“The Rise” is an office building proposal in the heart of Manchester, aiming to become a figure of development and sustainability in the modern-day society. The design principles of this high-rise are deeply anchored in nature, from the prominent biophilic approach that encourages the interaction with nature, to the parametric geometry that highlights the natural curve.
The tower is perceived as if it emerges from the ground, where it encloses the site with the building’s skin almost like a canopy, creating an inviting scene that interacts with the community. The building envelope is populated with green panels on the lower half of the skin that gradually disperse towards the top, creating a unique gradient that blends the proposal within the sky.
The tower aims to accommodate the needs of a user that works in a post-COVID environment. The workspaces are designed for hot-desking in an open-plan office, carefully ventilated through the HVAC system. The proposal provides amenities both open to the public and for employees only, in order to attend to the community’s local needs.
The structure of the proposal embraces the diagrid pattern to highlight and contrast with the delicacy of the natural curvature. The parametric diagrid became a motif also emphasized in the interior design through the ceiling pattern, lighting fixtures, and geometrical patterns found throughout the offices.
Informal meeting areas and indoor greenhouse gardens encourage the users to connect with each other and engage with nature even in the most quotidian environment, the workplace.
"The Rise" aspires to create a breakthrough in the way we design and think about our cities and promotes the integration of nature as much as possible in our every day lives.
