Abstract:
Synthesis Tower: it represents an effort to meld a philosophy, a set of ideas observed by an individual, which are cultural and social in nature. I have interpreted the city and by making observations of such found ideas to translate into forms. All the philosophy is plausible, but in architecture fails unless the concepts the functional requirements of the problem. Functionally then the tower is a mixed use high-rise. It comprises 1.8 million g.s.f. leasable office space, 500,000 g.s.f. apartments, 100,000 commercial, and 200,000 g.s.f. parking. Extra amenities inc and heliport. I have sought to reconcile aesthetics and many levels of scale. Scale is a key element for analysis of the building as a whole from views at long distance through entry and approaching as close as touching elements of the interior. The flow of analysis has been, from the largest division of use through the continuing process of differentiation. An organism of technical tissue grows. As organisms accommodate particular functions, so does the tower. The building's form is distilled from observations of the nature of the organic items in the natural environment. The natural environment also includes the context of the urban site in Chicago. Man and his work, in this definition of natural environment, are included among nature. Finally, what occurs is a solution with threads woven in thought, then form.
