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Design Research
           Circular Urbanism
        The Treachery of Matter

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Tall TimberWood in Future High-Rise Structure
In Collaboration with Amber Peiying Han & Benjamin Fann


Advisor: Kyoung Sun Moon
Location: Chicago, IL
Yale School of Architecture, 2022 Fall


Introduction
Mass timber construction offers numerous benefits compared to traditional steel and concrete structures. It is particularly advantageous in promoting sustainable development; wood is a renewable resource and possesses a lower embodied carbon than other building materials. 

Moreover, the growing urban population and increased density call for innovative applications of wood in multi-story and even supertall buildings. However, as buildings rise in height, the physical limitations of wood become apparent. To address this, integrating timber components with a proven structural framework could enable its use in supertall structures.

The proposed design features a hybrid structural system that combines a braced steel mega-tube framework with mass timber elements. This system supports three interconnected towers rising from a circular base, which ascend progressively toward the waterfront, complementing the existing urban skyline. Concrete platforms interspersed between the towers provide outdoor green spaces. Within the structures, mass timber acts as a secondary support system, distributing loads to the towers’ mega-columns. The design includes a glass podium at the base, creating a transitional space that connects public functions on the ground level with the private sectors of offices, residential units, and hospitality spaces above.

The Constraints of Timber High-rise

Completed in 2019, Mjøstårnet in Norway was the tallest mass timber building at 280 feet until Ascent MKE in Wisconsin surpassed it at 284 feet in 2022. Despite engineered wood’s low-carbon benefits, timber buildings rarely exceed 25 stories.

Supertall timber proposals, like London’s Oakwood Timber Tower, showcase both the potential and structural limitations of mass timber. As height increases, material demands reduce timber’s efficiency compared to concrete and steel. To overcome this, the project proposes a hybrid braced mega-tube system integrating timber elements, allowing wood to surpass its typical height constraints.



Site | Existing Condition
Program Distribution
400 N Lake Shore Drive is situated at a prominent location in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, right where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan. 

Circulation
400 N Lake Shore Drive is situated at a prominent location in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, right where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan.



Program | Mixed Use Tower + Waterfront Park
Ground Floor Plan




Structure Scheme | Hybrid Structural System






Circulation | Riser Diagram


Typical Office Plan
Observation Deck

Sky Lobby
Typical Hotel & Residential



Residential | Units Types Variations


Rendering | Residential





Rendering | Sky Lobby

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