB) for public housing,
serve as social nodes fostering daily interactions (Zacha- the Building Construction Authority (BCA) for building
riah, 2015). infrastructure and the National Parks Board (NParks) for
Therefore, it can be argued that vertical hybrids, through greening the environment. It can be reasoned that coordi-
their form, function, integration with technology, urban nated efforts between agencies negotiating the aforesaid
context and society seek to establish a “coherent balance requirements towards a comprehensive master plan have
of parts” emulating city environments, supporting flexible, engendered the resultant urban environment with numer-
mixed-use functions and incorporating green, accessible ous hybrid developments (URA, 2016b). For example,
and porous urban networks (Per et al., 2014). mixed-use programming is widely encouraged by the
URA to create “a vibrant and distinctive global city” thro-
2.4. The Case of Singapore ugh the introduction of “white sites”, on which a range of
Singapore is an urbanized, sovereign island-state with uses can be included (URA, 2012). Privately-owned pub-
5.61 million people on a limited land area of 718.3 square lic spaces (POPS) are supported by regulatory means to
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 115

Figure 4. Pinnacle@Duxton integrating communal spaces within its built form (Credits: Wikimedia Commons).

include and improve public access, maximizing public “a form of compensation to detachments from the street
space within the dense urban built environment (Urban level” while serving as connections between seven resid-
Redevelopment Authority, 2016a). Envisioned as a “City ential towers (Cho et al., 2016).
in a Garden”, some claim that “Singapore is the only city Learning Hub by Heatherwick Studio is an institutional
in the world to grow greener as it grows bigger, richer and “graft hybrid,” which by form of its handmade concrete
denser” (Jencks, 2016). The URA works in coalition with towers surrounding a central atrium interweaves porous
building stakeholders to incorporate the Landscaping for ground-level public spaces with upper-level social learn-
Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) program to meet ing spaces and informal garden terraces, creating a dyna-
the regulatory requirements set by the Green Plot Ratio mic environment for casual and incidental interaction
(GnPR) which provides incentives for the incorporation between students and academics.
of sky-rise greenery. Mapletree Business City II by DCA Architects is an
These initiatives have led to notable projects such as office development akin to a “graft hybrid,” which by its
The Interlace by Ole Scheeren, a residential “fabric hyb- topographical stepped form, carves environmentally
rid” that presents an alternative spatial configuration to friendly urban spaces amidst its office towers.
the vertical stacking of apartment units. Intended to create Expanding on the novel typology of vertical hybrids
a unique sense of community living, the buildings form an and exploring new paradigms therein, three Final-Year
interconnected mesh creating interstitial spaces for parks, Architectural Thesis projects at the National University of
public courtyards and the like (Davison, 2014), catering to Singapore (NUS) address typological concerns associated
the needs of 1,000 apartment units. Pinnacle@Duxton by with educational, office and housing land uses within
ARC Studio and RSP is a pioneering high-density public Singapore.
housing project, an example of a “monolith hybrid”, which
provides a substantial volume of public, communal space 3. Project Descriptions
on a tight, urban site (2.5 hectares) in downtown Singa-
pore (Fig. 4). The building form serves to create porous 3.1. Learner’s Paradise by Heng Cheng Sin (Case 1)
ground-level public spaces complemented by a public “This project presents a case for a revolutionary verti-
podium and two skybridges on the 26th and 50th stories as cal and compact university that uses a fraction of the land
116 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Table 1. Comparative Study of campuses based on available site area and gross floor area allocation per student
Institution (Year) Site Area GFA/student
University of Cambridge (1209) 728 ha 18 sqm
National University of Singapore (1905) 150 ha 25 sqm
Malaysia University of Technology Petronas (1997) 400 ha 28 sqm
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (2008) 0.52 ha 8 sqm
The Learner’s Paradise (2017) 20 ha 30 sqm

Figure 5. The Learner’s Paradise - site context and photos (Source: OneMap Credits: Heng Cheng Sin).

