Urban Habitat
Team
Name: Chung Hei Choi
Nationality: Chinese
Institution / Company: The University of Hong Kong
Name: Man Yan Chiu
Nationality: Chinese
Institution / Company: The University of Hong Kong
-FINALIST of Manhattan Wildscraper Competition
The Urban Habitat is a new oasis for not only humans but also urban animals located in the depths of the mechanised hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The mixed-use skyscraper acts as a vertical forest that brings greenery up from Madison Square Park skywards, meandering through the retail, podium, office and residential spaces. This public trail also activates spaces for humans and small animals alike, encouraging their coexistence and stimulating movement from ground level gardens upwards. Apart from the green emphasis, modular construction is also the main driver of the design, with five main modules that can be adapted to both office and residential programmes. The placement of these modules creates opportunities for large terraces and gardens outside of normal provision to tenants and residents, thus bringing to life varied natural habitats that can be accessed from each and every unit. The combination of both private and public green spaces in the building embodies a new direction: bringing pieces of the wild into the closed-off rigidity of everyday concrete and steel, and pointing towards a new mode of living and working that situates us back into nature with our natural neighbours.
#Ecosystem restoration #Vertical forests #Terraces & Gardens #Urban Animal Life #Accessible Habitat
