Urban Transformation
Glass giants: the changing world of skyscrapers
David Nicholson-Cole looks at the changing designs of skyscrapers, as architects seek to become more environmentally friendly.
David graduated from Liverpool University in 1972, and has been at the DABE since 1975. His studio design teaching role has evolved according to the challenges and demands of the era. DNC has also taught domestic building construction since 1975, keeping up with the changes over that time. At the present time, computers dominate architectural practice and he is very involved with IT issues and skills. Internationally, he has travelled extensively teaching ArchiCAD and GDL programming, and organised ArchiCAD University from 1998-2010. In recent times, he inherited the mantle of Tall Building teaching in 2006 when Antony Wood left Nottingham for Chicago. He has teamed with some excellent helpers, such as Philip Oldfield and Joana Goncalves, and persuaded distinguished architects from practices to provide teaching support. The course has moved into bioclimatic and sustainable tall building design, backed up with a professional approach to tall building planning and engineering. The course has used sites in London, New York, Chicago, Rotterdam, Singapore, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. Having run that project in successive years, the teaching evolved into a full M.Arch Masters course in Sustainable Tall Building, since Sept 2009. This covers three semesters per year, including studio teaching, lectures and Masters dissertations. In many instances, students have achieved publication of their work and wins in student competitions.
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