In late 2011 Chinese architects of the Broad Group building
company completed an incredible feat of engineering, proving to the world that
they are not only leaders of manufacturing and computing but also of
sustainable construction and indeed, renewable energy.
The Ark Hotel, in Changsha in the Hunan Province of China,
took just 15 days to build: a mere 360 hours - thus keeping assembly costs to a
minimum. The project combined state of
the art manufacturing techniques with efficient and eloquent design – areas in
which the Chinese excel. The majority of
the structure was built off-site allowing workers to simply place the pieces
into position, materials were prefabricated and the sections were built to
specification; allowing for minimal waste.
Critics may question the durability of the building, however, the Broad
Group is confident that the hotel will be 5 times more resistant to
conventional builds, and will withstand earthquakes reading up to 9 on the
richter scale. The building is
soundproofed, thermally-insulated and includes air quality monitoring systems –
vital for modern-day China. The project
is deemed to ‘completely change the way that buildings are constructed’ and may
even instigate the exportation of one of the last industries that China holds
as its own: construction.
The time-lapse video below displays this remarkable
accomplishment of the Broad Group, allowing its success to become an
international phenomenon.
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