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Daylight Symposium
2009
- DESIGNING WITH DAYLIGHT UNDER LARGE ROOFS by Paul Kalkhoven
2009 - Daylight Symposium
DESIGNING WITH DAYLIGHT UNDER LARGE ROOFS by Paul Kalkhoven
Speakers
Paul Kalkhoven
Architect
Foster + Partners
The design of ever larger deep plan buildings such as airports have used natural light from above to create airy, clear and generous public spaces. Over the past years this has been developed in projects by Foster + Partners with the help of computer technology to achieve all the benefits of natural light, but increasingly to also filter out solar heat gain. Advanced computer modelling enables the design and positioning of rooflight openings and not only to track their impact on the interior spaces, but also to mould those spaces around the light. These techniques are increasingly important in more extreme tropical climates to optimise passive and natural lighting methods, whilst avoiding overheating.
Foster + Partners’ architecture is driven by the pursuit of quality – a belief that our surroundings directly influence the quality of our lives, whether in the work place, at home or the public spaces in between. It is not just buildings, but urban design that affects our well-being. We are concerned with the physical context of a project, sensitive to the culture and climate of their place. We have applied the same priorities to public infrastructure world-wide – in our airports, railway stations, metros, bridges, communication towers, regional plans and city centres. The quest for quality embraces the physical performance of buildings.
Paul Kalkhoven studied architecture and town planning at the University of Technology in Delft in The Netherlands. He joined Foster + Partners in 1985, working with the Terminal building at Stansted Airport. This was followed by a series of projects in Germany, including the Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt, the Agiplan Headquarters extension in Mülheim and the Micro Electronic Centre in 24 25 Duisburg. Subsequently, he worked on the World Port Centre tower in Rotterdam, the competition-winning design for the Gerling.