The proposition of the unit is to investigate how contemporary forms of social communication can inform the design of tall buildings and vice versa. We will look at how the tower typology can induce new forms of social interaction, communication and the exchange of ideas in the interests of augmenting the power of collective intelligence.

How can designers transform isolated towers in the urban landscape into vertical villages and hubs of ideas? Can we design towers to maintain the special qualities of the traditional village and the social energy of the active metropolis? Is there a limit to the possible combinations of uses in a given tower? Beginning with an analysis of metropolitan behaviours, we will consider the tall tower as an architectural response to the desires and necessities of contemporary society; an architecture that can provide the conditions for our highly connected generation to live, work, socialise and flourish.

Students will be challenged with designing a tower in the City of London, interrogating the basic typology and considering not only how social interaction can be positively influenced by architecture, but also how new forms of social life can, in turn, change the way we design. Through a detailed examination of all of the key factors and details that influence such projects – sustainability, programme, circulation, ecology, structure, façade, durability and flexibility – students will investigate how the tower can function as a vertical village and service hub; as a place, not a location, in which a mixture of programs can create the substrata for social integration.

The year will begin with an intense phase of typological analysis in order to establish a solid understanding of the technical aspects of tower design, from structural to environmental considerations and from user comfort to vertical transportation. Experts from a variety of consultancy firms in the design industry will deliver a series of workshops and talks, and students will be expected to attend conferences throughout the academic year. Site visits will be made in London and Hong Kong.