Facade Design – SOM

Scott Duncan Presents Explorations in Structural Skins and Carbon Reduction

Jade Leslie — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:58:01 +0000

On February 20, 2025, SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan took the stage at Zak World of Façades Australia in Sydney to present “Explorations in Structural Skins and Carbon Reduction.” The event brought together industry leaders to discuss advancements in high-performance façade design, emphasizing the critical role of both operational and embodied energy in sustainable architecture.
For decades, advancements in façade technology have focused on improving operational energy performance—optimizing daylighting, solar shading, and thermal transmission to reduce heating, cooling, and lighting demands. However, as we push toward more sustainable architecture, embodied energy—the carbon footprint associated with material sourcing, fabrication, and installation—must also be a core design consideration.
In his presentation, Duncan highlighted SOM’s latest research and projects that merge structure and skin to create hybridized systems. By integrating structural and envelope components, these innovative designs reduce material redundancy, improve efficiency, and significantly lower the carbon footprint of buildings. He underscored the need for a holistic approach in façade design, where each material and design decision is evaluated based on its carbon impact and energy performance.
The presentation reinforced SOM’s commitment to innovation in sustainable design, demonstrating how advanced materials and engineering innovations can lead to high-performance skins that optimize energy use while minimizing embodied carbon.

The post Scott Duncan Presents Explorations in Structural Skins and Carbon Reduction appeared first on SOM.

The Queens Braid

Lucas Blair Simpson — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:23:15 +0000

Expanding possibilities for mass timber construction
The Queens Braid is a conceptual design that shows how timber, a renewable and sustainable material, can be used as the primary structural material for a sports stadium. Designed for a prominent waterfront site in Queens, New York, it is conceived as an emblem for the next generation of low-carbon architecture. The building is composed of interlocking wooden beams, applying SOM’s research on self-supporting structures. With a memorable form that evokes a woven basket, the highly efficient design—named the Woven Timber Shell—dramatically reduces the upfront carbon impact of construction. While mass timber, a strong, safe, and durable engineered wood product, is increasingly being used in residential and commercial construction, its use for large-scale structures, such as sports stadiums, has been limited. The Queens Braid aims to set a precedent, showing that timber can be a beautiful, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative for steel and concrete in large structures. Using form-finding techniques, SOM’s architects and engineers optimized the stadium enclosure to make the most of timber’s inherent structural qualities and strength in compression. Assembly and constructability
The woven form of the Queens Braid is composed of individual single curved mass timber elements. The assembly and connection of these elements are critical to the design approach of the stadium. The exposed timber members cantilever from the stadium’s base and interlace to make a stiff, robust shell. High-precision CNC milling in today’s sophisticated mass timber fabrication shops allows each family of elements to be fabricated to exact tolerances. The shell’s woven system and structurally optimized shape create a compelling interplay between form and function. Each curved element is fabricated in the shop and connected in the field with simple, modular lap splice connections. The streamlined assembly of lightweight mass timber elements and the proximity of the site to the East River minimize construction complexity, noise, and truck traffic on local streets. Digital fabrication techniques reduce waste, and the simple nodal connections facilitate future disassembly and potential reuse. Low-carbon, resilient design
Mass timber, a renewable and carbon-sequestering material, is strategically used to create a stadium that reduces reliance on carbon-intensive materials like steel and aluminum. By prioritizing mass timber, the design embodies a commitment to sustainability and aligns with the goals of a carbon-removal economy. The structural efficiency of the woven system reduces material use by leveraging reciprocal structure principles, further contributing to the stadium’s low-carbon profile. Through this approach, the stadium stands as an architectural landmark and a forward-thinking model for resilient urban infrastructure, paving the way for sustainable design in future large-scale developments. The use of mass timber extends to the stands and programs areas of the stadium. Our design proposes a hybrid system: concrete slabs on CLT forms are supported on a conventional post-and-beam system, with CLT shear walls as lateral system. Through the extensive use of timber for the building’s structural components—which typically account for more than half of a stadium building’s embodied carbon—our design can reduce upfront carbon by 25 to 30 percent. Beyond reducing embodied carbon, a key advantage of using mass timber is its ability to store biogenic carbon captured by trees during their growth. This carbon remains stored in wood products even after the timber is processed. Furthermore, mass timber can be recycled or reused at the end of a building’s life cycle, which helps continue carbon storage. These carbon reduction benefits could potentially lead to outcomes that exceed net zero or even achieve net-negative carbon emissions.

The post The Queens Braid appeared first on SOM.

Disney New York City Headquarters – Robert A. Iger Building

Admin — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 22:31:18 +0000

The post Disney New York City Headquarters – Robert A. Iger Building appeared first on SOM.

Four Projects Win Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards

Julia.Pollak@som.com — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 19:36:57 +0000

The post Four Projects Win Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards appeared first on SOM.

