World's First Building-Integrated Wind Turbines......
shyju c
World's First Building-Integrated Wind Turbines......
Atkins - Architect Of The Week - July 2008 - 1st Week
Atkins is one of the world's leading providers of professional, technology-based consultancy and support services, with 200 offices worldwide.
Since its origin as a family business in 1938 Atkins has grown beyond recognition, both in size and diversity, to its current position as one of today's foremost multi-discipline consultancy services to the built environment. Generating an annual turnover of more than £1.62 Billion in 2006, it now employs 17000 staff globally.
Keith Clarke - Chief Executive
Keith Clarke was appointed a director in October 2003. He is a chartered architect. He joined the Group from Skanska AB where he was executive vice president responsible for its activities in the UK, Poland, Czech Republic, India and China. He has over 30 years' experience in construction and engineering, having previously worked for the City of New York, Olympia and York, Trafalgar House and Kvaerner. He is chairman of the Construction Industry Council's Health and Safety Committee and chair of the National Platform High Level Steering Group for Construction Excellence. He is also an advisory board member of the Built Environment Innovation Centre at Imperial College, London.
Courtesy : http://blog.designcelebrity.com/atkins-architect-of-the-week-july-2008-1st-week.html
Bahrain World Trade Centre - Designed by ATKINS
Utilizing wind dynamics. Each tower is visually anchored to the ground by a concertina of curved sail-like profiles that progressively peel back to reveal a dramatic form, resembling a shard of blue glass.
Unique to this building and rising to the challenge of incorporating renewable energy solutions with sustainable architecture, the design provides for three wind turbines horizontally supported between the towers.
The Bahrain World Trade Center is an extension to the existing Sheraton Hotel complex and comprises two 50-storey sail-shaped commercial office towers, which taper to a height of 240m and support three 29m diameter horizontal-axis wind turbines. The towers are integrated on top of a three-storey podium which accommodates a new boutique shopping centre, fine dining, business centre and car parking.
WIND POWER
Inspired by Arabian wind towers, the sail-shaped towers funnel the sea breeze into the three wind turbines. They act as aerofoils, funnelling and accelerating the wind velocity between them. The vertical sculpting of the towers also progressively reduces the pressure so that when combined with the rising velocity of the onshore breeze at increasing heights, a near equal regime of wind velocity on each turbine is achieved.
Understanding this phenomenon has been a key factor behind the success of this design. Extensive wind tunnel testing also confirmed how the shapes and spatial relationship of the towers sculpt the airflow, creating an 'S' flow. This ensures that within a 45° wind angle either side of the central axis, the centre of the wind stream remains perpendicular to the turbines. In this way, the turbines' potential to generate power is dramatically increased.
Three wind turbine blades have been successfully installed on the Bahrain World Trade Center , a twin skyscraper complex. This is the first time that a commercial development has integrated large-scale wind turbines within its design to harness the power of the wind. The three massive turbines, measuring 29 meters in diameter, are supported by bridges spanning between the complex's two towers. Through its positioning and the unique aerodynamic design of the towers, the prevailing on-shore Gulf breeze is funneled into the path of the turbines, helping to create power generation efficiency.
Once operational, the wind turbines will deliver approximately 11-15% of the energy needs of the building, or 1100 to 1300 megawatt-hours per year -- enough to provide light in 300 homes for over a year.
OTHER FEATURES
The building also incorporates a large number of other sustainable features which make it environmentally responsive in reducing carbon emissions. The deep gravel roofs in some locations provide kinetic insulation, while balconies to the sloping elevations with overhangs provide shading. Dense concrete core and floor slabs will level loads and reduce peak demand with associated reductions in air and chilled water transport systems.
As it nears completion with the turbines being lifted into place this October, the project will signal a world first and potentially become a cornerstone of a new global emphasis on building design. The BWTC sets a precedent that wind turbine integration is possible in the built environment. It places environmental design on the forefront of clients' and designers' agendas in a highly visual way, and hopefully helps initiate more energy conscious developments worldwide.
Official website:
http://www.bahrainwtc.com/
Some more Pictures of BWTC
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