China

Medical City For Healing: Fifth XiangYa Hospital Surrounded by Natural Environment

Completion Expected 2020

08 May 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Green Building

China’s healthcare delivery will have a new face as the Fifth XiangYa Hospital designed by Payette is about to implement a new world-class standard for it. The hospital – situated in ChangSha, China – considered to be nested building segments and network of systems, houses over 2,500 rooms for patients and can cater to more than 10,000 patients each day.

Completion Expected 2020

The hospital will also have a new campus that has a VIP Hospital to its north side and a General Hospital to its south side. It includes an array of gardens and buildings interconnected with each other which covers about 30 acres of site that integrates with its neighboring Xianguling Park.

Birds eyeMedical City For Healing - XiangYa Hospital in China desifned by Payette — (Payette)

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The systems may be incorporated tightly and dependent on each other, but it is shown that parts of the building are separate volumes, distinguished, and clearly exhibits the workflow and programs of the organization.

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The hospital is set amidst the location’s topography, overlooking the mountains encompassing it, as well as Xianguling Park. On the podium shared by diagnostic and treatment, there’s a couple of patient towers floating above it. It’s an embedded nest where nature’s pervasive presence unifies the array of structures.

The superstructures have ample windows that allow plenty of natural light in and provide stunning framed views of the building’s natural environment that surround it. Its light monitors, courtyards, and gardens, also embed nature further into them.

Every patient room here has a window known as the Family Nest which is the facade’s main component. It alleviates the massive scale variation between a specific patient and his family and the hospital. Every aspect of its design serves various purposes, from sunshade and façade articulation to family seating.

Each Family Nest slightly differs in frame calibration from one room to the other to maximize natural ventilation and solar performance while at the same time still offers a comfortable area for all family members.

Topview Medical City For Healing - XiangYa Hospital in China desifned by Payette — (Payette)

Outdoor Facilities of Medical City For Healing - XiangYa Hospital in China desifned by Payette — (Payette)

outdoor Medical City For Healing - XiangYa Hospital in China desifned by Payette — (Payette)

side view rendering Medical City For Healing - XiangYa Hospital in China desifned by Payette — (Payette)

INFINITI Qs Inspiration: A Preview of The New Electrified Sports Sedan

Production of Its First-Gen Electrified Models Will Be In China For The Chinese Market

20 April 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, MOTORING

A preview of the new electrified sports sedan tagged as INFINITI Qs Inspiration was exhibited for the first time at the Auto Shanghai 2019. The innovative INFINITI model gives a fresh and modern take on a sports sedan. It features an elevated driving position that combines a powerful electrified all-wheel-drive with high performance.

INFINITI’s Production of Its First-Gen Electrified Models Will Be In China

Challenging tradition has always been at the core of INFINITI, and the Qs Inspiration embodies that. The INFINITI model gives the audience a preview of its anticipated production and where the company is headed – the electrified era, where a range of e-POWER and electric powertrains will be part of its offerings.

Your invitation. As the clamshell doors open, beams of light shoot out to guide you inside the Qs Inspiration. Learn more. https://t.co/XzCGF4EOOT #AutoShanghai #QsInspiration #ConceptCar pic.twitter.com/ASpFhQygzG
— INFINITI USA (@INFINITIUSA) April 17, 2019

The concept has a very flexible architecture and can even support supercharged electrified powertrains. Furthermore, it also presented its team of designers, led by the company’s executive design director, Karim Habib, the opportunity to give the sedan’s conventional three-box design an uplift by incorporating it with new exterior dimensions, as well as a spacious and comfortable lounge-inspired interior.

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It is also confirmed that the upcoming electrified model will have the new form language of INFINITI. The concept draws inspiration from the brand’s Japanese heritage and can be clearly seen in their exhibition area, which was a collaboration with Kengo Kuma, a well-known Japanese architect. The design of the showcase area is a fusion of the latest Qs Inspiration model concept and the design direction of the company’s electrified line up. This will also be showcased on other major auto exhibits in the near future.

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According to the senior vice president for Global Design of Nissan Motor Company, Alfonso Albaisa, “As designers, we are constantly inspired by the technology of our engineers and the Japanese design influences which are part of our DNA,” he also added that, “Here in Shanghai, we have not been alone on this journey. I am very honored to have had Kengo Kuma as a ‘sensei,’ helping us evolve and express a new language in our company architecture. In Shanghai, we reveal our Kuma-san-designed INFINITI booth, expressing new visual poetry, harmony, and innovation.”

