The Q-Tower has been developed as a ‘smart green’ tower with integrated systems reactive to its inhabitants. Our collaboration with Ted Selker of the Context-Aware Computing Department at MIT Media Lab was aimed towards integrating interactive systems within the tower. This cooperation has generated a wide range of innovations with the building systems including environmental, geothermal energy, smart appliances and controls, a ‘virtual’ doorman and smart delivery closets at the entrance. These features make the tower an adaptive, interactive space that actively accommodates its residents.

The facade design follows a defined algorithm, refined through a decision tree and an optimization subset. The window areas are chosen from the selection set with the most optimised light conditions. Transitions happen by a change in slope – starting at 80% maintains the continuity of a positive / negative slope. The decision tree dictates any necessary reversals in slope direction.

Gregory Martínez de Riquelme worked as the design architect for this project during his tenure at Archi-tectonics NYC.