High ambitions: Are tall buildings sustainable?

Ecogradia
Ecogradia
High ambitions: Are tall buildings sustainable?
Loading
/

High ambitions: Are tall buildings sustainable?

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Ecogradia
Ecogradia
High ambitions: Are tall buildings sustainable?
Loading
/
Apple PodcastsSpotify

Are skyscrapers environmental foes or allies? It’s a thorny debate, but tall buildings are likely here to stay. Can these giants evolve from being part of the problem to pillars of a sustainable future?

Tall buildings can curb urban sprawl and bolster public transport use, but they also devour energy and resources. The materials used embody significant carbon, and daily operations demand substantial power. However, recent designs are stretching the limits of high-rise architecture.

The journey of the eco-skyscraper spans from Norman Foster’s pioneering works to today’s timber towers and vertical gardens. We trace this evolution, highlighting key projects redefining the role of tall buildings in our cities.

Episode outline

00:02:16 History of tall buildings
00:02:33 “To be the tallest may have something to do with vanity or power or — sometimes — the technical challenges of figuring it out.”
00:03:17 “The world’s first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Company building, was built in Chicago in 1884.”
00:07:47 Birth of the ecological tower
00:07:56 “Foster’s HSBC Headquarters Building in Hong Kong, completed in 1985, was one of the first to steer the tall typology towards environmental performance.”
00:09:26 “Malaysian architect, Ken Yeang […] linked the form of the building to its passive strategies: ventilation, daylight, and shade.”
00:09:52 “In place of orthogonal glass towers, he offered a complex vocabulary of recesses, and protuberances, and brise-soleils, and linked it to evidence-based performance.”
00:10:04 Rediscovering timber
00:10:11 “Timber is the new rockstar. It is deemed exciting because it’s a low-carbon alternative to concrete and steel.”
00:11:45 “This hybrid use of materials is now common to tall buildings that aspire to break the height barrier imposed by using timber alone.”
00:11:53 “[…] there are some who question the widespread enthusiasm for timber. For instance, will we risk decimating the Amazon rainforest to build new cities?”
00:12:15 The future of tall
00:13:02 “Combining these energy strategies with large-scale use of mass timber, Atlassian will halve its overall carbon emissions over a ten-year period.”
00:14:12 “Oasia experiments with the impact of vertical greenery on people, on city, and ecology.”
00:14:42 “Plants literally cover the building on all four sides. The total greenery here is 10 times the area of the land that the building sits on.”

Summary

Tall buildings have long captured our imagination, from symbols of optimism to backdrops for dystopian futures. Today, they often represent corporate interests and show little regard for climate, context, or consumption. But could these structures, done right, contribute to urban liveability and sustainability?

The evolution of tall buildings traces back to the 1884 Home Insurance Company building in Chicago. Steel structural systems, passenger elevators, and mechanised climate control paved the way for ever-taller structures. The International Style of the 1930s popularised the glass-and-steel aesthetic now ubiquitous in global skylines.

Oscar Niemeyer’s National Congress building (Brasília, Brazil) features the geometric forms and clean lines common to the International Style.
Source: Arquivo Nacional

While urban density can reduce sprawl, tall buildings pose sustainability challenges. Recent studies show high-rises emit twice the carbon of low-rise alternatives over their lifetimes.

Factors include carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel, higher operational energy demands, and potential negative impacts on urban livability.

Pioneers in the 1980s and 1990s started steering tall buildings towards environmental performance. For example, Norman Foster’s HSBC Headquarters in Hong Kong (1985) used ‘mirror scoops’ to redirect daylight and seawater-assisted cooling, slashing air-conditioning costs by 90%.

HSBC Headquarters (Hong Kong, China) by Foster Associates has the structure on the exterior, freeing up space in the core for natural light and ventilation.
Source: Paul Yeung

A current trend in tall building design is the use of timber. Engineered timber products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam now enable wooden structures to reach new heights.

Mjøstårnet (Brumunddal, Norway) by Voll Arkitekter was the world’s tallest timber building when it was completed in 2019.
© Ricardo Foto

However, debates persist about the true sustainability of timber in tall buildings, considering hybridisation with other materials and potential impacts on forests.

Two projects exemplify the future of sustainable tall buildings. The 40-storey Atlassian Central in Sydney, set to be the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower, combines mass timber, steel, and concrete in a stacked “village” concept.

It aims to halve carbon emissions over ten years through material choice, energy strategies, and design for occupant wellbeing. Each four-level “village” cluster features naturally-ventilated gardens and solar panel-fitted facades.

