Buildings play a large role in how we live, work and interact with the wider world, so it is no surprise that architectural trends increasingly utilise innovations in technology to address concerns around environmental responsibility.
CoxGomyl is at the centre of these developments, delivering facade access solutions to meet the needs of some of the most demanding and pioneering visions for sustainable architecture.
According to Gensler’s 2017 Design Forecast, buildings contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. Sustainable architecture seeks to minimise the environmental impact of buildings through greater efficiency and moderation in the use of materials and energy. It also considers the space a development occupies and its relationship with the wider ecosystem. This approach focuses on responsible energy use and ecological conservation while considering both short-term impacts and long-term consequences.
CoxGomyl has been involved in some of the most innovative examples of sustainable architecture. Oasia Hotel Downtown is known as Singapore’s ‘living tower’ and is a leading example of the growing trend towards building gardens and greener urban design.
The building’s unusual open structure incorporates four lush ‘sky terraces’ which provide green verandas within the urban environment. A sky garden above features an open crown rather than a conventional solid roof. Twenty-one species of creepers are incorporated into the facade itself, designed and positioned to grow across the outside of the building. The top-level sky garden and sky terraces also include an additional 33 species of plants and trees.
The project provides valuable greenery within the CBD while also supporting biodiversity in the urban environment. Realising this sustainable vision required equally inventive access solutions. CoxGomyl designed and supplied a system including a BMU at crown level, a soft-rope system allowing horizontal and diagonal cradle movement, and monorail systems installed on the underside of the soffit to provide access to the mid-level gardens.
Another example of sustainable architecture is One Central Park in Sydney. The building is home to approximately 85,000 facade plants and 1,200 square metres of green walls.
The 116-metre vertical garden uses systems that allow plants to grow without relying on conventional soil beds. Light, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients are supplied to support the plants while helping to minimise the impact on the building’s structural design.
To further support the building’s sustainability strategy, CoxGomyl designed and supplied a moving roof gantry covered in reflective glass panels. These panels help direct sunlight towards areas of the vertical garden.
Even supertall skyscrapers are becoming more sustainable in their facade and structural design. The Shanghai World Financial Center uses an advanced structural system designed to reduce the overall weight of the building and the amount of material required for the 492-metre-tall tower.
The building also incorporates a number of energy-conscious features, including efficient lighting systems, water management measures and glazing designed to reduce heat gain. One of its most recognisable features is the large opening through the upper levels, which helps reduce wind pressure on the structure.
CoxGomyl’s facade access solution involves 20 separate BMU systems capable of providing access to 100% of the building envelope while retracting into the building and out of sight when parked. The system includes fixed-length jibs and multistage knuckle jibs capable of launching cradles through narrow openings and reaching around corners to access difficult areas of the facade. A custom gantry also provides access to the glass-clad observation bridge at level 97.
As an end-to-end provider of building maintenance systems, CoxGomyl is well positioned to support sustainable building design through its work in design, engineering, manufacturing and installation.
CoxGomyl continually reviews its products and processes to take advantage of new materials and manufacturing methods, while seeking more efficient and streamlined approaches that reduce material use and waste. Recycling initiatives and the use of reprocessed steel products also contribute to efforts to minimise environmental impact.
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