Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko by Xiyao Wang

Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko by Xiyao Wang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Tuzo ya Dhahabu ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Majengo, Ujenzi na Miundo Competition Category.

DhahabuUsanifu wa Majengo· 2025

Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko

by Xiyao Wang

Client: Extended Play Lab

Tuzo ya Dhahabu ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category

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The Design

About Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko

Urban Symbiosis ni mradi wa ujenzi wa minara refu sana wa matumizi mchanganyiko juu ya kituo cha Treni ya 7 huko New York City, unaochanganya fleti za kumilikia, fleti zenye huduma, na maofisi. Kwa kusherehekea ukuu wa reli ya chini ya ardhi, mlango wa reli umewekwa katikati, ukitoa mwanga wa asili na ufikiaji wa umma wa masaa yote. Muundo unaboresha matumizi ya nishati kwa kuunganisha mipango ya ofisi na makazi, na hivyo kupunguza shinikizo la mtandao wa umeme. Tofauti na upangaji wa kawaida wa wima, mgawanyiko wa mlalo huunda minara mbili, ukiunda nafasi za umma zilizoshirikiwa zenye vifaa kama mikahawa, maeneo ya kazi ya ushirikiano, na vyumba vya mazoezi kwa ajili ya mwingiliano endelevu.

The Recognition

About the Tuzo ya Dhahabu ya A' Design Award

Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Dhahabu ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kuu unaotolewa kwa miundo ya daraja la kwanza, ya ajabu na ya kuvutia. Washindi wa Dhahabu ni kazi bunifu mno, zenye maono makubwa na za kung'aa kwa umaridadi zinazoakisi kipaji, hekima na ustadi wa wabunifu wao. Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko inatarajiwa kuwa uvumbuzi unaosifiwa sana, wa kuweka mielekeo na wa kihistoria unaoleta thamani isiyo na kifani. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Dhahabu ya A' Design Award ni mradi wa kustaajabisha na unaoheshimika unaonufaisha sana na kupanua mipaka ya sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia. Urban Symbiosis Minara za Matumizi Mchanganyiko huzua hisia kali za hamu, huamsha shauku, huhimiza ubunifu na hutuvutia.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Urban Symbiosis reimagines the traditional tower by horizontally splitting residential and office spaces, forming two interconnected towers. This innovative layout smooths energy demand by balancing daytime and nighttime usage, reducing grid pressure. A central subway entrance celebrates public access, while extensive shared amenities foster community interaction. The sunken garden at street level enhances urban experience, creating seamless connections with the High Line.
Dimensions & Packaging: The tower is 237m or 777 ft tall, consists of 56 residential floors, and 43 office floors, with retail at the ground and underground levels.
Tags: highrise building, mix use, residential, office, mass timber, public transit
Production Technology: The design employed a mix of urban planning and architectural analysis. Advanced parametric tools were used to study the relationship between public access, energy efficiency, and user flow. Vertical stacking was replaced with a horizontal division of programs, creating integrated spaces. High-performance materials and all-electric systems were chosen to ensure sustainability, while shared amenities were carefully planned to enhance social interaction and community-building.
Design Challenge: The greatest challenge was achieving a balance between urban connectivity and energy efficiency. Ensuring 24-hour public access while maintaining the privacy of residential spaces required a complex design process. The horizontal split of programs presented structural and logistical difficulties, as did integrating shared public amenities without disrupting the functional core. Balancing public engagement with sustainability and energy performance was a key obstacle.
Research: Research focused on balancing mixed-use program demands in high-density areas. Data was collected on energy consumption patterns and spatial usage in residential and office towers. Parametric modeling tools informed the horizontal split design, optimizing building efficiency and interaction. The resulting insights revealed that the design could improve energy loads, reduce grid pressure, and enhance public-private space integration, contributing to a sustainable and socially engaged urban development.
Inspiration: The inspiration for the project stemmed from the symbiosis between residential and office programs, aiming to optimize energy usage by aligning their differing time demands. Drawing from urban connectivity principles, the project integrates public spaces with private development, influenced by the dynamic interaction between work and home life. Research on mixed-use high-rise buildings shaped its energy efficiency and public access approach.
Project Duration: The ideal was first conceived in 2017, and carried out in 2024
Operation Flow: Urban Symbiosis optimizes energy use by balancing day-and-night occupancy of residential and office spaces, reducing strain on the power grid. The design's split tower layout creates more public interaction zones, like shared amenities, between residential and office functions. The central subway entrance and sunken garden promote 24-hour accessibility. This blend of private and public space boosts community engagement, making it perform better than conventional vertical designs.
Image Credits: Xiyao Wang