1 00:00:03,170 --> 00:00:04,805 [music] 2 00:00:04,905 --> 00:00:07,174 [Jay] How do you create a manmade cave 3 00:00:07,274 --> 00:00:10,844 inside of one of America's national treasures? 4 00:00:10,944 --> 00:00:12,947 [Michelle] We looked at I think every way you could imagine 5 00:00:13,047 --> 00:00:14,748 trying to build this. 6 00:00:16,050 --> 00:00:19,387 [Jay] How do you construct a sleek, space age arts center 7 00:00:19,487 --> 00:00:23,557 topped by an 880-foot-long swooping roof? 8 00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:28,395 Fluid and curved buildings always mean one thing--trouble. 9 00:00:30,697 --> 00:00:32,032 [Jay] And how do you build 10 00:00:32,132 --> 00:00:34,468 a fossil fuel-free university building 11 00:00:34,534 --> 00:00:37,671 from a teetering tower of blocks? 12 00:00:37,771 --> 00:00:40,874 [Nathan] You'd hear the bolts slip, the steel move. 13 00:00:41,008 --> 00:00:42,509 So that was a little unnerving. 14 00:00:43,777 --> 00:00:45,812 [music] 15 00:00:45,912 --> 00:00:50,483 [Jay] This is the age of the extraordinary. 16 00:00:50,584 --> 00:00:52,319 [Dr. Agbedor] It's totally different 17 00:00:52,419 --> 00:00:54,321 from anything around it. 18 00:00:54,421 --> 00:00:58,225 It's like a visitor from another planet. 19 00:00:58,358 --> 00:00:59,993 [Jay] Where ingenious engineers have unleashed 20 00:01:00,093 --> 00:01:02,329 unchecked creativity. 21 00:01:04,131 --> 00:01:07,534 Now their secrets are revealed 22 00:01:07,635 --> 00:01:11,438 as we discover the amazing stories of their construction. 23 00:01:11,572 --> 00:01:12,706 [Mat] You look at this building, 24 00:01:12,807 --> 00:01:14,808 and your brain just screams at you, 25 00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:17,244 "This building does not make sense." 26 00:01:17,344 --> 00:01:18,678 [Jay] To try and understand... 27 00:01:22,750 --> 00:01:24,885 ... How Did They Build That? 28 00:01:28,055 --> 00:01:30,090 In a city short on space like New York, 29 00:01:30,190 --> 00:01:32,359 most buildings reach for the sky. 30 00:01:32,459 --> 00:01:33,961 But one mold-breaking exception 31 00:01:34,094 --> 00:01:35,963 is an addition to a historic landmark 32 00:01:36,063 --> 00:01:38,531 that was designed from the inside out 33 00:01:38,632 --> 00:01:42,436 and is not so much a building as a column-less cave fantasy 34 00:01:42,536 --> 00:01:44,871 cast in granite and shot concrete-- 35 00:01:44,971 --> 00:01:46,006 which, trust me, 36 00:01:46,072 --> 00:01:47,741 is way more beautiful to look at 37 00:01:47,841 --> 00:01:50,810 than it sounds. Check this out. 38 00:01:51,545 --> 00:01:53,581 [music] 39 00:01:53,681 --> 00:01:55,749 [Jay] This is the Richard Gilder Center 40 00:01:55,849 --> 00:01:59,252 for Science, Education, and Innovation. 41 00:02:00,854 --> 00:02:03,223 Containing galleries, public spaces, 42 00:02:03,323 --> 00:02:05,759 and even a butterfly house, 43 00:02:05,859 --> 00:02:07,161 the brand-new addition 44 00:02:07,261 --> 00:02:09,663 to the American Museum of Natural History 45 00:02:09,763 --> 00:02:13,133 looks like it's been carved out of solid rock. 46 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,170 There's not a single straight line in this building. 47 00:02:17,304 --> 00:02:19,873 [Jay] But despite looking stone age, 48 00:02:19,973 --> 00:02:21,841 it's on the cutting edge. 49 00:02:23,477 --> 00:02:25,846 This project had the highest level of complexity 50 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:29,349 out of any job I've ever done. 51 00:02:29,483 --> 00:02:30,984 [Jay] And used construction methods 52 00:02:31,118 --> 00:02:34,054 never seen before on a project like this. 53 00:02:36,289 --> 00:02:38,992 So...how did they build it? 54 00:02:43,097 --> 00:02:45,699 It's 2014, and the Natural History Museum 55 00:02:45,799 --> 00:02:49,737 is one of the most popular attractions in Manhattan. 