Atlassian Central (Sydney, Australia) by SHoP Architects and BVN will be the tallest commercial hybrid timber tower in the world upon its completion.
Courtesy of Dexus / Atlassian

The Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore reimagines the skyscraper as a vertical ecosystem. Its extensive green façade — one of the world’s tallest — and sky gardens provide habitat for over 18 species of animals and insects. This verdant envelope reduces cooling loads by an estimated 40%.

Oasia Hotel Downtown (Singapore), by WOHA is a haven for plants, birds, and animals, reintroducing biodiversity into the city.
© Patrick Bingham-Hall

These examples show that tall buildings can excel on multiple fronts: low carbon footprint, uplifting occupant experiences, and enhanced urban livability.

With urban populations projected to keep growing, dense cities — and tall buildings — seem inevitable. The key is ensuring these structures enhance rather than detract from urban environments.

Episode Notes

Keep reading if you want to deep dive into this interview’s content and get more out of it. You can also find out more about this episode’s guest/s and sponsor/s, and the team that put it all together.

This episode is brought to you by:

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.

The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with a recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.

W  |  holcimfoundation.org

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram

This episode is brought to you by:

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.

The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with a recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.

W  |  holcimfoundation.org

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram

As mentioned in this episode

If you heard it in this episode, we likely have a link for it right here. Click on any topics, people, buildings, places, products and/or technologies listed below to learn more about each of them.

00:04:37 “…after the depression of the mid-1870s…”
The Panic of 1873”  |  PBS
00:04:41 “…with the post-war period in the 1950s…”
The Post War United States, 1945-1968”  |  Library of Congress
00:04:50 “…The International Style — which found…”
International Style”  |  Britannica
00:06:30 “…higher embodied carbon than…”
What is Embodied Carbon?”  |  United States Environmental Protection Agency
00:09:29 “…on the ‘bioclimatic’ skyscraper…”
The Bioclimatic Skyscraper: Kenneth Yeang’s Eco-Design Strategies”  |  ArchDaily
00:09:39 “…to its passive strategies…”
What Is a Passive Building and How Can It Contribute to Decarbonizing Architecture?”  |  ArchDaily
00:10:20 “…brings a biophilic touch to…”
biophilia hypothesis”  |  Britannica

 

00:02:01 “…The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats — it’s the…”
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat”  |  CTBUH
00:04:59 “…architects like Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson…”
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe”  |  Britannica
00:05:00 “…architects like Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson…”
Le Corbusier”  |  Britannica
00:05:01 “…architects like Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson…”
Philip Johnson”  |  Britannica
00:07:55 “…starting with Norman Foster…”
Norman Foster”  |  Britannica
00:09:27 “…Malaysian architect, Ken Yeang, was promoting…”
KEN YEANG”  |  Hamzah & Yeang

 

