With the goal of minimizing the negative impacts of buildings on the environment, there’s been an introduction of sustainability to the design and construction of buildings. One of the firms that’s at the forefront of this is Foster + Partner. This is an architecture firm founded in 1967 by Sir Norman Foster. Foster + Partner is recognized as the UK’s greatest architectural practice and one of its kind across the globe. Foster + Partners has designed many iconic buildings and structures around the world, such as the London City Hall, the New Supreme Court Building in Singapore, and the Winspear Opera House, in Dallas, United States, among others.
Foster + Partners is widely recognized for using advanced technology and sustainable design practices in their projects. The firm employs the Foster + Partners Responsibility Framework (FRF) for all of its projects. This framework measures sustainability performance and covers ten essential themes that include wellbeing, community impact, energy and carbon, mobility and connectivity, material and waste, water, land and ecology, and prosperity—planning for change and feedback.
The environmental performance of their projects is accessed to develop innovative solutions that’ll help control the impacts of climate change. The design approaches used encourage the use of natural resources, circular economy strategies, and thermal comfort to improve the living experience of all stakeholders.
Another aspect of sustainability employed by Foster +partners is Retrofitting. Over the decade, the firm has developed modernized addition to significant historic buildings. These have expanded usability, improved readability, and attracted new users. For Foster + partners, retrofitting existing buildings is important to achieving their zero carbon goals. The efficiency and performance of buildings are improved to reduce carbon footprint. For example, converting old factory buildings into office spaces.
Some of their major projects are:
The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is one of the academic departments of the University of Toronto. The building was constructed in September 2016 to enable the pharmacy program to increase its student intake from 100 students to 240 new students per year. This doubled the capacity and gave more pharmaceutical students the opportunity to study at the university of Toronto. The building is widely known for its two-orb-shaped classrooms, which are also called pods. Because of his unique design, the pharmacy building has received international exposure as well as awards. It was named after Leslie L. Dan, a philanthropist, and pharmacist who was actively involved in the construction of the building.
Bilbao Metro
The Bilbao metro station was inaugurated in 1995 and it is the third-busiest metro in Spain. It operates on 51 kilometres with 48 stations and serves the region of Greater Bilbao.
Presently, there are three lines in the Bilbao Metro, and in the future, it is said that two more lines, Lines 4 and 5 will be constructed as an extension to the already existing lines. The main interchange stations of Bilbao are Zazpikaleak, Abando, Santimami, and Urbninaga Stations. Zazpikaleak is the only one connecting three lines while others connect just one line. The glass structures, fosters which provide access to the metro, was named after Norman Foster.
The Wembley Stadium
The Wembley Stadium is located in Wembley, London. It is the largest stadium in the United Kingdom and the second-largest stadium in Europe, with a 90,000 seating capacity. It was opened in 2007 and was constructed on the site of the original Wembley Stadium. It hosts major football matches and is owned by the governing body of English football. At its height of 134m, the stadium stands as a major landmark across London.
More London
More London is a mixed-use development located in London in an area known as London Bridge City. Foster + Partners designed the master plan of the area and the buildings referred to as 1 & 6 More London Place and 2, 3, 4, and 7 More London Riverside. It includes a city hall, an amphitheatre, office blocks, and shops. It is mostly used for exhibitions and cultural events.
The Hearst Tower
The Hearst Tower is the world headquarters of the media publication company Hearst Communications. The building houses many of its publication and communication companies. It consists of two sections; the first section houses the Hearst Magazine Building, which is also known as the International Magazine Building, which was designed by Joseph Urban and George B. Post & Sons. The second section is the Hearst Tower addition, designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2006. It was one of the first buildings in New York City to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, emphasizing the goal of sustainability.
The Ovo Hydro
Formerly known as the SSE Hydro until October 2021, the Ovo Hydro is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Glasgow, Scotland, within the Scottish Event Campus. The arena hosts concerts, international and sporting events. It has a maximum capacity of 14,300 and its goal is to attract one million visitors each year. The arena was known to be the largest entertainment venue in Scotland until Aberdeen’s P&J Live was opened in 2019. Despite the new establishments acting as competition, it is the fifth-largest arena in the United Kingdom.
Imperial College, London
The Imperial College has 3 campuses which are White City, South Kensington, and Silwood Park. White City is Imperial’s new campus, designed by Foster + Partners. This ultra-modern facility is home to research facilities, postgraduate accommodation, commercialization space, Invention Rooms, a college hackerspace community outreach centre, and a biomedical centre.
425 Park Avenue
425 Park Avenue is a high-rise office building located in New York and redesigned by Foster + Partners. The construction started in 2016 and was completed in October 2022. The project reflected the company’s commitment to iconic and sustainable housing. The tower’s unique design stands out in the New York City skyline, providing a modern and efficient work environment.
Conclusion
Climate change has called for urgent actions in our environment, especially in construction. Employing sustainability in all of their projects is a major milestone for Foster + partners. Sustainability allows for these structures to be of great benefit not just for the present generation but for the future generation as well. Even though their buildings are designed in the present, they’ll be environmentally friendly in the future.
References:
Skyscraper (2023). 425 Park avenue. [Online]. (Last Updated: 2023). Available at: https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/425-park-avenue/14787. (Accessed date: 26/07/2023)
Ovohydro (2023). About Ovo Hydro. [Online]. (Last Updated: 2023). Available at: https://www.ovohydro.com/about. (Accessed date: 26/07/2023)
Foster and Partners (2023). Sustainabilty. [Online]. (Last Updated: 2023). https://www.fosterandpartners.com/people/teams/sustainability (Accessed date: 26/07/2023)
Robert Lewis (2016). Wembley Stadium. [Online]. (Last Updated: June 12, 2023). https://www.britannica.com/place/Wembley-Stadium/additional-info#history (Accessed date: 26/07/2023)
