TANIA MARQUES ARCHITECT

 

Located in the riverside of Mozambique’s Capital, Maputo, this vertical university campus is the result of an investigation into the nature of the tall building. The project unifies high density and sustainable design concepts, and in the other hand it redefines the traditional urban logic of the horizontal campus taking it to a new vertical level.

 

The geometry of the building is similar to a trunk of a tree, made by long tubes of different height that form an interior ring and an exterior one. The highest the trunk is, the lightest and emptiest it turns. The tubes that “stop growing” create open spaces inside the building and let the light enter smoothly into the skyscraper. The “trunk” is vertically divided in four functional blocks: the first one, closer to the ground floor, is where all the common services, administration offices and shops are located; the second block is dedicated to labs and technical rooms; in the third sector we can find the classrooms and other social areas (gymnasium, auditorium, library, and cafeteria); the highest part of the building holds the building systems and communication antennas.

 

The building is made by a bundled tube system. It works as the cellular structure of a tree. The union of the tubes using prefabricated bound action elements generates a large resistant block. The tubes are actually cylindrical perimeter frames formed by column alignment. This model allows increasing the rigidity and strength of the structures thanks to the joint action of all tubes intertwined. The system also allows different levels of elevation for each of the tubes forming the frame. These varying heights make light get directly into the interior space of the tower. The structure is based on a grid that simplifies the order of constructive composition. This makes easier the calculation and manufacture process of the building elements. The symmetry of the building benefits the balance and stability of the tower. By the curved surfaces wind loading is reduced. The cylindrical façade allows saving in the structure coasts and also in the façade material (with circular shapes the interior space can be enclosed with less façade area).

 

The environmental strategy of the tower harnesses a range of passive techniques and controls. The varying heights of the tubes along the façade make natural light get directly into the interior space of the tower. The different functional areas are correctly orientated in order to benefit from suitable natural ventilation. The vegetation on circular “garden-balconies” and the air that enters through a double façade provide a natural air purifying system and a cooling air system for the spaces inside the tower. Socially and environmentally, this vertical campus offers a sustainable new solution to contemporary living.