The reveal of the Qs Inspiration Concept coincides with the announcement of INFINITI that the production of their first-gen electrified models will be in China where it will be made available first hand as well.

Christian Meunier, INFINITI’s Motor Company chairman said that “China has the most growth potential for electric vehicles globally, especially in the premium segment. The age of electrification presents us with an opportunity to renew our credentials as an innovative challenger brand, ready to move quickly and decisively in this growing and exciting area of the market.”

The electrification move of INFINITI will present the company with the opportunity to reinvent its brand globally by offering low-emission vehicles that have the power and performance to provide drivers with exciting driving experience.

World’s Longest Pure Electric Bus Presented in China

Longest pure electric bus equipped with a four-wheel drive

04 April 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, MOTORING

It seems there is no reason to call it not “the world’s longest pure electric bus”. It wasn’t an April Fool when BYD announced to launch its 27 meters long K12A on 1 Apr 2019 able to transport 250 passengers without emitting carbon dioxide or other noxious fumes. BYD, a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province in China, caused quite a stir in the media.

BYD Nr. 1 in The World in Terms of Total Sales of Pure Electric Buses

According to BYD, K12A is not only the world’s longest pure electric bus. It is also the first electric bus equipped with a four-wheel drive (4WD) – able to torque to four of its wheels simultaneously. If that isn’t enough, the bus can even switch between 2WD and 4WD. This allows to meet the terrain requirements and optimize the vehicle’s overall energy consumption.

#BYD just launched the world’s longest #BatteryElectric bus!(This is no #AprilFools Joke)
The 88 feet K12A biarticulated model has a passenger capacity of 250 people
Max speed = 70kmh/40mph
Up to 186 miles on a single charge#ZEB #Bus #ElectricVehicle #EV #EVs #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/D1TE967q2u
— BYD (@BYDCompany) 1. April 2019

The BYD K12A, featuring an all-aluminum alloy body, can achieve a maximum speed of 70 km/h. Allegedly, it is possible to cover a distance of almost 300 kilometers with one battery charge, enough for a day trip. K12A is not the first pure electric bus from BYD. With its K9, the Chinese automobile manufacturer was even the first company producing the first world’s pure electric bus.

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“Today, BYD once again uses its core technology, reliable products and innovative solutions to solve the two great urban ills of congestion and pollution”. Stella Li, Senior Vice President of BYD said, “The K12A will bring zero emissions to BRT systems, allowing passengers to enjoy quiet, pollution-free travel, while at the same time saving significant maintenance costs for operators.”

“I’m confident that BYD’s super-long pure electric buses are the future of BRT systems, and that the company’s strength is a measure of China’s solid industrial strength”, said Luis Carlos Moreno, CEO of Express, one of the BYD’ s major clients in Colombia. “On this trip to Shenzhen, I’ve seen that the city’s public buses are already 100% electrified, and I firmly believe that electrification is a future global trend.”

Vanke 3D City From MVRDV With Plenty of Variety And Relaxation

Eight Blocks - Eight Different Facades and Orientations, Several Green Places, Water Collection and Recycling

20 December 2018 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2018, Featured, Green Building

Dutch architects MVRDV are the winner of the design competition for the new headquarters of the real estate developer Vanke Group in Shenzhen, China. Unofficially called ‘Vanke 3D city’ by MVRDV, it is the latest of architecture of the future. Built on two plots of land on either side of a road, the Vanke Group’s headquarters building will be a dynamic, mixed-use development, composed of eight blocks that bridge the road and connect to each other. The tallest tower counts 250 meters. The 167,000 square meter development will house office and retail space, parks, restaurants and a hotel.

The concept of the ‘three-dimensional city’ evolved from MVRDV’s Vertical Village project of 2009, which examined how cluster developments can contribute to sustainable social dynamics in dense urban environments.

Several Gardens And Green Roofs for Locale Recreation

Each block will be designed to correspond to one of Vanke’s core values: ‘health’, ‘energy’, ‘open’, ‘team’, ‘green’, ‘nature’, ‘future’, and ‘creative’. In addition to the large amount of green and open spaces that will be incorporated, the design includes systems for water collection and recycling.

Stacked blocks Vanke 3d City from MVRDV in Shenzhen - China — Stacked blocks, different façades and alternating orientations create more visual variety (© ATCHAIN)

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Four of the blocks will be indented either on one façade, or all the way through the block, creating ‘windows’ that will house atriums, parks and plazas. The roofs of each block will also feature green spaces to be used as recreational areas. With all of the gardens and halls connected by stairs and elevators, the linked blocks will create an entirely new kind of urban cohesion and continuity. The network of shaded, airy spaces will be open 24 hours a day, giving Shenzhen residents a welcome respite from the tropical climate and access to the commercial and restaurant levels at the base of the four corner blocks.

