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cnnnews.com
cnnnews.com
CNN) - An architecture firm is shedding new light on building skyscrapers, literally.
A
concept for a "No Shadow Tower" was recently put forward by the London
branch of NBBJ architects. The ambitious structure would be built to
reflect light between two high-rises to ensure more sunlight can reach
ground level.
It works by using an
algorithm in the design phase to calculate which panels on a building
will be in view of the sun at certain hours of the day depending on its
location, shape and the time of year.
These
panels can then be strategically placed during construction to bounce
light down into public spaces at the foot of the buildings.
"You can't remove the shadow from one building," said Christian Coop, design director of NBBJ London.
"(But)
if you have two buildings, one to the north and one to the south, you
could form the building to the north to act like a mirror that would
reflect the light in complete sequence to track the shadow from the
south."
Promotional literature from the architects says this technique can help reduce shadows by about 60%.
NBBJ
submitted the concept for a recent competition run by New London
Architecture (NLA) think-tank that aimed to discover how skyscrapers
could benefit public spaces.
go here to read the skyscraper story on cnn