56 00:02:49,837 --> 00:02:51,304 [Sean] This is a place that, you know, 57 00:02:51,438 --> 00:02:53,974 has about 4.5 million visitors a year. 58 00:02:54,074 --> 00:02:57,077 It's been a backdrop in, uh, you know, 59 00:02:57,177 --> 00:02:58,812 in film and television. 60 00:02:58,945 --> 00:03:01,315 Uh, certainly many people will remember the museum from 61 00:03:01,381 --> 00:03:03,683 the Night at the Museum movies. 62 00:03:03,784 --> 00:03:05,552 [Jay] The sprawling museum complex 63 00:03:05,652 --> 00:03:10,190 has been growing over the last 150 years. 64 00:03:10,290 --> 00:03:14,094 Now it's time for a revolutionary addition. 65 00:03:14,194 --> 00:03:15,162 [Sean] We're looking for something 66 00:03:15,228 --> 00:03:16,630 that could provide classroom space, 67 00:03:16,730 --> 00:03:19,633 as well as research space and exhibition space, 68 00:03:19,733 --> 00:03:22,403 all within the same building. 69 00:03:22,536 --> 00:03:25,405 [Jay] They launch a competition to design the new wing. 70 00:03:25,539 --> 00:03:29,042 It's won by architects Studio Gang. 71 00:03:29,142 --> 00:03:34,381 I totally love natural history, and it inspires my work. 72 00:03:34,514 --> 00:03:37,384 How can we design something that will encourage 73 00:03:37,484 --> 00:03:39,820 that kind of curiosity? 74 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,889 [Jay] The team turns to nature for inspiration, 75 00:03:42,989 --> 00:03:46,560 taking field trips to visit natural wonders. 76 00:03:46,660 --> 00:03:49,596 Caves, and canyons, and all those kinds of landscapes 77 00:03:49,730 --> 00:03:53,600 really make you excited about exploring, 78 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:56,736 and they're also formed and shaped by flow. 79 00:03:58,071 --> 00:04:00,540 So that's kind of where the design headed. 80 00:04:02,743 --> 00:04:04,177 [Jay] The daring idea is to create 81 00:04:04,277 --> 00:04:06,547 a six-story sculpted cavern 82 00:04:06,647 --> 00:04:09,617 that will connect with the existing buildings. 83 00:04:09,750 --> 00:04:11,285 It wins over the museum. 84 00:04:11,385 --> 00:04:13,386 Now they have to build it. 85 00:04:14,788 --> 00:04:16,723 First, they'll need to prepare the site 86 00:04:16,790 --> 00:04:18,726 and figure out how to fit the foundations 87 00:04:18,826 --> 00:04:20,827 around its existing utilities. 88 00:04:25,933 --> 00:04:27,701 Then, they will have to come up with a way 89 00:04:27,801 --> 00:04:30,971 to support the complex structure while it's being built 90 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:34,308 and devise a way to sculpt the building's organic form, 91 00:04:34,441 --> 00:04:36,643 including creating an 80-foot-tall 92 00:04:36,743 --> 00:04:39,179 manmade canyon at its heart. 93 00:04:43,250 --> 00:04:45,652 Finally, they will need a finishing material 94 00:04:45,752 --> 00:04:47,054 that's both beautiful enough 95 00:04:47,154 --> 00:04:48,789 to reflect the natural rock formations 96 00:04:48,889 --> 00:04:50,624 that inspired the building 97 00:04:50,724 --> 00:04:53,427 and strong enough to support the hundreds of tons 98 00:04:53,527 --> 00:04:56,796 of solid granite cladding without collapsing. 