compared to typical university campuses worldwide to University, the industrial estates and public housing dev-
create a conducive and integrated living environment, elopments, and holds significant potential for the conflu-
which offers tripartite education encompassing commu- ence of community, industry and university (Fig. 5). It
nity, industry and university” – Heng Cheng Sin abuts major roadways (Pan Island Expressway and Jurong
West Ave 2) and a proposed Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
Sprawling higher-education campuses with disjointed line for easy connectivity with the surrounding districts
faculty buildings and redundant social spaces (Harrison, and green and blue natural elements that surround the site
2012) are energy- and resource-intensive (Smith, 2013). A create opportunities for a salutogenic learn-live-work-play-
brief comparison of Gross Floor Area (GFA) per student make environment.
in four universities shows a variance from 25 square met- The Learner’s Paradise, therefore, is envisioned as a
ers/student in longstanding, suburban campuses to 8 square transport-integrated campus with compact and dense built
meters/student in modern, urban cases (Table 1) indicat- forms that are characterised by an assortment of shared,
ing space optimization in high-density urban settings. Fur- flexible spaces interpolated with green, social spaces, for
thermore, the importance of physical connectivity (via innovative learning with a total GFA of 90 hectares for
novel and various transport modes) that brings community 15,000 students achieving 30 sqm per student, significantly
and industries closer to academic environments, as well as higher than some others described in Table 1.
facilitates cross and inter-disciplinary education, is signi-
ficant and more recently recognised. Accommodating 3.2. Diversifying Workplaces by Na Hsi-en (Case 2)
state-of-the-art e-learning and distance learning modes “The thesis proposes a mixed-use ecosystem for a vib-
alongside traditional and didactic education methods also rant, 24-hour active work environment with a future infra-
need to be considered. structure appropriate for creating a synergy that will rein-
The chosen site (20 hectares in area) is within the Jurong vigorate the CBD.” – Na Hsi-en
District in close proximity to the Nanyang Technological
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 117

Figure 6. Diversifying Workplaces – site context and photos (Source: OneMap Credits: Na Hsi-en).

The traditional mono-use office development model with week, thus extending their life and use, and introducing
familiar vertical segregation of programs renders the exis- the concepts of time and space sharing.
ting CBD model incapable of providing for future work-
ing environments that warrant flexibility to support the 3.3. Hybrid Heartlands by Javin Soh (Case 3)
24-hour work culture (Ang, 2016) as well as spatial confi- “This thesis builds on the issue of resource scarcity in
gurations in response to cross-disciplinary and collabora- the built environment and makes a case for the replication
tive work (Rifkin, 2014) within automated environments of regenerative architecture of old public housing building
(Stefano, 2015). “Diversifying Workplaces” explores a stock, which aims to improve efficiency and reduce redun-
new model of the CBD, devised to recuperate the large dancies of programs and spaces in them.” – Javin Soh
investment made in infrastructure and prime real estate
value (Archibold and Chng, 2014), while importantly cat- Being a land-scarce and resource-deficient nation, Sing-
ering to the conveniences of the diverse workforce in-situ apore’s building industry is heavily dependent on import-
as well as those functioning remotely across different time ing raw materials from neighbouring countries. “Hybrid
zones afforded by technological and communication inn- Heartlands” challenges the Selective En bloc Redevelop-
ovations (Ang, 2016). The site (0.2 hectares in area) is loc- ment Scheme (SERS)2 – a renewal approach that comes
ated at a junction between two arterial roads (Robinson with unsustainable repercussions, as more extractions are
Road and Cross Street) in the Central Business District of carried out to meet the construction demands of new
Singapore. Proximity to the two MRT stations (Fig. 6), “relocation” housing, while existing functional resources
presents an opportunity to improve connectivity with pub- are demolished (Soh, 2017). In doing so, the intrinsic val-
lic transport nodes. ues and associations embedded in these sites are also lost.
It seeks to repurpose and connect buildings around the The project argues that this can be avoided by sensitive
chosen site, albeit within the given structural constraints, repurposing of the existing buildings and introduction of
through injection of complementary functions and trans- various uses and amenities (with an emphasis on sociabi-
port integration to support a “24-hour work culture”. The lity) that cater to needs of the residents and the visitors
proposal presents a novel office typology that supports (Cho et al., 2016). In doing so, it is possible to regenerate
four modes (focus, collaborative, social and learning) of the older environments such that they become resource-
working spaces and replaces redundant spaces with efficient and humane.
flexible spaces and circulation networks that could host The site (5.8 hectares) is located in Serangoon, a predo-
different functions and users at different times of the day/ minantly public housing district, in Singapore with a res-

