Chimes 61 is the answer to the challenge put forward by current environment and economical needs. Architecture today must not only be graceful, but should also offer a hardworking, environmentally sensitive and sustainable energy design in keeping with the resource-scarce times we live in. The Chimes Building will always be unique in its association with tenets such as sustainability, sociability, inclusion of nature, and program flexibility.
The design by itself underlines inclusion and diversity of people and life. We turn to the most obvious and tremendous support of nature to help us create this. The building is raised to ensure open spaces and shades from the direct sun, a variety of water pools and guided streams, plants within and around the building are incorporated to cool the air and the ground. An environment thus encouraging spontaneous meetings at the ground level is created by accessible natural shaded areas. This theme of openness is consistent in all areas of the building.
The experience of the journey path is enlivened by the use of green spaces, graded light, shaded spaces, landscape variation, and free intermingling of air, earth, and water. All of these are a part of the other in pauses and transition experiences. Visual connections through glass courtyards, corridors and lobbies, complex interconnections and interpenetrations of interior spaces, the interplay of light all go to make the essential material finishes. The symbolism of the landscape and architectural artifact are intended to enliven the whole ensemble.
The architecture used is marked by energy efficiency, operational convenience, low operational cost and optimized investment costs. It focuses not only on the façade, sun shading, and lighting details but more importantly on minimizing the energy consumption of the building while optimizing natural light consumption. The Solar Façade is a significant and a “signifying” building enclosure that follows specific functional requirements and carries efficient supply systems for the “machine”. The Façade design is guided by its visibility and response to the street corner, visibility from the surrounding spaces and the main roads and to the climatic considerations of the solar path, Natural Light penetration and breezes.
The insatiable demand for parking is met by the provision for a double stack parking system, extra capacity preferred parking spaces for car poolers, and parking for the electric shuttle to connect with the future metro nearby. The modular back-up generation, thermal storage chillers, system of replenishing ground water and recycling waste water all fortify our resolve to support sustainability while making as light an impact on natural resources as possible.