REARD城市会客厅：推寻卓越 履践革新︱对话KPF总裁James von Klemperer
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REARD城市会客厅
作为国际领衔的建筑设计机构，KPF在业界以及大众层面都享有极佳的口碑，在其创新的可持续理念下诞生了遍布世界各地的地标性作品。从针灸式老旧城区激活，助力历史街区与前沿化发展的衔接；到提升空间体验、契合多样化需求的复合型功能打造；再到应对气候危机、关注建筑全生命周期的低碳设计，积极打造更可持续的弹性建筑作品，KPF不断研究实践、推寻更优的解决方案，履行对业主、行业和社会的允诺。
在众多杰出案例背后，是怎样的信念在驱动着KPF的创作？新技术和新挑战，又将激发出怎样的革新思考？近日，REARD锐地星设计/城屿演新有幸与KPF总裁及设计总监James von Klemperer面对面，在KPF打造的前滩中心的屋顶花园聆听他在近40年建筑生涯中凝结的远见卓识。
REARD采访团队与KPF嘉宾合影
James von Klemperer的工作涉猎非常广泛，除了关注自己的项目，他还领导公司的设计师团队探索共享建筑议程和目标，在上海他拥有20多年的设计经验，近年项目包括集办公和酒店功能的前滩中心、规模达70万平方米的绿地外难中心以及其他著名的开发项目。James专注于提升大型建筑在城市空间中的作用，并在亚洲项目中不断探索这一主题，他的设计被公认为是有效方案与大胆形式的结合，并屡次获得美国AIA设计奖等权威奖项的认可。
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KPF作为国际领先的建筑设计机构，完成了诸多有口皆碑的作品。对于中心老城区片区规模的整体改造，可否分享一下您的设计理念和经验？
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我们的项目遍布世界许多地方：欧洲、美国、中国和日本，大多位于世界上大型城市的中心，例如上海、纽约、伦敦、巴黎、旧金山、杭州、雅加达等这些中心城市。欧洲城市大多拥有非常完善的城市肌理，以伦敦为例，当地城市或许拥有至少200年~500年乃至上千年的历史。即便是现代的上海，城市历史没有那么久远，也足以追溯到120年前左右，大量有价值的旧建筑构成了城市的肌理。
我们开展工作时必须考虑到周围的环境情况。论其所处的空间或是外观形式，建筑极少是单独的实体。我们就像在创作一部分剧本，为已有演员存在的舞台增添一个新的角色，所以在着手之前需要思考，辨明周围其它建筑如何从中受益、人员的流动方式、对城市视觉效果的影响，以及对城市材质色彩的填充。
One Vanderbilt
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以上海金陵路的更新项目为例，这片位于外滩西侧的优美区域，拥有许多建于租界时期的二至五层的建筑。项目的总体目标是提升空间的利用率，将曾被忽视的区域转变成更现代的功能空间。我们在保留原有的街道、立面特色的前提下，对这些建筑进行更新，并策略性地引入一些更大体量的建筑。这不是能够清晰描绘和构建创意的线性思维，是一个分多阶段的推进过程。通过测算，我们甄别出增量建筑适合的区位，提出建筑创意之后，我们得以在建设前就明晰建筑对周围环境的影响。这是我们在老城更新方面的一个很有代表性的案例。
上海新天地朗廷及安达仕酒店
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其他范例还包括新天地的项目，回望中国共产党的历史时期，1921年的中共一大会议、租界时期的里弄建筑，让新天地对上海和整个中国都具有非常重要的历史意义。在我们的工作启动之前，总体规划便已完成。新天地的项目由其他建筑事务所主导，KPF参与并打造了朗廷、安达仕酒店以及一些办公楼。纵观整个开发项目以及新天地的酒店，你会发现建筑的外立面颇具特色，由一些有趣的形状拼接而成，稳固的同时赋予建筑轻快的趣味性。区别于现代建筑多采用的玻璃立面，这种立面的坚固性，纹理图案以及建筑本身的形态都采用了类似圆形的元素，体现了地区脉络。我认为这对于新天地是一种很好的补充。每一块都很重要，共同构成整块拼图。
科文特花园
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这是我们在旧城更新方面的一个代表性的作品。其他的作品中，我们谈论比较多的是伦敦中心的老城振兴项目——科文特花园保护性改造工程。这里从贝德福德伯爵时期、贝德福德公爵时期逐步发展而成，在19世纪时成为一座建筑众多的繁华城镇。
项目的业主之一来自香港，是由Ian Hawksworth执掌的大型房地产开发公司Capco。整片产业几乎为他们所有，因而项目的总体规模非常大。原有建筑多为2~4层，业主无意也无法予以拆除。优美的建筑群落共同组成了科文特花园，也是伦敦游客最多的目的地，人们前来这些街道体验高质量的生活，逛逛市场、四处徜徉。然而这里有些方面不够理想，无法适应新时代城市与技术的发展，街角就坐落着一家大型的苹果商店。因此有必要为这片区域带来很多小的转变。我们的办公室邻近考文特花园，恰好位于这片区域。
