Beyond Net Zero - SOM's Urban Sequoia Building Concept and Technologies for Future, Regenerative Cities

Abstract

Cities cover only 3% of the planet's surface, yet they are responsible for more than 75% of the global emissions. Given the projected urban built area will double by 2060, the carbon emitted from cities will further increase. SOM proposes the Urban Sequoia concept, for buildings that go beyond 'net zero' and absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This concept combines multiple strategies, including the use of an optimised building form with a highly efficient structural system, modularized prefabrication techniques, holistic integration of facade, MEP and interiors' components, bio-based materials, and Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, to reduce a 40-storey building's whole life cycle carbon emissions by more than 300% over a 100-year lifespan. Calculations of embodied carbon emissions are performed with SOM's in-house Environmental Analysis (EA) Tool to demonstrate the effectiveness of employing Urban Sequoia's design strategies in the design of new buildings using current technologies.