2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land - 51

4. Gare Maritime
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Dating to the early 1900s, Gare Maritime was once Europe's
largest freight railway station. As part of the redevelopment of
the Tour and Taxis industrial area along the Brussels Canal, local
developer Nextensa Group converted the station into a mixeduse
district with offices, retail space, food and beverage services,
and event space. Neutelings Riedijk Architects of Rotterdam, in
cooperation with Bureau Bouwtechniek of Antwerp, added a
glass-and-timber roof to the historic wrought-iron structure and
created 12 timber pavilions beneath, organized around streets,
parks, and squares that integrate into the surrounding urban
fabric.
A variety of gardens highlight plants that thrive in the Mediterranean
climate. The modular CLT structures can be easily dismantled
and repurposed. Solar panels on the roof and the street
facade power the whole facility, with geothermal wells and a
5. Houston Endowment Headquarters
HOUSTON, TEXAS
For its new headquarters, the Houston Endowment sought a
change from its dark wood-paneled digs high in a downtown
Houston skyscraper. Its new building, overlooking Spotts Park,
is the result of an international design competition won by Los
Angeles-based Kevin Daly Architects and Productora of Mexico
City. The design team chose a steel-and-CLT structure for its
cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Given challenging soil conditions,
including foundations that remained from a building
formerly on the site, as well as a tight location with little room
for construction staging, the hybrid structure's light weight also
gave it an advantage over concrete.
Exposing the CLT floor and roof systems adds visual warmth
to the interiors. A white, scalloped aluminum rainscreen and
perforated aluminum canopy provide dappled shade, lowering
temperatures in the same way as the city's network of live oak
trees. Large windows offer views of the landscape and allow in
plenty of natural light. Other energy-efficient strategies include
solar panels, geothermal wells, and rainwater harvesting systems.
The headquarters opened in 2022.
vaporized rainwater system handling heating and cooling. The
design team reused wood and paving stones from the original
building, as well. Gare Maritime was completed in 2020.
6. INTRO Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OHIO
On a triangular parcel that once housed a single-story strip
mall and a parking lot, INTRO Cleveland stands across from
the publicly owned West Side Market, which dates to 1912.
The developer, Chicago-based Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors,
chose timber as the primary structural material for its
aesthetic qualities and renewability. Chicago-based Hartshorne
Plunkard Architecture exposed half of the CLT floors and ceilings.
Extensive glazing allows light to penetrate deep into the
floor plate.
Because of the newness of the mass timber approach, the
development team spent 18 months on data collection and
fire testing to show the structure's safety and fire resistance
for the city's housing and fire departments. The building is oriented
to the north to maximize views of the West Side Market
and its historic clock tower. An aluminum window wall system,
masonry, and ribbed weathering steel panels reference Cleveland's
industrial past. INTRO Cleveland opened in April 2022
with 297 market-rate apartments, a retail plaza, event space,
and underground parking.
SUMMER 2023
URBAN LAND
51
PROACTIVE
IWAN BAAN
FILIP DU J ARDIN
AERIAL AGENT S
2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land

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