People who live in glass towers
Glassy skyscrapers are at the centre of a new controversy
Tridel and city agency Build Toronto, which are redeveloping 10 York Street at a cost of $295-million, are researching how to incorporate “thermal breaks” between inside and outside floors, to help contain energy within a new, 75-storey residential tower.
The 82-storey Aqua Tower in Chicago has won rave reviews for its sleek, curvy look, but has come under fire for its environmental downsides: Its uninsulated concrete slab floors sweep seamlessly from Aqua’s interiors to its exterior balconies, allowing for heat escape.
Horten Law Firm, Copenhagen, by Danish architecture firm 3XN, finds sustainability via its façade geometry and orientation on the site, which has resulted in an estimated 10-per-cent energy savings over comparable office building of its size.
Manitoba Hydro Place, by KPMB Architects and Thomas Auer of Transsolar Climate Engineering, is designed to achieve 60-per-cent energy savings using passive energy sources, offering a model for energy-efficient, human-centred design for Winnipeg’s extreme climate.
The Marilyn Monroe-esque Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Ont., include so-called thermal breaks between inside floors and outside balconies, to help prevent energy waste.