科文特花园
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随着时间的推移我们已经实施了13个项目，我们会对比这些项目，将其定义为针灸式老旧城区激活：在总体规划中进行渗透性改造，通过建设全新的步行道路及庭院，改善与周边交通枢纽及社区的连接、缓解拥堵、并加大商业临街面。数个新设庭院及前庭将街区此前封闭的内部空间朝公共区域打开。历史性结构得到修复，有些恢复至原功能用途，而其他一些则重新定位为住宅、酒店或商业等。这些手法对考文特花园产生了极大的影响，助其成为世界顶级的城市综合区。或许普通游客对于变化没有那么显著的体验，但是这里更具吸引性，更有活力，照明和访客体验也得到了改善。对我们而言，这个项目为我们竖立了城市更新方面的优秀范本。在开展金陵路的项目时，伦敦项目的经验为我们提供了一定的实践性导向。
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在低碳可持续发展的大背景下，怎样为项目融入更多的考量和针对性的设计手法？
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确实这是世界上所有的建筑师，尤其是身处中国、美国和欧洲等大型发达城市社会中需要面对的一项议题。这不是能够轻易解决的问题，我们认识到了它的迫切性。建筑的碳排放占比很大，世界上的碳排放量取决于我们如何定义，即便不到40%，超出10%也已经相当得高。
我们也意识到，在建筑、基础设施和建造领域以及对全球气温、碳排放和大气的影响中，我们这样的设计公司所能发挥的非常有限。但同时我们坚信，对于任何认同自身在行业中的责任，作为建筑文化领衔者的设计公司，都应该竭尽全力、以身作则。
因此我们在项目中如何去做就非常关键。考虑到项目的地区差异，这个问题的答案也有所不同。南北方气候条件和城市高、低密度的差异下，我们所能做的和应该从事的内容也各有区别。因此我们应该意识到没有放之四海而皆准的解决办法，但是从科学的角度我们会深入多个领域来推动减少碳排放。以上海浦西的某座建筑为例，我们可以把控建筑的表皮。以往我们有很多可选方案，现在我们则倾向于采用更节能坚固，玻璃用材更少的立面。我们相信赋予城市更丰富的材质纹理，能够提供理想的审美感官体验。但鉴于我们打造立面的经验，我们会专注于减少用材种类，以此来降低室外温度对室内空间的影响。
Burrard Exchange
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前面我们提到坚固性，在纽约的建筑案例中大面积使用玻璃材质的话，热穿透性会导致室内外温度间的频繁交换。我们公司在这个领域有非常资深的经验，KPF的建筑师、团队和同仁中有许多外部围护结构的专家。除此之外，我们也致力于减少混凝土的使用比例，并与客户合力寻找更优的混凝土类型，但目前行业中经济可行的解决方案非常有限。
虽然一些领域有所创新，例如混凝土所用的石灰石粉可以用碳吸收的方式生产，但考虑到成本因素，无法确定能否将其应用于上海浦西或纽约的大型项目。但我们应该推动我们的客户去实现远超他们最初设想的目标。这也引出了木建筑的话题。在KPF完成的项目中，木结构建筑占比不高。但我们在这个领域正不断取得实践进展。在温哥华，我们打造的木结构建筑Burrard Exchange达到了16层。在某种意义上木材的生产是光合作用的一部分，不像混凝土的加工会产生大量的热量或碳排放。作为一种植物，树木能够吸收大气中的二氧化碳并释放氧气。因此使用木材建造是一件非常好的事情，我们成功打造的中等高度的木结构建筑力证了这一点。这或将推动该领域的技术发展，由于涉及木材防火等级测试、木材的结构反应等方面，我们可以称之为一项专门的技术领域。
Burrard Exchange
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在中国我们尚未有机会打造木结构的建筑，这对我们而言是一种挑战，应该去尝试，去推动革新的发生。这一契机一定会到来，因为在国家的宏观层面上，中国的政策法规对气候问题和碳议题都颇为关切。我们知道在中国，政府的管理非常有力，政策的意义重大。政府做了很多管控和努力，一旦相关的法令法规发布，改变就会发生。
在中国尤其是上海，我们将不懈努力，推进一些与木材相关的碳减排议题。这是我们正在努力的方向，并正在做出改变。
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谈到其他方面，功能高效的空间密度与碳议题也息息相关。我们发现由于公共交通，高密城市中的排放更低，而建筑物是自我隔离的，就像在小型建筑中，没有那么大的使用面积。在大城市中，还有许多其他方式可以实现更高的效能。
如果我们查看美国的碳地图，我们会发现郊区的单位碳排放量更高。当我们将视线转向城市，你会发现美国东海岸地区在这方面的表现更为高效和理想。在人口密集区域，碳效率最高的地方是位于纽约市中心的曼哈顿。谈到在上海或其他大城市的项目，我们有能力去促进实现更优越的密度，通常表现为交通、连通性，建筑以及多功能架构与地铁的接驳，同时接入更大的交通中心。我们都知道这在一定程度上推动了高层建筑的开发，有助于实现更优益的碳效率。假如在火车站附近，我们无法以三层的建筑实现这种程度的高密布局。
