Istanbul Unveils $1 Billion Green Super Development  

Green building of the week from Inhabitat is this tower planned for Istanbul - Istanbul Unveils $1 Billion Green Super Development.

In what is set to be the greenest development in Turkey, Istanbul recently unveiled the VARYAP Meridian Project, a mixed-use super-development that will house the city’s new financial and business district. Set in the Atasehir District at the crossroads of major highways, subway lines and near the airport, the new project will be a model for future green development. New York and Istanbul-based RMJM are designing the project to LEED standards and have carefully analyzed the site to take advantage of the surrounding topography, climate and context.

The project will consist of a 60-storey tower, 1,500 residential units, a five-star hotel, offices, and conference facilities with landscaped public areas and parking facilities. The residential complexes will contain a variety of options ranging from luxury 5-bedroom penthouse apartments to small studio apartments. In total, the development is meant to serve 20,000 people and is expected to cost $1 billion. Set on a 107,000 square meter parcel, the project will be built out to 372,000 square meters. Considering all of this, the project is on an incredibly fast paced schedule with completion set for 2011.

The large development will feature many sustainable elements including rainwater collection sites and facilities to optimize water usage and reduce energy consumption, wind turbine technology, cooling water pools that enhance the external landscape, and a co-generation plant that will produce electricity for the development. The designers at RMJM have also carefully analyzed the location, orientation, and landscaping of the project to optimize panoramic views and minimize solar heat gain to the buildings. Istanbul’s culture and heritage are also included in the design, which incorporates a spectral tiled facade that ranges from terra cotta to blue to white.

Driven by a progressive environmental strategy that will exploit sustainable energy design, Spanish-based firm Moho Arquitectura’s design for a mixed-use tower in San Jose will become a new benchmark for eco-friendly design in Costa Rica. In addition to its eco-conscious features, the unique “peeling” quality of the tower is sure to turn some heads!

Located in front of Sabana Park, a major recreation hub of San Jose, the proposed development offers sustainable living options for inhabitants of the city by balancing energy consumption between its mixed-use program that includes commercial and retail spaces, as well as the inclusion of a hotel and casino.

Constructed mostly from concrete, the tower will be clad in a wooden brise-soleil facade, specifically designed to allow natural light and ventilation to enter the complex, reducing the need for artificial light and air conditioning systems. Rising twenty-five stories above the city, the tower splits as it rises upwards into the sky, creating room for outdoor open spaces or sky gardens filled with plantlife.

Expected to be complete in 2012, the development will provide the necessary amenities for the city of San Jose in addition to protecting its inhabitants from the hot Costa Rican climate.