The Staggered Building is a high rise building developed with a bottom up approach.
Within the design process for the building, we have tackled more or less in depth the following themes: mixed use, vertical circulation, structural design, design for comfort and environmental design. The main tools we have used are galapagos mostrly for optimization, python coding, wasp for aggregation and ladybug for the environmental analysis, karamba for the structural optimizatioon.
The building is characterized by has a podium with different public uses as restaurant/gym, pool, cafe. the residential units the building then developes in height to the roof as represented in the images below. From the floor plan topology, it can be noticed that a big part of our building at all the floors is dedicated to common spaces and green terraces, in a way that could let us creating continuity with the natural space where it may be located.
To manage a variation of plot and topography, our computational process considers the boundary of the plot and the topographic surface, it takes into account the regulatory compliance as FAR, height, the offset from the boundary and footprint. it allows to rotate the building according to an optimum direction adapting to climate properties. Based on this parameter, the distance between our and the buildings within the context, the script defines the position of the center of the core within the plot and defines the number of total floors we can build. Then, based on the desired percentage in apartment type function, a python script analyzed the options available for aggregating a set of predefine floor slabs (each with a defined distribution) and matches the desired functions. The slabs are then aggregated based on a set of structural rules with Wasp plug-in.
The same building, located in Iceland and in Singapore differs for main orientation, larger or smaller windows. This was the outcome of prevailing wind direction and speed, temperature, solar radiation and the sun path analysis. The building is parallel to the wind main direction in Singapore, in a way of having apartments’ terraces to benefit from wind in such a hot a humid climate. Window to wall ration was optimized. In Iceland the terraces exposed to the east direction are closed, apartments only exposed to north are neglected since not enough daylight would be obtained for this location.
MODULES
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT
SECTIONS AND PLANS
WORKFLOW
The workflow shown in the diagram walks you through the main steps—from choosing a site all the way to finalizing a cohesive set of residential modules. Below is a brief summary of how it all comes together
DESIGN VARIATION
With viable slab arrangements established, designers reference a Slab Catalog, which organizes possible floor plate shapes and sizes. Each slab type corresponds to different functional or aesthetic requirements. The chosen slabs then form a Floor Topology—a conceptual map of where residential units will sit on each floor.
APPLICATION OF FAR
The entire process feeds into a parametric script that analyzes:
FAR (Floor Area Ratio) inputs.
Below examples with variable AREA and Vector direction
COMMON PLOT
1. Reykjavik Scenario – 2× FAR
- Plot: Identical in footprint to the Singapore scenario, but FAR is only 2×.
- Form & Massing: This constraint limits total buildable area, resulting in a relatively modest number of floors.
- Residential Floors: 21 floors in total.
- Unit Mix:
- One-bedroom: 18 units (~18%)
- Two-bedroom: 52 units (~51%)
- Three-bedroom: 31 units (~31%)
In a city like Reykjavik, height restrictions and lower density demands often keep buildings at moderate scales. Lower FAR not only reduces the building’s overall volume but also creates a more uniform skyline. The data-driven approach still ensures an optimal mix of units within these constraints.
2. Singapore Scenario – 6× FAR
- Plot: Same initial site, but 6× FAR allows more total floor area.
- Form & Massing: Significant vertical growth, producing more floors and larger capacity for units.
- Residential Floors: 27 floors in total.
- Unit Mix:
- One-bedroom: 19 units (~15%)
- Two-bedroom: 69 units (~53%)
- Three-bedroom: 42 units (~32%)
In a high-density context like Singapore, developers regularly push building heights to maximize land use. With higher FAR, the design can accommodate more floors and more overall units. This setup responds to big-city demand and allows for a more diverse residential mix—while still adhering to local regulations.
Visualization (graphics)
The use of Comfy UI to create photorealistic images of the 3d model
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