One Vanderbilt
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因此，高层建筑与TOD（交通导向开发）模式相辅相成。我们在中国的不同地区，杭州、广州等地都实施了这类项目。与铁路接驳的广州南站的项目，不仅将密度与铁路相关联，还以密度为钥打造了更宜居的空间环境，因此人们乐于在此生活或工作。我们为广州南站项目引入了大量层次丰富的绿化和公园，促进公共空间及户外公共空间与高密环境的和谐相融。
这些主题贯穿在KPF的创作中，我们的设计师也在不断锤炼提升，来提出让建筑类型更行之有效的创意。
麦迪逊大道390号
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您在设计中怎样兼顾不同人群的多样化需求，来塑造高契合度的复合型空间？
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这是我们公司一直以来，尤其在过去的20年中重点关注的一个领域，我们称其为混合功能开发。在某种程度上，城市是多种功能的集合体，我认为我们可以用专业技能连接起不同的用途，即便在单体结构中也可以实现，我们称之为建筑内的生态系统。我们想要实现的功能越来越多，不仅将城市中心作为工作所在地，还期待为其赋予更多功能。过去的模式下，人们在城市工作，在郊区休息和生活。购物时，他们需要前往其他区域，或是去往城市另一端的学校接受教育。
The Bermondsey Project
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我们认为在一个地区乃至一座建筑中，将功能平衡分布是一种更好的模式，这有很多方面的原因。心理学家们已经证实，日常体验更丰富多元，我们的精神与心灵会感到轻松和愉悦。无需心理学家告知，我们也明白日复一日的单调活动的枯燥性，对个人或社会都无益。
近年来的疫情让我们更加理解了功能的混合性。我们身处家中，通过ZOOM或其他虚拟平台工作时，这里也是我们一些同事的孩子成长或做作业的地方。可能有人正在其他房间里从事别的事情或是烹饪。我们将这些汇集起来，去协调平衡混合功能。当然这种方式有时不够便捷，但有些时候效果很好。受益于这种能力，我们中的一些人得以在一个场所完成日常的多样化活动。
香港科技大学（广州）新校区
香港科技大学（广州）新校区
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谈到重返办公场所，正在上海和纽约发生，但出乎每个房地产商的期待，回来工作的人没有那么多。因为我们的思路被打开了，看到了将工作分布在不同的地理位置的可能性。尤其是年轻群体，重返城市的时候他们或许会发问：“我不想在常规的工作场所里办公，办公桌、电脑、会议室、洗手间和咖啡吧远远不够，我在哪里健身？”大部分中心城市都拥有健身房、俱乐部、健康俱乐部，但人们如何更持续地开展健康活动？如果不只是坐在办公桌前，在工作场所有更多用餐或是与他人协作的空间呢？或是拥有会议室之外的更多选择，与团队成员随时在某个角落以灵活的形式碰撞灵感呢？
前滩中心
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因此，在为城市设计新建筑时，我们倾向于发掘一种多功能的复合需求。办公楼的入口不应只是配有安保人员和电梯按钮、冰冷洁净的大理石空间，而应像一家咖啡馆、一间客厅。这种趋势疫情之前就已经显现，疫情加速下为我们展现了在不同的地方工作，以及在工作空间从事不同事情的多种可能。我们正在努力推行这种混合用途的概念，对于一位成功的建筑师、设计师或是客户、业主而言非常必要，是市场的需求所趋，也是城市人群的渴望所在。
前滩中心
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不同的国家和地区，城市发展的趋势和更新模式也各不相同，可否为我们分享一下对于这种差异的思考？
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这是个非常有趣的问题，城市的更新与再生很大程度上取决于更新的内容、主体、建造方式或习惯等要素，而这些在东京、洛杉矶或上海与伦敦等地都各不相同。因此，我认为有必要不断关注建筑的再生或更新，以及对建筑的重新构想和重新定义。有很多美丽的建筑不该被拆除。需要重申的是，碳足迹方面的需求正在不断增长，对旧建筑的拆除不应作为一项准则。
每一个社会中都有许多城市规划委员会，或是城市保护委员会。当然，每个城市都不相同，但都在制定更多不予拆除的规定。以巴黎为例，作为一个伟大的历史宝库，这里拥有许多建于19世纪晚期奥斯曼时代及之后的精美建筑。如今拆除一座建筑并新建另一座，不再是一个理想的方式。未经中央管理委员会批准，不得拆除建筑，这不仅关乎历史特色的保护，考虑到清理旧材料的碳效应也非常有必要。所以不仅是我们无意拆除，想要拆除建筑的人也无法轻易达到目的。
One Vanderbilt