2
Older HDB estates are demolished and redeveloped as opposed to upgrading the existing flats via the Main Upgrading and Interim Upgrading
Program
118 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Figure 7. Hybrid Heartlands - site plan & photos (Source: OneMap Credits: Javin Soh).

idential population of approximately 73,000 people (Tob- to the urban grain, similar to the “fabric hybrid” typology
ergte and Curtis, 2013). The site is bordered by the Upper described by Fenton (1985). Case 2 merges office, com-
Serangoon Viaduct, while the Serangoon MRT station and mercial, hospitality, culture, educational and retail func-
the NEX shopping mall provide links to the surrounding tions within a unifying building form, owing to structural
housing blocks (Fig. 7). The site includes 13-story hous- and contextual constraints of the site, indicative of the
ing blocks with a Plot Ratio of 2.8 to 3.0, which are typ- “monolith” hybrid (Fenton, 1985) that responds to dense,
ically considered as low-rise, medium-density blocks in urban contexts. Here, staggered blocks with the carving
the Singaporean context, and do not fulfil the rising dem- of public and semi-public spaces and sky-bridges enable
and of the growing population. Consequently these struc- the incorporation of different use and functionalities
tures qualify for the SERS scheme. (Table 2(b)) under one roof to make these developments
This retrofit housing project borrows from and adds to vibrant and liveable and ensuring sufficient concentration
the existing geometry, structure and layout of the existing of people (Jacobs, 1961) across different demographics
buildings, so as to incorporate higher-ground networks and interests. Case 3 refines the building form within the
amongst the blocks and provide a link below the viaduct structural constraints of the existing development and the
that can integrate the estate with the neighbourhood. This adjacent viaduct akin to the “graft” hybrid (Fenton, 1985),
is complemented by the introduction of mixed-use prog- to create a vertical neighbourhood comprising educational,
rams and amenities to create a thriving hybrid housing tourism, healthcare, retail, commercial, F & B, offices and
community that is resource-efficient, accessible, green and community amenities (markets) (Table 2(c)).
integrated with the transport infrastructure. The three cases, through their common approach, evid-
ence a marked shift in the built character from traditional,
4. Analysis & Findings monolith tall buildings to porous blocks connected via
vertical and horizontal spatial elements like skybridges,
This section highlights the commonalities in the three decks, sky lobbies or staircases that make comprehensive
design schemes, illustrating the key features of “vertical links within the development and with the surrounding
hybrids”, and points to the relevance and importance of a buildings, infrastructure and transport. Amongst others,
paradigm shift from “tall buildings” to “vertical hybrids” Vanke Center, Shenzhen, China, by Steven Holl is one
for the high-density urban context of Singapore. such example, reinterpreting the skyscraper as a horizon-
tal entity ingrained into the context with ground and ele-
4.1. Form and Function of Mixed-Use Vertical Hybrids vated movement corridors for public access.
Case 1 employs small-scale building blocks that are Additionally, the fragmented and staggered building
clustered based on the functional needs of industry-acad- masses create permeable edges that may lead to multiple
emia-community collaboration (Table 2(a)) and responds choice of routes and unconventional in-between spaces
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 119

Table 2. Fragmentation of Built Form in response to urban context, functional needs and site constraints

Learner’s
Paradise (a)

Diversifying
Workplaces (b)

Hybrid
Heartlands (c)

(Carmona et al., 2010) that can support various forms of iability within these environments.
collaborations and interactions (Fig. 8) and improve soc- Furthermore, it can be argued that the development of
120 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Figure 8. The Learner’s Paradise showcases corollaries of semi-open spaces breaking the mass of adjoining classrooms
that serve as connecting social spaces, rendering the building mass into a breathable, green and humane entity (Credits:
Heng Cheng Sin).

