A sustainably optimized highrise concept

Abstract

Due to population growth we need more buildings, but due to urbanization there are hardly any opportunities to densify in highly concentrated cities. While we inevitably need more buildings, we have to also take into account that the construction industry is one of the major contributors to climate change. In order to prevent further damage on the climate we need to rethink the way we design our buildings. The concept of highrise is a possible solution because you can densify within a relatively small footprint, but highrise buildings are not sustainable at all due to the need of extensive materials, installations and other demands. I want to prove that a highrise building can be designed significantly more sustainable than traditional highrise buildings, while also making sure that it contributes to liveability and inclusivity. That's why I want to find out if it is possible to design a sustainable highrise concept for an urbanized modern city to account for population growth and climate change while also making sure that it contributes a liveable and inclusive city and building environment. After conducting my thesis in the form of a thematic research and highrise design, I concluded that it can be done to a great extent, but we still have to remain critical since the use of extensive materials and appliances is inevitable. Also I believe that the concept of sustainable highrise can be optimized even further and therefore more research is needed