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如今巴黎的监管规定与美国或中国的城市不同，不太可能会被改变，在某种程度上更为保守。这是一种建筑上而非政治上的保守，保留旧建筑是首要原则。我认为全世界各地在这方面的意识都愈加显著，但每个环境、每个城市之间都存在差异，正如我在前面谈到的，这在很大程度上取决于管理的架构。因此伦敦的每个区域都非常强大，针对每个社区需要咨询不同的委员会。威斯敏斯特的城市规划委员会和批准机构，就区别于南部和北部，与切尔西和哈默史密斯等地的也不相同。
在伦敦的城市语境中有一种对城市再生的地方性关切。在纽约，我们对变化的态度相对开放。这并不意味着纽约是世界上最具创新精神的城市，在很多方面我们仍履步不前，例如，前往机场的交通连接很糟糕，火车站的情况迫切地需要改善等。但从法律上来说，我们仍然是一个非常开放的城市。在纽约，如果你想了解是否能够获批建造一座大楼，有厚厚的法律书籍可以查阅参考。只要合乎法规，即可建造。波士顿的情况则完全不同，除非与社区团体、波士顿重建局、波士顿市政设计委员会（BCDC）的设计规划审查者进行海量的沟通会议，否则你无法开展任何工作。因此他们不仅关注具体的规模，还非常看重质量。
纽约的方式更加简练，波士顿更像是我们所说的自由裁量权。换句话说，建筑是否值得被建造取决于规划师团队的判断。这显示出一种集合的版图，不同城市之间差异化的态度。如果建筑师擅长于从事的内容，我认为在技能上面临的一项挑战，就是将一座城市视为家一样去熟悉和了解。因此，领悟城市的特质对实践和打造再生建筑至关重要。
Hudson Commons
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我们非常幸运，我们在伦敦、纽约、上海、新加坡等地工作。每一座城市都是我们的家。KPF位于新天地的办公室已经运作了20年之久，我们的同仁日复一日在此奋斗，以此为家。我认为我们了解上海，我们纽约的建筑师也会来到上海开展工作。上世纪90年代，我就作为一位年轻的建筑师开始了在上海的首个项目实践。那已经是30年前的事了。所以对我们来说，不论纽约、伦敦、旧金山还是新加坡，都是我们的家。对地方保有敏感性，知道何为何不为，是理解城市更新问题的首条法则。
城市更新越来越成为建筑师所从事的主要内容。不仅打造新的建筑，在你着手之前，需要先审视是否有一些既有内容可以去保护、提升并从中出发。
Hudson Commons
R
在项目创作中如何平衡功能美学和空间体验上的考虑与提升？
J
这些是建筑设计的一些基本要素，功能布局、美学效果、空间和视觉体验，建筑的视觉呈现以及空间的创生。如何应用建筑师的这些工具是一个很好的问题，因为这是我们开展工作的基础。随着时间的演变，我们工作的方式已经发生了很大变化。在我近40年的建筑师生涯中，建筑图纸绘制方式已从过去的手绘转变为数字化，现在则由计算机软件技术完成。通过软件拓展空间，我们得以穿行飞越其中，这是非常不同且得到大幅提升的方式。
我们受益于新的技术工具，即便其中一些不是那么新锐，可能已有20年的历史，但它们始终在发展，越来越先进。这对我们工作的促进作用体现在很多方面，例如我们不仅可以更充分地想象空间、协调功能，还能够通过更加智能的应用，实现与业主更有效的沟通。建筑师不是建筑的掌控者，理应协助业主，服务社会。
新加坡罗宾逊18号
新加坡罗宾逊18号
J
作为社会艺术的一部分，我们通过分享或说服决策出我们认可的好的设计，然后通过不同的工具和方式来呈现一个项目完成后的外观。这无疑改变了每一个建筑师的工作方式，能够以一种更有效的方式说服他人，这是一个好的创意，值得被建造。我们很难想象50年前的建筑师的工作方式，但很清楚的一点是，建筑在建成以后会经受时间的考验。现在我们做的正确与否，能够通过更精准的虚拟搭建来自我衡量。另一个方面是我们能够更好地优化建筑和外观的功能，尤其是借助数据分析的工具。
我们通过在程序中输入汇算数据，确定人在空间中的行走体验。会看到多少视觉亮点？光线的感受如何？一座多用途的建筑中是怎样的？旅行时长与提升空间使用效率的功能的相互关系如何？以机场建筑为例，我们想要明确如何更高效地到达登机口、安检应该布局在何处、登机口应该建在一个侧翼还是两个侧翼，到达和出发是否应该位于同一楼层？我们在图纸中会分析和考虑这些内容，但我们也越发依赖公司的数据分析团队对各种建筑因素的测算。
Changi Airport Terminal 5
J
有时结果出人意料，其中一些测试的结果与热增益、适宜的温度、能源的应用等环境因素相关。随着计算机分析领域愈发先进，我们的建筑物也将更加优化。最后，回答开始的问题，这应当并确实引导着我们实现功能更理想，实施效果更完善的建筑，我们可以从美学角度对每个可视化内容进行细致的调整，尤其是能够更有效地构想和打造空间。
Abu Dhabi International Airport
R
As an international leading architectural practice, KDF has completed widely-recognized buildings varying in type and scale. Could you discuss your design concept and experience in renovating old towns?
