By Ross Brooks, Source: Inhabitat

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Polish architectural firm KAMJZ have creating an amazing concept that combines sustainable design with earthquake resistant features for the Taichung City Cultural Center in Taiwan. Classified as a “water deficit country” because of its high population, topography, and uneven rain distribution, only 20% of water is left for consumption, making it a precious resource. The tower would collect water to alleviate this problem and at the same time regulate seismic forces during an earthquake. Keep reading to find out how it would achieve this amazing feat.
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By gathering water during heavy periods of rainfall, the building would be able to use its mass, in combination with an impressive set of design features, to act as a defense mechanism against earthquakes. The movement of waves and water weight within a closed tank would act as a counterweight for seismic forces and helps to regulate the oscillation of the building’s structure. This tank works together with a column-slab primitive structural system that has minimized diagonal connections, a tall profile, and a terraced form proven to perform best in seismic locations.
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To improve the effectiveness of the features above, the building coverage ratio is also minimized, and part of the landscape is lifted to enhance water retention and provide as much green spaces as possible. The main plaza, ground floor area, along with all driveways and walkways have a multi-layer gathering system that uses a permeable porous design for storing water.
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The building’s facade is both aesthetically pleasing and practical, focused on the task of water gathering and improving its quality. Sculpturally fluid forms encourage the natural movement of water by channeling it into terraces that run from the top of the building all the way down. As one pool overflows, the water will cascade down to the next, and so on, until reaching the ground floor, ensuring that as much water as possible is captured and utilized.

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