Ceramic Screen

In Collaboration with Su Cheng.

Inspired by the Times Square Tower by Renzo Piano, the Ceramic Screen Office Building is a steel-framed structure with an operable glazed facade and an exterior ceramic shade structure. The shade structure and balcony feature are found on the South and East-facing facades, protecting the inner glazing from direct sunlight in line with the local sun path. This protection allows building operations to rely on natural daylighting and ventilation without compromising glare, visibility, and noise. Floor-to-floor glazing exists behind the ceramic. The west-facing facade is fully closed, and the North-facing facade contains window glazing on every floor.

Construction relies on a primary system of encased steel columns that run continuously through all four floors. Steel beams weave together the columns to form floors of concrete steel decking, hung ceilings, and carpet flooring. The balcony condition hangs off of this column-beam structure with secondary material sizes and the addition of exterior draining for potential moisture content. The roof-parapet condition is treated similarly, where a raised roof structure protects a series of crickets, washes, waterproofing, insulation, and drains. Aside from window operability, the building is water-tight through material choices and flashing and moisture barriers on the roof, balcony, and ground conditions.

Natural ventilation and optimation of building energy usage decrease the building’s need for mechanical air conditioning and heating. Through Sefaira, the building achieves an EUI of 17. However, the building does entail a significant amount of embodied carbon and environmental displacement through the production, assembly, and use of steel, aluminum, and glass.