J
We work in many parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, China, and Japan. Most of our work is in the great cities of the world, the market centers of the city of the world, such as Shanghai and New York and London, Paris, San Francisco, Hangzhou, Jakarta, and all over the place. Most of the cities have a very well-established urban fabric. In the European case, let's say in London going back, maybe a thousand years, at least actively 500 years, 200 years. Even in Shanghai which is the modern city of Shanghai is not quite as old, maybe going back 120 years or so. Still, there are vast areas of the very valuable urban fabric of older buildings.
We really can't do our work without thinking about what's around us. Very few of our buildings are stand-alone entities either in the space that they occupy or the way they look. So, it becomes, you could say, kind of like writing a part of a play where there are already other actors on stage, and now you are adding one. Before you start, you are thinking, you want to know what the other buildings around you can benefit from and how the flow of people works, how the visual sensibility of a city, and the colors of its materials are going to be complemented by your building.
太平洋新天地商业中心
J
So just to think of some examples, there are parts of Shanghai jingling road, which is a nice area just to the west of the bund. There are quite a few nice 2, 3, 4 or 5 stories buildings that come from the concession era of Shanghai. The whole point of the project is to add density to make a more usable, kind of modern part of the city out of what was maybe a little bit functioning, neglected part of town. Our job here is to understand how we can renovate from the inside a number of these buildings without losing the character of the streets and facades, but then strategically add some larger buildings. This is a multi-step process. It's not one of linear thinking where you have an idea, and then you clearly sketch it out and then build it. There's a kind of testing of what about this kind of additional building that fits in this corner, not that side, but then as soon as you propose a building before you get to the stage of building it, you can figure out what it's going to do to that context. That's a very good example.
太平洋新天地商业中心
J
Other good examples involve Xintiandi which is master planned before we got there. Going back to the days of the Communist party, the Congress of 1921, or the Lilong buildings of the concession era, it's got great historical value, not just for Shanghai, but for all over China because of the party congress.
Other architects took the lead, but we joined the course, adding a couple of the hotels, Andaz and Langham, and then a number of office buildings. If you look at that development, the Xintiandi hotels, you can see that the facades are made of a kind of puzzle work of interesting shapes. There's a kind of playful fun about those buildings. There's a fair amount of solidity. Unlike many modern buildings that are predominantly glass, it's that solidity, the texture, and the pattern work of this facade and the shape of the buildings themselves that are kind of rounded-like elements at cradle space that I think it is particularly a happy kind of addition to Xintiandi. It's only one piece of the puzzle, but each one is important.
J
It's one of the nice examples of our work in renovating cities. There are other good examples. One of the projects we talk about most in relation to adding new life to an old city is in London, it is Covent Garden. There is a state that's been built over time, but starting from the Earl of Bedford and then the Duke of Bedford, the making of a garden, I guess, of growing things for the conduct. It became a thriving, dense city over time with a lot of buildings in the 19th century.
上海新天地朗廷及安达仕酒店
J
One of our clients was a client from Hong Kong, Ian Hawksworth, who took the reins of a large development company, property company, Capital & Counties Limited (Capco), and they owned the whole estate virtually. So, the scale is very large, but the buildings they own are also 2, 3, and 4-story buildings. There's no desire and no ability to take those buildings away. They function beautifully to make a place. I believe it's the most visited tourist destination in all of London to go to Covent Garden and experience the quality of life in the streets to go to the market and walk around. And yet, there's something that doesn't work so well, that has to do with circulation,accommodating, new technologies in the city, the presence of a large Apple store in the corner. So, it's a reason to bring a lot of small changes to this place. Our office happens to be right around the corner from Covent Garden in that district. We've undertaken 13 projects over time. Sometimes we compare those projects, we describe them as microsurgery, little pieces of architecture, taking an existing building of how long you get out from the inside, adding apartments of finding a place between two buildings, working at a connection, changing the direction of a walkway or traffic in the master planning.