U.S. Consulate General Dhahran Wins 2024 AIA International Design Award

James.Juarez@som.com — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 22:08:11 +0000

The U.S. Consulate General Dhahran received a Merit Award for Excellence in Architectural Design as part of the 2024 AIA International Design Awards program.
Located on the east coast of Saudi Arabia, the new consulate uses the language of the region’s vernacular architecture to promote a sense of community and provide the gravitas required for a diplomatic facility. The complex defines a world-class benchmark for sustainable design through a mix of characterful spaces, realized through passive design strategies for both staff and visitors to congregate. Organized in a manner that takes cues from the region’s traditional settlements and oriented along an east-west axis to reduce solar heat gain, tightly clustered office, residential and community buildings help define a series of welcoming outdoor spaces. A landscaped consular garden and central event space—evocative of the traditional sahn (courtyard) are naturally protected from the sun, wind, and sandstorms.
Drawing upon regional architectural heritage, the design includes several innovative features that contribute to its character while mitigating the region’s soaring temperatures. As the consulate’s public face, the chancery’s diagrid structure is made visually compelling through 10-foot insert screens inspired by mashrabiyas, carved-wooden screens. The light-diffusing screens balance daylighting requirements against the need to avoid excess heat gain. The facade of the community center features 13 wind towers, which direct and condition prevailing winds into the main outdoor event space allowing it to remain comfortable during the hot season.
“These awards recognize the ability of outstanding architecture to inspire our fellow practitioners, governments and the public throughout AIA International and the world,” said Yew Kee Cheong, FAIA, MSIA, 2024-25 AIA International President.

The post U.S. Consulate General Dhahran Wins 2024 AIA International Design Award appeared first on SOM.

Three SOM Projects Win Los Angeles Business Council Awards

James.Juarez@som.com — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 17:18:02 +0000

Three SOM projects were honored at the Los Angeles Business Council’s (LABC) 54th Annual Architectural Awards hosted at the historic Beverly Hilton. Located across the sprawling county of Los Angeles and diverse in typology, the projects include a Hollywood film studio modernization, an open-air performing arts stage, and a mixed-used creative office campus.
“This year, the LABC is honoring projects whose inspired designs build on LA’s heritage and move the city toward a dynamic future,” said Mary Leslie, LABC President. “From renewing entertainment venues and creative workspaces to reimagining parks, schools and housing, our honorees exemplify the power of architecture to serve the public good, foster progress, and build community.”
A Community Impact Award winner, Radford Studio Center is a famous Hollywood film studio slated for a comprehensive modernization of its production facilities to bring the century-old, silent-film era production complex further into the digital age. The improved, 55-acre campus includes larger sound stages, media offices, and improvements to the surrounding community. Over the decades, Radford has been home to many iconic motion pictures and television shows, including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Seinfeld,” and “Will & Grace,” among others. At Loyola Marymount University (LMU), the new outdoor performance space Drollinger Family Stage received an Education Award. The project incorporates innovations in structure and materials to create an elegant, multipurpose performance and event space. Featuring an inclined roof structure with embedded audio-visual systems, the versatile 3,200-square-foot open-air stage can accommodate outdoor classroom sessions, film screenings, and various campus and community events. Located in Pasadena, 10 West Walnut is a five-story creative mixed-use office building featuring ground-floor restaurant and retail, with strong visual and physical connections to the surrounding urban context. The design features a brick frame and large windows, enhancing aesthetics and function. It promotes walkability and community interaction, using efficient systems for natural light and energy savings. The building is part of the 100 West Walnut masterplan by SOM, which creates connections to the city’s building scale, material palette, pedestrian networks, and view corridors in historic Old Pasadena in Southern California.

The post Three SOM Projects Win Los Angeles Business Council Awards appeared first on SOM.

Two SOM Projects Win AIA California Merit Awards

James.Juarez@som.com — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:17:46 +0000

Two recent completions have been recognized with Merit Awards by the 2024 AIA California Design Awards program as projects that “celebrate the value exceptional design has on the fabric of society.”
Completed in 2022, the International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the most complex endeavor in the airport’s history. The 600,000-square-foot, LEED Silver addition to the campus integrates terminal concourses to create a welcoming gateway to the United States that doubles international flight capacity. The project includes a 780-foot aerial pedestrian walkway, the longest structure across an active taxilane in the world. As the jury said, “This is a really interesting addition to an already incredibly dense infrastructure. The bridge—to have a structure that airplanes can scoot around and under—was a very a bold move.”

Our second Merit Award recipient is the new Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science, the largest research facility on Rice University’s historic core campus, providing students with technology-rich facilities that embody the University’s goal to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery. Described AIA California, “The jury admires the attention to access to daylight and fresh air, and selection of healthy and resilient materials aimed at reducing carbon emissions and minimizing chemicals of concern within the indoor air environment.” Complementing the surrounding historic buildings, the new building features a facade of articulated brick pilasters and fins. Completed in September 2023, the building has already become a new center of gravity for campus activity, enriching the academic and social experience.
Learn more about both projects and the awards below.

The post Two SOM Projects Win AIA California Merit Awards appeared first on SOM.

John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

Julia.Pollak@som.com — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 22:39:12 +0000

The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center has been recognized for its high performance in its resiliency and sustainability with a LEED Platinum certification, the highest mark of excellence for sustainability as awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Conceived as a vertical campus, the project brings the entirety of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center under a single roof. The facade design and orientation play a major role in helping the building achieve its LEED Platinum certification. In collaboration with Atelier Ten, we engineered a structure with an orientation that fully maximizes daylighting and a glass and aluminum facade that minimizes glare, all with triple-glazing and an overall window-wall ratio of 48 percent that further contribute to the building’s exceptional energy performance. Our holistic approach to energy-efficient and sustainable design achieves regulated energy savings, while optimizing electrification and responsible water management.

The post John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center Achieves LEED Platinum Certification appeared first on SOM.

Legend

Admin — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:12:35 +0000

The post Legend appeared first on SOM.

Greenland Hangzhou Century Center

Admin — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:25:23 +0000

The post Greenland Hangzhou Century Center appeared first on SOM.