Ron Flax, LEED AP, BPI, RESNET, is one of the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading green building science experts and will be presenting this information-packed workshop for BGBG. This workshop is the official residential green building training offered by the City and Countyof Boulder and will cover the essentials of local code compliance

, financial incentives,and the hot topic of the cost of green building. Ron will provide a comprehensive, integrated, all-levels discussion of energy efficiency, resource conservation, environmental quality, and durability. Ron has been teaching and updating this class for four years, and it has consistently received superb reviews from participants. It is also now eligible for Continuing Education credits from the American Institute of Architects, DORA, BPI and the (Van Ed) Colorado Association of Realtors. This event often sells out. Register now at BGBG.org.

click here or image for interactive holiday card

The design concept for the Taiwan Tower is the synthesis of seven influences:  sun, building, people, path, landscape, water, and [ is embodied in the idea of ] the lotus flower. The building complex is designed to the highest levels of sustainability, using Biomimicry principles to achieve the following goals:

• Net-zero energy use
• Harnessing the sun for power, and the earth and wind for climate control
• Employing a living, breathing skin
• Conserving and Purifying water so that all use needs are met by what falls from the sky, and all water leaving the site is potable
• Creating an indoor air environments that is healthier than the outdoor air
• Utilizing environmentally preferable materials and systems (non-toxic, recycled, recyclable and readily renewable)
• Serving as an educational model for the cutting edge of sustainable design
• Creating a more vibrant landscape
• Connecting the built environment seamlessly to the natural environment

 

The buildings are envisioned as a physical extension and experiential focal point of the park.  The pathway from the park winds across a new bridge, and carries the park’s path up onto the “live green” roof plazas atop all the buildings.  Rooftop ramps and exterior stairs allow pedestrians to walk over all areas of the site – the buildings become the park. The buildings maintain the formal geometry of the site boundaries, but step the land itself around and over the buildings, all the way up to the tower’s Grand Plaza.  The building exteriors are giant blocks of rusticated native stone, punctuated by long spans of structural glass, visually connecting the interiors to the green roof plazas.

The skin of the crystal tower is a spiraling steel matrix exoskeleton with a variety of glass infill panels, creating a textile pattern derived from aboriginal culture.  On the lower third of the tower, the panels are bi-facial Photovoltaic glass, shaped for maximum solar electrical output, and resulting in a breathtaking 40M deep cantilever.

The heavily landscaped Grand Plaza is seen as a destination for park visitors.  The building and site are conceived of as a tourist attraction, with multiple components including the Grand Plaza, the observation decks and restaurants, the Museum, the site landscaping and path, the crystal tower and the exposed elevator ride to the top through a vertical garden, the interactive educational displays describing the green building aspects and lastly a large water park.

Official Competition Website:
TAIWAN TOWER: Conceptual Design International Competition