The Gate Residence's green architecture features, was designed by Belgian architect, Vincent Callebaut.Built into the property, windcatchers, geothermal cooling, solar panels, solar heater tubes and wind turbines
RESIDENCE'S GREEN ARCHITECTURE FEATURES
Egypt is the latest country to be the target for a futuristic building, designed to be the pinnacle in eco-construction.
The
multi-billion pound complex, called The Gate Residence, will be built
in Cairo and in addition to environmentally-friendly features such as
solar panels, wind turbines and heating tubes, the property will house
1,000 apartments.
There
will also be three levels of offices and even a shopping centre with
four levels of underground parking, valet services, babysitting and a
24-hour pharmacy.
The state-of-the-art project was designed by Belgian architect, Vincent Callebaut.
Built
into the property, windcatchers, geothermal cooling, solar panels,
solar heater tubes and wind turbines will generate electricity for the
residents and manage the building's temperature and energy waste levels.
In
Egypt, windcatchers are known as Malqaf and function in three ways -
directing airflow down using direct wind entry, directing airflow
upwards using a wind-assisted temperature gradient, or directing airflow
upwards using a solar-assisted temperature gradient.
A
series of nine so-called 'megatrees' will be the nine windcatchers for
The Gate Residents, and will improve cooling during warm seasons, and
night cooling rates.
In The Gate Project, Mr Callebaut plans to build air shafts into the cores to naturally cool each apartment.
Then,
using ground loops, the geothermal heat pumps will move heat energy
back and forth between the building and the earth to provide an
efficient and environmentally-friendly way of heating and cooling
apartments and commercial spaces. They will additionally provide hot
water.
Windcatchers
In
Egypt, windcatchers are known as Malqaf and function in three ways -
directing airflow down using direct wind entry, directing airflow
upwards using a wind-assisted temperature gradient, or directing airflow
upwards using a solar-assisted temperature gradient.
A
series of nine so-called 'megatrees' will be the nine windcatchers in
the project, and will improve cooling during warm seasons and night
cooling rates.
Passive geothermal cooling and heating system
Passive
Cooling is a technique that controls and movs heat around a building in
order to improve indoor temperatures, without using a lot of energy.
It
works by either stopping heat entering the interior, known as heat gain
prevention, or by removing heat from the building, or natural
cooling.
In The Gate Project, Mr Callebaut plans to build air shafts into the cores to naturally cool each apartment.
Then,
using ground loops, the geothermal heat pumps will move heat energy
back and forth between the building and the earth to provide an
efficient and environmentally-friendly way of heating and cooling
apartments and commercial spaces. They will additionally provide hot
water.
Solar photovoltaic cells
Conventional
solar cells use visible and infrared light to generate electricity, but
photovoltaic cells use ultraviolet radiation.
In
the project, the solar roof will be covered by walkable solar creating
shadows above the patios and the promenade. They will generate
electricity for the building. The solar cells will be integrated in a
double glass layer that will be easy to clean, too.
Solar water heating tubes
Solar
water heating, or solar hot water systems, are designed to deliver hot
water to all the bathrooms and kitchens of the building for most of the
year, explained Mr Callebaut.
Glass-metal
tubes collect heat from the sun, and heating the water will be managed
using elliptical shapes covering the rooms in each core on the roof.
Vertical axis wind turbines
Vertical-axis
wind turbines are a type of turbine where the main rotor shaft is set
vertically, and the main components are located at the base of the
turbine. This allows the generator and gearbox to be located close to
the ground, making it easier to service and repair.
These
helical twisted wind turbines will be built along the inner street on
the roof, to benefit from the winds, and generate electricity.
Green/living walls
The
primary cause of heat build-up in cities is the absorption of solar
radiation by roads and buildings, explained the architect.
The
green walls will reduce overall temperatures of these building, and by
covering the surface with plants, they will also be a way of recycling
water.
In the project, the nine megatrees will be covered by living walls. These walls will also be fitted along the inner street.
Smart home automation
The
technology will be built-in to the offices and apartments, meaning
homeowners will be able to control the different zones, rooms and
temperatures.
Multi-sensors
will be used to detect the number of people in a room, motion,
temperature, and light levels before adjusting to reach the perfect
climate.
This is expected to save wasted energy.
In the project, the solar roof will be covered by walkable panels creating shadows above the patios and the promenade. They will generate electricity for the building.The roof of the building will be turned into a community garden, complete with orchards, infinity swimming pools and a sports area, and there will be multiple rooftop areas connected by foot bridges.While green walls will reduce overall temperatures of these building, and by covering the surface with plants, they will also be a way of recycling water.
In the project, the nine megatrees will be covered by these living walls, and walls will also be fitted along the inner street.
And
inside the building, smart home automation technology will be fitted to
the offices and apartments, meaning homeowners and workers will be able
to control the different zones, rooms and temperatures.
Multi-sensors
will be used to detect the number of people in a room, motion,
temperature, and light levels before adjusting to reach the perfect
climate, and this is expected to save wasted energy.
In
total, the complex will cover 4.8 million square feet (450,000 square
metres) and is set to cost £3.9 billion (£4.5 billion Egyptian pounds).
'It is time
for Cairo to witness the creation of an iconic sustainable building that
would express the future of the city,' said Mr Callebaut.
'In
the heart of this new Cairo, the Gate Residence is an innovative design
idea for a green building, representing the combination of trees and
building, and [transforming] the city into a vertical, green, dense and
hyper-connected ecosystem.'
The
ambition of the Gate Project is to create a new prototype of inhabited
ecosytem that will create 50 per cent energy savings. The building is
also designed to decrease its carbon footprint, and to recycle a part of
its own waste, for example.
Mr
Callebaut said: ‘The main objective behind this urban proposal is to
raise awareness of green sustainable architecture to fight against
global warming.
‘The
project shows a high ambition in green energy and technology. The
objective is to create a sustainable landmark in Cairo by transforming
this efficient building mass, multiplying the perspective views towards
the streets, into a huge urban oasis.'
Mr Callebaut said work will start on the new building in March next year. It will be completed in 2019.
- Called The Gate Residence, the billion-pound project was designed by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut
- It will feature geothermal cooling, windcatchers, solar panels, solar heater tubes and wind turbines
- Property will also house 1,000 apartments, three levels of offices and a shopping centre with underground parking
- While the roof will transform into a garden, with orchards, swimming pools and a sports area
- Work on the new building is set to start in March next year, and it is expected to be completed in 2019
- In total, the complex will cover 4.8 million square feet (450,000 square metres) and is set to cost £3.9 billion
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