00:02:25 “…the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia…”
Construction of world’s tallest skyscraper resumes after years-long hiatus”  |  CNN
00:02:26 “…the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia…”
Saudi Arabia”  |  Britannica
00:02:52 “…of land in Manhattan — the densest…”
Manhattan” (New York City, United States)  |  Britannica
00:03:00 “…entire GDP of Canada.…”
Canada”  |  Britannica
00:03:19 “…skyscraper, the Home Insurance Company building, was…”
Home Insurance Building” (Chicago, United States)  |  History.com
00:03:21 “…built in Chicago in 1884…”
Chicago” (Illinois, USA)  |  Britannica
00:03:51 “…in New York City’s Haughwout Department Store…”
New York City” (New York, United States)  |  Britannica
00:03:51 “…New York City’s Haughwout Department Store in 1857…”
Haughwout Building” (New York City, United States)  |  SAH Archipedia
00:04:05 “…was the Milam Building in San Antonio, Texas…”
Milam Building” (San Antonio, United States)  |  SAH Archipedia
00:04:06 “…was the Milam Building in San Antonio, Texas…”
San Antonio” (Texas, United States)  |  Britannica
00:04:07 “…was the Milam Building in San Antonio, Texas…”
Texas” (United States)  |  Britannica
00:04:52 “…which found favour in North America…”
North America”  |  Britannica
00:05:16 “…countries like Singapore and South Korea…”
Singapore”  |  Britannica
00:05:16 “…countries like Singapore and South Korea.…”
South Korea”  |  Britannica
00:05:18 “…China followed in…”
China”  |  Britannica
00:05:20 “…and 90s. India is now…”
India”  |  Britannica
00:05:24 “…skylines of Buenos Aires from Kuala Lumpur…”
Buenos Aires” (Argentina)  |  Britannica
00:05:25 “…skylines of Buenos Aires from Kuala Lumpur…”
Kuala Lumpur” (Malaysia)  |  Britannica
00:05:50 “…parts of Hong Kong, density can…”
Hong Kong” (China)  |  Britannica
00:07:57 “…Foster’s HSBC Headquarters building in…”
Foster’s HSBC building in Hong Kong is a revolutionary high-tech skyscraper” (Hong Kong, China)  |  Dezeen
00:08:44 “…Foster’s Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, Germany…”
Foster’s Commerzbank Tower” (Frankfurt, Germany)  |  Foster + Partners
00:08:45 “…Foster’s Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, Germany…”
Frankfurt am Main” (Germany)  |  Britannica
00:08:45 “…Foster’s Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, Germany…”
Germany”  |  Britannica
00:09:33 “…projects in Malaysia — Menara Mesiniaga in ’92…”
Malaysia”  |  Britannica
00:09:33 “…projects in Malaysia — Menara Mesiniaga in ’92…”
AD Classics: Menara Mesiniaga / T. R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn. Bhd.” (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia)  |  ArchDaily
00:09:35 “…and Menara UMNO in ’98…”
Menara UMNO” (Penang, Malaysia)  |  CTBUH
00:11:03 “…is the Mjøstårnet a mixed-use…”
Mjøstårnet The Tower of Lake Mjøsa / Voll Arkitekter” (Brumunddal, Norway)  |  ArchDaily
00:11:06 “…tower in Brumunddal, Norway.…”
Brumunddal” (Norway)  |  Wikipedia
00:11:06 “…in Brumunddal, Norway. At 18 storeys…”
Norway”  |  Britannica
00:11:30 “…later, the Ascent in Milwaukee…”
“Ascent skyscraper in Milwaukee becomes world’s tallest timber building” (Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA)  |  Dezeen
00:11:30 “…later, the Ascent in Milwaukee…”
Milwaukee” (Wisconsin, United States)  |  Britannica
00:11:59 “…decimating the Amazon rainforest to build…”
Amazon Rainforest” (South America)  |  Britannica
00:12:22 “…the Atlassian Central in Sydney, Australia…”
World’s tallest hybrid timber tower to house Atlassian HQ in Sydney” (Sydney, Australia)  |  Architecture, Au
00:12:23 “…the Atlassian Central in Sydney, Australia…”
Sydney” (New South Wales, Australia)  |  Britannica
00:12:23 “…the Atlassian Central in Sydney, Australia…”
Australia”  |  Britannica
00:13:53 “…The Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore…”
The Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore” (Singapore)  |  ArchDaily

 

00:08:09 “…used a “mirror scoop” to catch…”
Why Norman Foster Scoops Daylight into his Buildings”  |  ArchDaily
00:09:58 “…protuberances, and brise-soleils, and linked…”
brise-soleil”  |  Britannica
00:03:49 “…The first passenger elevator — installed…”
elevator”  |  Britannica
00:10:38 “…to use engineered timber in which…”
The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture”  |  Dezeen
00:11:13 “…Cross-laminated timber — what is known…”
The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture”  |  Dezeen
00:11:22 “…Glulam — or glue-laminated timber…”
The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture”  |  Dezeen
00:12:34 “…made with mass-timber construction…”
The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture”  |  Dezeen

Host
Nirmal Kishnani

Producer
Maxime Flores

Editor-at-large
Narelle Yabuka

Senior communications executive
Sana Gupta

Senior editor
Tyler Yeo

Art director (video)
Alexander Melck  |  Phlogiston

Sound technician and editor
Kelvin Brown  |  Phlogiston

Video editors
Guellor Muguruka  |  Phlogiston

 

You can follow us and share your views on

If you like this episode and want to hear more, head to one of these podcast directories

Apple PodcastsSpotify

or other listening apps where you follow podcasts. There, you can listen to other Ecogradia episodes and write a review.

Better still, subscribe to our podcast today. Every new episode will be automatically downloaded on your chosen device, ready to be enjoyed offline, anytime, anywhere. And by doing so, you’ll be helping us produce even more great content.

From energy budgets to climate-specific strategies, designing a net zero energy building is a puzzle with countless moving pieces. This episode reveals how to turn overwhelming complexity into possibility.
Follow us on

Recent podcast episodes

Recent blog posts

Recommended episodes from the podcast

From energy budgets to climate-specific strategies, designing a net zero energy building is a puzzle with countless moving pieces. This episode reveals how to turn overwhelming complexity into possibility.
Timber is having its moment in the global sustainability discourse. Will it replace concrete and steel, or be used in combination to usher in a new era of low-carbon construction?

Leave a comment

Before posting, please review our comment policy here.