99 00:05:00,367 --> 00:05:03,370 In June 2019, they're ready to break ground 100 00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:06,507 on the edge of Central Park. 101 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,175 The park is at street level. 102 00:05:08,275 --> 00:05:12,179 And we have to dig down about 40 feet, give or take, 103 00:05:12,312 --> 00:05:15,716 uh, to start putting in footings in the foundation wall. 104 00:05:15,816 --> 00:05:17,884 [Jay] Usually footings, or piles, 105 00:05:18,018 --> 00:05:19,953 are sunk at regular intervals 106 00:05:20,053 --> 00:05:23,124 so they spread the building's weight evenly. 107 00:05:23,224 --> 00:05:25,726 Here, that won't be possible, 108 00:05:25,826 --> 00:05:29,896 because the museum's vital gas, electricity, and water supplies 109 00:05:30,030 --> 00:05:32,199 run straight through the site. 110 00:05:32,299 --> 00:05:34,668 [Michelle] That created this kind of area 111 00:05:34,769 --> 00:05:37,304 where we could not put down structure. 112 00:05:37,404 --> 00:05:39,540 Normally it would just be a simple affair 113 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,043 of, like, bringing down a grid structure to the ground. 114 00:05:43,877 --> 00:05:45,212 But we couldn't do that. 115 00:05:45,346 --> 00:05:46,947 We only had one column here, and one column there, 116 00:05:47,047 --> 00:05:48,115 and one column there. 117 00:05:48,215 --> 00:05:50,684 It didn't make any sense. 118 00:05:50,784 --> 00:05:53,053 [Jay] But if they want this extraordinary new building 119 00:05:53,187 --> 00:05:54,555 to stay standing up, 120 00:05:54,655 --> 00:05:58,859 making sense of it is exactly what they need to do. 121 00:05:58,993 --> 00:06:01,595 There were very specific locations on the site 122 00:06:01,695 --> 00:06:03,530 where we could actually touch down 123 00:06:03,630 --> 00:06:06,133 and put our structure. 124 00:06:06,233 --> 00:06:07,701 And then we just designed everything above 125 00:06:07,801 --> 00:06:09,703 to make the forces transfer through this canyon 126 00:06:09,803 --> 00:06:13,773 in a way that made sense structurally. 127 00:06:13,873 --> 00:06:16,476 [Jay] Now they're ready to start building upwards. 128 00:06:21,782 --> 00:06:22,950 They start by pouring 129 00:06:23,084 --> 00:06:24,951 conventional concrete floor slabs, 130 00:06:25,085 --> 00:06:26,320 which are supported by columns 131 00:06:26,420 --> 00:06:28,521 around the outside of the building. 132 00:06:32,025 --> 00:06:33,727 Then, to create the walls, 133 00:06:33,828 --> 00:06:38,632 they use a type of steel called reinforcing bar, or rebar. 134 00:06:38,732 --> 00:06:41,468 It's an ordinary building material. 135 00:06:41,601 --> 00:06:44,638 But the way they use it will be extraordinary. 136 00:06:44,738 --> 00:06:47,741 Rebar is usually just a simple grid of steel, 137 00:06:47,875 --> 00:06:49,977 and then you pour the concrete around it. 138 00:06:50,077 --> 00:06:52,279 Here, though, they have to sculpt with it. 139 00:06:54,247 --> 00:06:56,917 We had this three-dimensional form, 140 00:06:57,017 --> 00:06:58,685 where the rebar needed to follow that shape 141 00:06:58,785 --> 00:07:02,455 in order to create the geometry of the canyon. 142 00:07:02,556 --> 00:07:05,125 That really was one of the big challenges of the project. 143 00:07:09,763 --> 00:07:11,865 [Jay] To create the cave-like interior walls, 144 00:07:11,998 --> 00:07:14,502 they first model the design in 3D 145 00:07:14,602 --> 00:07:17,671 before bending each individual piece of rebar 146 00:07:17,771 --> 00:07:19,506 precisely into shape. 