Sustainable, Mixed-Use Buildings Come to China

For years, there has been a push to make the construction industry a touch more versatile and sustainable. In China, work is already underway to try and create such a scenario. Thanks to MVRDV, we are seeing the development of sustainable, multi-use buildings across the Shenzhen area. Known as Shenzhen Terraces, these buildings will be used for a mixed-use development program. As a key development within the Shenzhen university district, Longgang District, this could be the start of a move to use more sustainable buildings practices in the weeks, months, and years to come.

There will be numerous builds included within the project, with sustainability at the heart of the entire project. This will include a whole array of outdoor spaces as well as the opportunity for the development of key features such as theatres, libraries, museums, and conference facilities. Retail sectors will also be developed, alongside a range of social hubs that will be ideal for people to meet-up with those closest to them.

In short, the new project is built on the idea of sustainable, versatile areas for social relaxation, retail therapy, as well as education and entertainment. When contrasted to the modern high-rise towers that linger around the new build, the Shenzhen Terraces offers a far more holistic look and style. These will look more akin to a range of horizontal plates which are built on top of one another, allowing for the project to merge into the landscape without being anything like the eyesore that other major developments can be.

These plates will also provide a sense of natural ventilation and shading, helping to create a sustainable form of use of the elements. By increasing wind flow, these round-shaped plates will help to add something totally different to the aesthetics as well as the functions of the area.

The future of development for architecture?

Many look at such developments and see a transformative future within the building industry. For years, there has been a need to find a way to contrast from the nature of buildings that exist across China. These more natural styled buildings end to carry a sustainable style that looks more modern and welcoming than the generic nature of many glass skyscrapers and tall buildings.

The use of various bridges to connect each section looks outstanding, too, creating various ways for the Shenzhen Terraces project to combine together in a way that makes travel simple. Functional additions including facades to help make entry points obvious help to further make the transit around such a building even easier than many would have expected.

For many, the hope is that this building project can be the start of a new way to look at sustainable building development across the country, continent, and globe. Compared to the unfriendly and unwelcoming style of many modern buildings, the Shenzhen Terraces idea offers a transformative change to the way that we might normally look at and view architecture and infrastructure from both a functional and aesthetic perspective.