A sunken, multi-level green space at the base of Vanke City also forms part of the network, and in accordance with Shenzhen’s ‘sponge city’ program, it will help to facilitate water drainage to prevent flooding, thereby lessening the city’s effect on ecosystems.

Types of use of blocks from Vanke 3D City designed by MVRDV in Shenzhen China — The mixed-use complex offers not only optical variety (© ATCHAIN)

Greenery Vanke 3D City designed by MVRDV - image Atchain — Greenery at Vanke 3D City (© ATCHAIN)

Connections in Vanke 3D City designed by MVRDV in Shenzhen — Connections in and around Vanke 3D City (© ATCHAIN)

Skyline Shenzhen with Vanke 3D City designed by MVRDV - bird's-eye view — Vanke 3D City from a bird’s-eye view (© ATCHAIN)

Greenery at Vanke 3D City designed by MVRDV - image Atchain — Green places for local recreation (© ATCHAIN)

Hong Kong’s Greenest School In a Sea of Skyscrapers

24 October 2018 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2018, Featured, Green Building

When you think of Hong Kong you probably think of densely packed skyscrapers, a lot of glass, steel, and concrete. But what about urban green spaces? Now, the new French International School is set to provide, not only a green oasis in a city environment, but also an example of sustainability. 42 well-grown trees have been planted around the school grounds, and a 400-meter-long walk takes students on a tour of the native plant species that might occur within a natural South China forest environment.

Hong-Kongs-Greenest-School-french-international-school_henning-larsen — The orientation of windows has a big influence on the indoor climate (Henning Larsen)

But the green theme doesn’t begin and end with the landscaping, unusual as the island of greenery may be. The campus has been designed for sustainability.

A 550 Square Meter Botanical Garden For Hong Kong’s Greenest School

Architects Henning Larsen say that everything, from the choice of building materials to the orientation of the building and the way the windows are designed, targets sustainability. The company hopes that both students and local builders who were involved in the project will learn important lessons in sustainability from the building.

Clever Window and Ventilation Design Reduces Energy Consumption

The orientation of windows has a big influence on the indoor climate, and the architects chose North and South Orientations to prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating directly into the building during the early morning and late afternoon hours.

In addition, the windows are shaded with brise-soleils (features that deflect the sun’s rays) to prevent too much of the hot, tropical sunshine from shining in, raising indoor temperatures to uncomfortable levels that would call for increased use of air conditioning. The company says that its choice of brise-soleils also allows for better penetration of natural light and reports that its design has allowed for homogeneous light distribution throughout the building.

“We dissolved the traditional classrooms, and we pushed boundaries on how learning spaces can allow teachers and classes to work together in a more collaborative open space,” says Claude Godefroy, Design Director, and Partner at Henning Larsen Hong Kong.

Hong-Kongs-Greenest-School-french-international-school-playground-henning-larsen — Hong Kong’s greenest school with native South Chinese vegetation (Henning Larsen)

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It’s not only the window-design that helps to keep the building cool. Ventilation systems are arranged to take advantage of natural breezes to bring fresh air into the building – and it’s hoped that the gardens will contribute to the purification of the air.

“A Quiet and Green Oasis In a City With a Scarcity of Space”

People, their education, and their attitudes towards diversity are also important to sustainability, and the school hopes to bring its international and French students together as part of the learning experience. To facilitate this, there are no individual classrooms. Instead, students learn in open-plan spaces that can be opened up to neighboring classes for collaboration and group activities.

With the French International School offering classes to students from 40 different countries in five different languages, children will have no difficulty connecting with their peers from around the world in this multicultural environment.

Involving the Community

It’s not only the school’s student-body of over 1,000 primary and high school students who will benefit from the new building. Henning Larsen says that community inclusiveness is assured thanks to the option of keeping the school’s ground-floor facilities open after school hours.

These include a gymnasium, an exhibition space, a canteen, and the school playground with its attractive green space. With greenery being at a premium in Hong Kong’s urban environment, residents will be able to benefit from the tranquillity of the gardens after hours and over weekends.

Role-Model Status?

The French International School in Hong Kong is not only designed to be the greenest school in the city, but it’s also a space that celebrates every aspect of sustainability. Its architects believe that it will benefit people directly and they hope to provide an example of the advantages to be realized through sustainable buildings, even when they are in the heart of urban environments.