Figure 9. Diversifying Workplaces illustrates the impact of the injection of mixed-use within the mono-functional CBD
in terms of improving the level of activity over weekdays and vibrancy over weekends (Credits: Na Hsi-en).

the fragmented building form and the interstitial open, towers, fuels the movement of people from surrounding
flexible and green spaces can be attributed to the injection streets and sidewalks via major view corridors, bridges,
of mixed-use programs and lead to spatial efficiencies. and plazas, creating a sense of “interconnectedness” across
Theoretically, these mixed-use environments represent the various buildings.
one primary function, around which other programs derive The three projects evidence that advances in technol-
their relevance within the urban context. For example, ogy, such as online teaching and smart classrooms (Case
“Diversifying Workplaces” (Case 2) (Fig. 9) suggests that 1), building automation, and cloud computing (Case 2),
the retail and cultural spaces along the horizontal spine demand certain spatial variations and flexibilities that sup-
across buildings importantly creates an inclusive environ- port time/space sharing, and seemingly characterize the
ment with dynamic movement of people and activates the hybrid environments, while ensuring resource efficiencies,
buildings, unlike the typical mono-use office towers. density of uses and users, and humanization of these gig-
Similarly, Tokyo Midtown, comprising commercial, antic environments. (Fig. 10).
hotel, museum and leisure programs within a cluster of
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 121

Figure 10. “Diversifying Workplaces” showcasing space sharing over weekdays and weekends powered by technological
advancements (Credits: Na Hsi-en).

4.2. Integrating Multi-Level Access and Transit Integ- community functions.

ration All three cases present opportunities for promoting soc-
In Case 1, the fragmented, clustered building forms (Sec- ial interaction by adjacency to transitional spaces, various
tion 4.1.) create “nooks and crannies”, “collaborative learn- points of ingress and egress and multiple mobility modes.
ing bridges”, courtyards and plazas for various activities Importantly, they highlight the importance of creating fine-
to bridge different uses, programs and disciplines (Table grained networks of multiple modes of transit and their
4(a)). This is augmented by an elevated “Mobility Cor- holistic integration within and between developments. Fur-
ridor” which connects Case 1 with the proposed MRT thermore, these networks do not serve merely as conduits
station and surrounding developments in a looped network. for movement, but rather are populated with different uses
This elevated corridor loop has transit nodes that are pos- that activate them and make them safe. Provision of dedi-
itioned strategically within each cluster to enable a seam- cated elevated mobility corridors, along with strategic
less transition into the buildings. nodes and incorporation of various functions, may enable
Case 2 employs elevated sky decks that extend street smooth transitions and promote novel transactions between
infrastructure into the vertical realms, through the intro- various uses within mixed-use developments. This app-
duction of bridges, which effectively inject new pedestrian roach, however, requires more of a large-scale systems-
movement patterns onto the higher levels, blurring the thinking approach and a coordinated effort across differ-
boundaries between the developments within the CBD ent agencies within a city.
(Table 4(b)). At grade, it proposes reduced road widths, to It can be therefore assumed that carefully calibrated
accommodate only public transport and autonomous higher-ground networks can present opportunities to gen-
vehicles;3 this is supported by extensive linkages to the erate taxonomies of flexible spaces that have the potential
below-ground MRT network (Table 6(b)). The reduced to activate the upper reaches of mixed-use environments,
roads make way for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly trails generate revenue, provide “natural surveillance” and bring
on the ground level, connecting culture, retail, leisure and amenities to the doorstep, and in doing so, tie the vertical
hospitality spaces. The ground and elevated networks toge- environments more strongly to the horizontal city. The
ther seek to engender a novel, integrated CBD environ- transitions from the ground plane into the upper reaches
ment. of the buildings through a matrix of public/semi-public
The viaduct link in Case 3 (Section 3.3.) with surround- spaces are also evident in built examples, such as the Jian-
ing buildings and the MRT station enables effective segre- wai SOHO in Beijing by Riken Yamamoto.
gation of pedestrian traffic from the vehicles (Table 4(c)). The three cases acknowledge that although the primary
The project uses its underside to create a secure pedes- component of user movement is the ground plane, the
trian link between the housing blocks and neighboring verticality of the buildings may require effective and ext-
housing developments, the MRT and the NEX mall. This ensive below- and higher-ground networks. Visible segre-
link, essentially a new piece of infrastructure, brings to life gation of pedestrianized and non-pedestrianized move-
a redundant and undesirable “undercroft” space, through ments (Salingaros 1999), aided by such elevated or under-
the incorporation of a market, small workshops, retail and ground transport networks, can free up the ground plane

3
that typically increase road capacities by 273% (Tientrakool, Ho, and Maxemchuk 2011).
122 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

Table 3. Multi-Level Access & Transit Integration

Learner’s Paradise (a) Diversifying Workplaces (b)