Altogether, this has had a huge effect on Covent Garden. While the casual tourists maybe couldn't see the difference in a good way, other than that, there are more people, the lighting is better, more vitality, which is also good, but that to us has been a sort of a textbook example it created for us, a textbook of how to go about renovating a city. Then when we came to the Jinling Road project here in Shanghai, we were somehow instructed by the experiences that we had in London.
科文特花园
R
Under the global background of low-carbon development, how does KPF dive deep into more levels and apply specific design approaches to one project?
J
Certainly, this is one of the topics that all architects in the world, particularly in large, advanced cities and societies are dealing with very much in China and the United States, and Europe. It's not an easy-said question. I think we realize the urgency of this measureif buildings account for a high percentage of carbon output, carbon emissions in the world depend on how we define that, but it's more than 10 %. It might be less than 40 %, but it's a lot.
We also realized that any practice like us is a very tiny proportion of the work going on in the world of architecture and infrastructure and building and the effect on the atmosphere of the temperature of the globe and carbon factors.
At the same time, I think we feel that any practice that views itself as having some role in the profession to be part of the leadership of the culture of architecture should do its best. We can lead by example.
Burrard Exchange
J
So, the question is, what can we do on one project? I think the answer to that varies greatly according to the place we are working. What we're able to do, what we should do is different in southern climates, from northern climates, low-rise cities, and high-rise cities. I think we try to be conscious that one size fits all approach is not a very intelligent one scientifically speaking for carbon reduction, but a number of the places that we would look in. Let's say it's a building in Shanghai Puxi. The envelope of the building is a place that's an area of the building we can control usually. And usually, there are many choices. These days we tend to look to make a facade to make it more energy efficient, probably less glass, more solidity. We believe that's also a good thing for the kind of emotional aesthetic response we have to cities, to have more texture of solid, but certainly, we focus, given our knowledge of facade making, on reducing the number of elements where temperature can migrate from outside to inside.
Burrard Exchange
J
That means in the case of a building in New York, large pieces of glass, notwithstanding what I just said about solidity, the more penetrations you have of 1 million through the glass, then the temperature comes in and out.
That's one area where I think we have deep experience in our firm and some architects, our staff, and our colleagues who are scientists of the exterior enclosure. Another area that we try to make progress in is either reducing the amount of concrete or cement concrete or maybe working with clients to find more sophisticated kinds of concrete. But the industry only offers a certain number of affordable solutions.
While there are some hopes and some big innovations in areas, such as synthetic limestone for aggregate that can be made in a way that is supposed to absorb carbon, whether that is affordable and a big project in Puxi or New York is a question. But I think we start to push and ask our clients to do, even more than they would first imagine doing. That brings up the topic of timber. I would say of KPF projects, a very small number, and a tiny percentage are timber structures. And yet, we are making progress in that area for our practice. One of our projects in Vancouver will go up to 16 stories of timber. The idea is that timber does not throw off as much heat or carbon in its manufacture as concrete. It also is part of the process of photosynthesis in a way. A tree is a plant that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and emits oxygen.
One Vanderbilt
J
When we can build out of timber, that's a very good thing proving that we could make a successful building out of a medium-rise structure. Maybe that will have a way of adding to the momentum of this type of technology. You could call it technology because it involves testing the fire-rated qualities of timber, and the structural response of timber.
We have not found great opportunities to make timber buildings in China, to us that's the challenge. You should be trying to change things where change would make a difference. I think that will come sooner or later because I think the Chinese regulations, Chinese policy are very much focused at a national level on carbon and climate issues very strongly. And we all know policy in China means a lot because the government is very strong. The government controls so much. If there is an edict, a regulation that has passed, it will happen. We will try very hard in our work here in China and in Shanghai particularly, to introduce some debate about carbon reduction having to do with timber. That's another place that we're doing. I think we're making a difference.
If I could name one other, the general topic of useful and effective density has a strong relationship to carbon issues. Because in very dense cities, we tend to find a lower use of carbon because of the use of public transit, because buildings that have a larger sort are in a way self-insulating. You don't have that much surface area per area of use, as you do in a tiny building. Other things become more efficient in a large city.
One Vanderbilt
J
If we look at a carbon map of the United States, and we zero in on where are the spots where household carbon is the highest? They tend to be in the suburbs. When you get to the city, you have a much more ideal performance zone in our part of the United States, the east coast, the most carbon-efficient part of our populated areas is the center of New York City, the center of Manhattan. Back to working here in Shanghai or working in any other large city, where we can promote smart density, and that often means transit, connected density, buildings, and multi-use structures that are connected to not just subways, but larger transport centers. We all know that's very intelligent in terms of carbon efficiency so that in a way promotes the tall building because if we're going to stack that much density next to a rail station, it's not going to be with three-story buildings.
