A Twin Tower Design: From Concrete to Wood
Seattle, the US
Timber City Workshop, 2020
Academic Work
Mentor | Aidi Su
This project reimagines urban architecture by integrating a wooden high-rise tower beside the Rainier Tower. Embracing sustainability, the design utilizes wood as a primary material, reducing the carbon footprint and promoting recyclability. The tower’s silhouette echoes the unique curved base of the Rainier Tower, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. This innovative approach aims to fuse urban living with natural elements, transforming the cityscape into a greener, more environmentally friendly space.
The original office tower, a daring combination of concrete and steel, stood out with its regular-sized structure balanced on a unique, slender concrete pedestal. Now, 50 years later, a new wooden counterpart is set to rise alongside it.
The original tower’s concrete base, sculptural in form, opens up public space at ground level. The new timber structure will employ Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels, drawing inspiration from dougong, a traditional Chinese cantilever system.