Hybrid Heartlands (c)

for safe and successful public places and greening, prom- bridges and planters, soften the otherwise perceived harsh-
oting healthier lifestyles through walking and cycling, and ness of the typical, glazed and sealed high-rise environ-
using cleaner modes of transport. Finally, as evidenced by ments, while offering shaded green spaces as a respite
the cases, multi-modality can provide travel options for a from tropical weather conditions.
large volume of commuters, which in turn can aid effici- Furthermore, apart from serving as important nodal
ency in commute time, distance and costs. For example, points for improving sociability in urban environments,
The IFC-Exchange Square, Hong Kong connects several green spaces in vertical hybrids would help reduce urban
buildings via elevated pedestrian decks, while also being heat island effects, improve air quality, stormwater man-
integrated with the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) System agement and biodiversity, and energy efficiency in build-
underground. ings. Punggol Waterway Terraces in Singapore is a public
housing development with building-integrated greenery,
4.3. Provision of Green and Social Spaces articulated by its green terraced built form, to serve myriad
Staggering of the built form and edges (Section 4.1.) to environmental benefits, while providing users with an ex-
carve out green and transitional spaces in Case 1 and Case periential connection to the landscape and the neighbor-
2 introduces accessible greenery in the upper reaches of hood. Importantly, urban green spaces, at grade and within
a building that may contribute towards stress-relieving, the vertical environments, humanize the otherwise dense
restorative and salutogenic settings, critical in the context urban settings, and in doing so, create important breathing
of dense, tall urban settings (Gifford, 2011). In Case 3, lungs within our cities.
green features also take the form of outdoor/semi-outdoor
sky decks, sky gardens and community gardens that sup- 5. Conclusion
port a multitude of community activities and become
democratic spaces that can be inhabited and managed by In the context of increasing urban densities and associa-
the residents (Table 5). This is also evidenced in Case 1 ted pressure on urban land and the built environment, this
and 2, in which the elevated green spaces offer important paper examines how vertical cities could be dense, res-
opportunities for collaboration, learning and encompassing ource-efficient and yet humane, through the “vertical hyb-
other complementary uses. rid” model.
Perforations in the built form, via pocket gardens, sky- The tall building typology is constantly evolving in res-
 Exploring New Paradigms in High-Density Vertical Hybrids 123

Table 4. Green/Democratic Spaces

Learner’s Paradise (a) Diversifying Workplaces (b)

Hybrid Heartlands (c)

ponse to the need for dynamic integration of live-work- would improve spatial efficiencies, natural surveillance
play-learn-and-make programs, leading to the concept of and vibrancy of urban environments.
“hybrid” buildings. Embedding large-scale hybrids within On an urban scale, integrating hybrid buildings with
a high-density context requires careful consideration of transit-oriented infrastructure would reduce reliance on
the urban grain, so as to not obliterate city connections the use of personal vehicles such as cars and promote clean
(physical and visual) and erode urban morphology. This modes of transport. This, of course, would have implica-
suggests the need for a sensitive approach that breaks tions for the development of city-level infrastructure and
down verticality through smaller masses interspersed with urban planning and would require a systems approach and
a certain porosity, as well as horizontal and vertical link- coordinated efforts by multiple agencies.
ages between buildings, and integration with transit infra- While the significance of the ground plane is not under-
structure. This should be accompanied by a system of mined, there is a shift in emphasis towards carefully cali-
varied social and green spaces (skybridges, sky decks, brated higher-ground networks, comprising taxonomies
sky gardens etc.) that can potentially encompass a diverse of congregational/green spaces that would ameliorate
range of functions and support space-sharing and time- vertical stratification within tall buildings. The increased
sharing, so as to reduce redundancies in our urban envir- use of public transport and autonomous vehicles would
onments. These spaces, when integrated with transit net- reduce the domination of cars and roads, and allow for
works, will activate the upper reaches of the development greener environments suitable for walking and cycling,
and improve transitions between the vertical and horizon- and promote healthier urban living. Moreover, integrating
tal components of a city. The resultant fluidity, it is argued, various modes of transport vertically, and the emphasis
124 Swinal Samant Ravindranath and Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon | International Journal of High-Rise Buildings

on pedestrian-friendly design and activated street fronts Jacobs, Jane. 1961. The Death and Life of Great American
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three projects importantly showcase possible trajectories
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