The tall building goes together with Tod- the transit-oriented development. We have been working on such projects in different parts of China. We have a project now in Hangzhou. In a project in Guangzhou, which is the Guangzhou South Station project that is connected to the rail, it’s not only a matter of placing density in a certain relationship to the train. There's also a way of making a more livable environment with that density. People will want to come and live and work there. In the Guangzhou south station project, we're introducing a very large amount of green, different layers and levels of plantings and parks so that public space and outdoor public space can coexist with density.
These are themes I think run through our work. Our designers are developing these skills and coming up with new ideas of how to make that building type work.
One Vanderbilt
R
How do you create a multi-functional space adapted to the diverse demands of different people?
J
I think it has been one of the focus areas of our firm, in particular, over the past 20 years, which has been what we call mixed-use development. And in a way, what does that mean? The city is a mix of uses, so does it mean anything? I think of the way the technique in which we can connect different uses, even within one structure can create, as we could maybe call them ecosystems within a building. I think more and more we want and we begin to expect more things to happen in an urban center, so that rather than having a district for working where people then have to leave to go to bed because that's far away in a suburb. They go to a bedroom community or if they're going shopping, they have to move to another district. Or if they're being educated university is way outside, another side of town.
J
We think that a better model would be to find a distribution and a balance of uses in one district or even in one building. That's for a variety of reasons. I think part of this just our minds and our spirits are entertaining when we experience variety across the course of a day. I think that's been shown by psychologists. But you don't need a psychologist to tell you that a monoculture of activity can be dull. That's not a good thing for individuals, maybe not a good thing for society. But also, I think the mixing of functions is something that we all learned very recently in the pandemic, that while we were working on Zoom or some virtual platform from our apartments, so for some of our colleagues, there were little kids in this room growing up or doing their schoolwork. There was somebody else making something with their hands in another room and then someone was cooking in another room. We mixed it all up and we learned how to do it. Sometimes it wasn't so convenient, but sometimes it worked rather well. Some of us benefited by having the ability to have our day consist of multiple activities in one place.
前滩中心
J
Now we think about coming back to work. I think that's happening in Shanghai, and it's happening in New York, but not so many people are coming back to work as every real estate developer would hope for. That's because I think our eyes were opened up to the possibility of distributing our work geographically to working from many different places. So that now, especially when younger talent come back to the city, they might ask, I don't want to come to an office where only I have a desk and a screen and a conference room and a washroom, and a coffee bar, that's not enough. What about places where I could get exercise? Most center cities have gym clubs somewhere, and health clubs, but what about more consistent access to healthy activities? What about more places to eat in the workplace or more places to collaborate with others instead of sitting at your desk to have not just a conference room, but maybe a little corner where your team could get together informally, and share ideas in a semi-relaxed way?
J
As we're designing new buildings for the city, we're tending to find a need, a demand for more of this multi-use. So the entry to an office building should be less like a cold, clean marble space with a security officer and elevator buttons. It should look more like a cafe. It should look more like a living room. These were trends that were beginning to happen before the pandemic. But the pandemic accelerated this, it gave us more of a view of working from different places and doing different things at work. I think for a successful architect, a successful designer, and a successful client, the property owner, we are pushing much more this idea of multi-use and it's necessary, because there's a demand for it, there is a desire for it in the marketplace, in the population of our cities.
The Bermondsey Project
R
The evolving trend of urban development and regeneration in a country may differ greatly from others. What do you think of the differences?
J
I think that's a very interesting question because regeneration depends so much on what is being regenerated, what is being reborn, what is physically in the way of building stock, or what habits are very different in Tokyo, from in LA or Shanghai from London. I think the need to focus on the regeneration or renovation of buildings, repositioning of buildings, and redefinition of structures, is always a need for this. It makes sense because we have a lot of wonderful buildings we shouldn't tear down. But again, the carbon footprint necessities are growing, not to take down old buildings as a rule.
J
In each society, there are more city planning boards, and sometimes preservation boards in cities. Every city is different, of course. But more and more they're making rules about not taking down buildings. For example, in Paris, if you want to take down a building to replace it with another building, Paris was always a great, historical treasure chest of wonderful structures of mostly the Osman period of the late 19th century, but after as well. But now, not only is it, maybe not a good idea, but you cannot remove structures without having approval from a central governing board that not just historical character, but the carbon effect of getting rid of old materials is justifiable. And so we simply do not want to, but those who do want to will simply not be able to take down buildings in Paris very easily at all.
Now, Paris is regulated differently from a US city or a Chinese city. It's much less amenable to change. It's more conservative in a way. I don't mean politically conservative, but architecturally conservative. Keeping the old is the rule NO.1. I think this kind of attitude is growing around the world, but the difference between each environment, and each city, as I mentioned before, it depends very much on a governance structure.
