9-West

By 2050, 68% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas, up from just over 50% in 2016. Yet in cities like New York, critical programs for tenants—such as public housing and Section 8—remain stagnant or are in decline.

As urban populations swell, cities face the dual challenge of expanding affordable housing while confronting the urgent demands of climate change.

This requires a new urban strategy—one that balances density with sustainability, and equity with resilience.

Using environmental analysis with digital ray-tracing, this strategy optimizes the overall form and facade of a super-tall tower in Manhattan.

Embedded within the facade system is a parametric photovoltaic glazing system, in which the size of each PV panel correlates to the amount of direct sun exposure each panel recieves.

Iterations used physical modeling, digital renders, and environmental systems tools such as DIVA, Climate Studio, and Ladybug

The extra money generated from the PV system will be used to lower rent prices in a staggered manner

The tower is intended to re-imagine the relationship between our economies and our need to affordably house our urban populations

Marine

Roma