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Pagoda Green

Created By:
  • Yuto Morishita
  • Wayne Chang

Pagoda Green tackles the challenges of Houston's hot and humid climate, as well as its increasingly poor air quality, through a modular green wall system and passive cooling strategies. The design features a distinctive zigzag shading system, evoking the vibrant energy and dynamics of the city itself. This language is continued in the interior with a fractal pattern of the modular green wall in a central atrium, located between the residential and office wings of the building.  

The green walls work in conjunction with solar chimneys, actively filtering and drawing air in and through the building's residential and office spaces. The living wall system consist of different layers of media, including hydrogel and coconut fiber. Creeping fig, which is a native species in hot and humid climate, is chosen alongside moss. An indirect evaporative cooling system incorporated within the greenwall further conditions the air, ensuring comfortable temperatures throughout. This integrated approach addressed both aesthetic and environmental concerns, offering a sustainable and innovative solution for enhancing the quality of life in a humid climate. 

Date Created: Fall 2024
Course: Foundations of Bioclimatic Design
Instructor(s):

Dr. William Braham

Meet the Program Director William W. Braham

Learn to design buildings that positively contribute to local, regional, and global ecosystems.

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