Hudson Commons
J
So, in London, you have very strong districts where there are boards that have to be consulted differently for each neighborhood. The Westminster Board of city planners and approval of groups from who you get consent. Westminster is different from the north to the south, is different from Chelsea and Hammersmith, and so on.
There's a kind of a localism of care of regeneration in the London context. In New York, we tend to be rather open to change. And I don't mean that we're the most kind of innovative city in the world. We're stuck in many ways, for example, our connection to the airport is terrible and our train stations need help badly. But still, we are legally speaking a very open city in that. If you want to understand if you can get approval of consent to build a building in New York, there are books of law like this thick that lawyers can interpret. If it's not against the law, then you get to do it. Boston is a very different case. You can't do anything unless you spend 100 meetings with the neighborhood group, the Boston redevelopment authority, and the Boston Civic Design Commission (BCDC) design review planners. They look at the quality, not just the specifications of volume.
Hudson Commons
J
New York is a little cut and dry. Boston is more what we say, discretionary. In other words, it's up to the discretion of the judgment of a group of planners, whether or not your building is worthy or not. It just points out this kind of patchwork and a variety of very different attitudes, city by city. I think part of the architects' challenge in our skill, if any architect is good at what they do, is to become familiar with the city as if it is your home.
We're very fortunate and I think in our firm, we work in London, we work in New York, we work in Shanghai, we work in Singapore. Each of those cities is our home. We have an office in Xintiandi. We've been there for 20 years. 45 people who day in and day out have been making it their home. So, understanding these particularities of what it means to practice and make regenerated buildings. In Shanghai, we feel we can understand and even our architects in New York who come to work in Shanghai, I started my first involvement with the project in Shanghai myself as a younger architect in the 1990s. That was 30 years ago. It's a long time ago. And so, the same thing for us, New York is our home, London's our home, San Francisco is our home, Singapore is our home, et cetera. Being sensitive to the place is the rule NO.1 of understanding this issue of regeneration, and what you should and should not do.
It's a good question because this is increasingly the main diet of the architect, is not just to make the new building, but to say before you start anything, wait a minute, is there something existing we can save and we can make better and start there?
麦迪逊大道390号
R
How to balance the function, different uses, and aesthetics, and improve the spatial experience in a project?
J
You've named some of the fundamentals of architectural design, the disposition of functions, the aesthetic appearance, spatial feeling, a visual feeling of a building, and how space is made and formed. These are the tools of the architect. How we work with them is a good question, because it's kind of how we do our basic work. I would say the means by what we do our work had changed greatly in my time as an architect. I've been an architect for, I suppose almost 40 years, the digitization of documents of architecture, drawings we used to draw by hand. Now drawings are made by computer techniques and software. But the way that we can explore a space of having programs allow us to walk through and fly through space is very different and greatly enhanced.
We benefit from these new tools, new not yesterday, some of them are 20 years old, but they keep becoming more and more sophisticated. I think this is benefiting our work in many ways. One way is, not only can we imagine spaces more fully, and we can coordinate uses sometimes more intelligently, but we can also communicate that more effectively to our clients. Architecture is not something the architect controls. The architect is a servant to society and usually a servant to the client.
新加坡罗宾逊18号
J
We are part of what we think as a social art, only by sharing and often by persuading or convincing that we can get a decision to do something we think is worthy of a good design and the tools then of representation, of Cinematic fly-throughs, different ways to render what will be the visual appearance of a project when it's done. Of course, that has changed every architect's way, giving them more power in a way to imagine things more effectively and to get someone to agree. This is a good idea, let's go and build it. It's hard to imagine how architects worked 50 years ago, but it was a little bit that the building was a test case and there it was built. I think we did the right thing, or maybe didn't. We now can make more virtual test cases for ourselves, more sophisticated ones. Another way I think in which we enable, we're better able to work with the optimization of functions in buildings and appearance, but especially the functions in data analysis.
新加坡罗宾逊18号
J
The number of inputs we can bring together in a program that measures somehow your experience walking through a space. How many visual stimuli will you see? What is a sense of light? What is a building of multiple uses? What is the relationship between the travel time and the function within a space that is used to make the use more efficient? Let's take an airport, for example, we want to know how you get to your gate most effectively. Should we put the security here? Should we put the plane gates in one wing or two wings? Should the arrival be on the same level as the departure or not? Because these are ideas we look at analytically in drawings, we also now more and more relying on a crew team within our firm of data analysts who are measuring all sorts of factors of buildings.
Sometimes the results are surprising. Some of those results in the measurement has to do with environmental factors of heat gain, temperature of comfort, use of energy, etc. I think the disciplines of computer analysis will continue to become more and more sophisticated, and our buildings become more optimized. And ultimately, to answer your initial question that should lead us and does lead us to buildings where the functional use is more desirable or more fully realized where various aspects of what we see in the aesthetic can be finely tuned, and especially spaces can be imagined and realized.
Changi Airport Terminal 5
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