Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

(National Geographic (Little) Kids) #1

88 Wood Street


Architect Richard Rogers Partnership


Structural and Service Engineers Ove Arup and Partners


Client Daiwa. Europe Properties PLC


Completed in 1999, the offices at 88 Wood
Street, in the heart of the city of London, is
the first major office block built by the
Richard Rogers Partnership since Lloyds of
London was completed in 1986. Won in
competition in 1990, the original brief was to
create a prestige headquarters for the Daiwa
Banking Corporation, but the original concept
design was hit by the recession in both Japan
and London, and a new brief in 1994 called for
a speculative office block.
The building is more than a third larger
than the original concept, rising in three
linked steps of 10, 14 and 18 storeys,
comprising 22,600 m^2 of dealing and
administrative facilities. 88 Wood Street
addresses the demands of the office market


with great elegance; it it is a building of
unusual transparency.
It is this transparency which declares its
daylighting credentials; for the intention was
to provide an office building which would
maximize the use of daylight and give the
impression of being wholely lit by natural
light. The floor plates are arranged so that no-
one sits more than 13 m from a window, and
that artificial lighting is not generally required
during the day.
The windows are triple glazed on all but
the north side, with internal blinds which are
operated automatically to control solar glare.
The building’s ‘active’ fac° ade comprises the
world’s largest double glazed units, measuring
3 m by 4 m. The inner faces of the external

panes have a low E (emissivity) coating, which
further reduces internal solar gain. In addition
a third glass panel is provided to the ‘climate’
fac° ade. A 140 mm cavity between the third
panel and the double glazed units is provided
with integral horizontal venetian blinds with
perforated slats. Photo cells on the roof
monitor the external light conditions
adjusting the angles of the blinds, thus
minimizing sun glare and heat gain.
The artificial lighting is ‘daylight linked’
with the exterior light levels, to reduce the
energy required during the day; but because
the building is a speculative office block, the
individual tenants have a degree of control of
the artificial lighting system adopted for their
own areas. As one would expect, the different
tenants have developed their own areas in
terms of their own individual needs and
tastes; but the building design is robust
enough to cope with these idiosyncrasies and
a walk around the building indicates an overall
sense of quality, incorporating the latest
advances in technology and energy
conservation, and offers uninterrupted views
over the city.

78 Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture


Building elevation, this shows a regular and
Richard Rogers Partnershipunimpeded office space across an irregular site
Free download pdf