Weiqiao Lin
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•        Corridor / Balcony
•        Tall Timber
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•        ZeroWaste Center
  
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       Circular Urbanism

       The Treachery of Matter

•        The Third Typology

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

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.

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