The Future of Education: Architects reinvent housing and a vertical university in a futuristic skyscraper

Storyline

As our cities grow denser, tall buildings are not a luxury anymore but a necessity today. With the rampant growth of technology and the density, we have to mitigate - the overlaps between the dynamic nature of spaces are now gaining more and more evident form. For instance, restaurants that work as a coworking space in the morning, and a club by the night. Our lives are full of such examples where the nature of spaces is bending/blending every day.

Hybrid Futures ‘19 was open ideas exercise that explored such programmatic ramifications in a much futuristic timeline and high-density scenarios. 

The fundamental aspects of learning in the coming decades - with more open learning technology, this challenge engaged with a skyscraper that served as both - A University (Public) and Housing Tower (Private). With the increasing demand for housing and the growing popularity of working from anywhere, the commute will slowly lose relevance for a lot of emerging job sectors in the future.

Brief of the competition

Design challenge: How will your idea of a tall building that houses these two evident typologies of today give birth to a more hybrid future?

The jury for the competition consisted of esteemed designers, professionals, and academicians from around the world. The Lead Jurors for the competitions were as follows: 

Luisa Bebiano, Architect, Founder Partner, Luisa Bebiano Architects, Portugal

Ben Gitai, Owner/Partner, Gitai Architects, Paris, France

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Some of the Best of competition projects are:

 

Winning Project: Equilibrium

By: Nejan Seyhan, Murat alsaç, Zeynep demireli & Asena Kübra İMREN

^{Fig: 1 Site plan}

Description: These annex structures are placed onto the existing buildings and act like plug-ins; they create a symbiotic relationship with the building it attaches to.

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People’s Choice: Rotate 90°

By: Asli Ozge Zabun, Pelin Gür & Ecrin Akkaya

^{Fig: 2 3D Visualization and Diagrams}

Description: Rotate 90°has been designed by taking into account the existing dynamics of the region Levent in İstanbul that is attached to the metro which is an important transportation system for Istanbul, and carries the transportation network from horizontal to vertical. It is aimed to produce energy and water, considering global warming.

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Editor’s Choice: VCT (Vertical Contact Tunnel)

By: Kubra HARMANKAYA, MERVE AKÇA & Kubra Mutlu

^{Fig: 3 Site Plan}

Description: The Vertical Contact Tunnel, which rises with the need for verticalization in a narrow and restricted area, has brought together education and life, freedom and individuality, leisure and rationality with a new layer of connectivity. It responds to the formation of the future with its form, interior space, and way of combining.

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Editor’s Choice: Green vertical university in Sydney CBD

By: Tanya Prevezentseva, Nikita Starostin & Anna Pelikh

^{Fig: 4 Cover image}

Description: The idea of the concept is «Building as part of the park» by 3 towers as if rocks are growing out of the ground, on which various types of plants are grown. The creation of several towers with different heights makes this University multifunctional, safe and spectacular.

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Editor’s Choice: KNOWLEDGE NOMAD

By: Catherine Yin

^{Fig: 5 Site Analysis}

Description: Reconstruction of skyscrapers on Tsinghua University campus.

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Editor’s Choice: Torre Inmersion

By: Giovanni Gio, Vincent Tiburcio & Cole Benge

^{Fig: 6}

Description: Looking at the conditions set how could we hybridize two completely different programs such as private housing with an educational institution.

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Editor’s Choice: Anabolic University

By: Violet Lam & Xavier Zhapan

^{Fig: 7 Spatial Reconfuguration}

Description: The title “Anabolic University” indicates the process of synthesizing a molecule from many smaller units and energy. By incorporating this idea into the university, it gets the opportunity to grow into something more.

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