147 00:07:21,342 --> 00:07:23,310 Luckily for the exterior façade, 148 00:07:23,410 --> 00:07:26,714 they can prefabricate big sections of rebar. 149 00:07:26,847 --> 00:07:28,448 But when it arrives on site, 150 00:07:28,549 --> 00:07:29,950 the team has the challenge of putting 151 00:07:30,050 --> 00:07:32,118 the three-dimensional puzzle together. 152 00:07:34,387 --> 00:07:38,091 The rebar cages were brought in from--in panels. 153 00:07:38,191 --> 00:07:40,060 And they each had a piece number. 154 00:07:40,194 --> 00:07:41,395 And they will be put into place 155 00:07:41,528 --> 00:07:43,797 and married with the superstructure of concrete. 156 00:07:46,133 --> 00:07:48,001 [Jay] To make life more complicated, 157 00:07:48,101 --> 00:07:50,871 this manmade cavern can't support its own weight 158 00:07:51,005 --> 00:07:53,540 until the building is complete. 159 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,041 The solution is a specially designed 160 00:07:55,175 --> 00:07:56,710 temporary support system 161 00:07:56,810 --> 00:07:58,879 built from steel beams and pillars. 162 00:08:00,013 --> 00:08:01,448 It was a very unique-showing design 163 00:08:01,581 --> 00:08:04,118 that I had never come across, 164 00:08:04,218 --> 00:08:07,855 both in my professional and academic career. 165 00:08:07,955 --> 00:08:10,423 [Jay] Pulling it off requires a lot of muscle. 166 00:08:12,059 --> 00:08:15,028 [Noori] They just had an army of guys going in, 167 00:08:15,128 --> 00:08:16,397 putting in the rebar, 168 00:08:16,497 --> 00:08:19,233 and then pouring the cast-in-place concrete slabs, 169 00:08:19,333 --> 00:08:21,268 and then moving on to the next floor. 170 00:08:23,603 --> 00:08:24,838 [Jay] After nine months, 171 00:08:24,904 --> 00:08:29,009 the super structure and the rebar are in position, 172 00:08:29,109 --> 00:08:32,579 and it's time for the biggest challenge yet. 173 00:08:34,915 --> 00:08:38,752 [Jay] Working out how to give the walls a cave-like finish. 174 00:08:40,454 --> 00:08:43,724 [Michelle] We looked at precast, at block, at glass block, 175 00:08:43,824 --> 00:08:47,361 at traditional cast-in-place concrete. 176 00:08:47,461 --> 00:08:50,597 We looked at...I think every way you could imagine, 177 00:08:50,698 --> 00:08:53,767 trying to build-- trying to build this. 178 00:08:54,701 --> 00:09:01,308 [music] 179 00:09:05,045 --> 00:09:07,080 [music] 180 00:09:07,214 --> 00:09:08,949 [Jay] In New York, 181 00:09:09,049 --> 00:09:10,918 the extraordinary cave-like design 182 00:09:11,051 --> 00:09:13,086 for the new extension of the American Museum 183 00:09:13,187 --> 00:09:14,288 of Natural History 184 00:09:14,388 --> 00:09:17,224 is proving difficult to pull off. 185 00:09:19,259 --> 00:09:20,594 To create its walls, 186 00:09:20,694 --> 00:09:22,596 the team considers using concrete 187 00:09:22,696 --> 00:09:24,665 poured into molds called formwork. 188 00:09:24,765 --> 00:09:27,267 But there's a problem. 189 00:09:27,401 --> 00:09:28,736 [Michelle] Every surface that you see 190 00:09:28,869 --> 00:09:32,473 would have required a bunch of custom forms 191 00:09:32,573 --> 00:09:34,041 for the entire interior of the canyon, 192 00:09:34,141 --> 00:09:36,910 which would have created a lot of waste in the formwork 193 00:09:37,010 --> 00:09:38,578 and a lot of cost, 194 00:09:38,678 --> 00:09:41,882 and didn't really give that more 195 00:09:41,982 --> 00:09:43,950 kind of natural hand finish. 196 00:09:45,385 --> 00:09:47,921 [Jay] The answer lies in an industrial product 197 00:09:48,022 --> 00:09:50,023 called Shotcrete. 198 00:09:50,090 --> 00:09:53,093 Shotcrete is one of the greatest inventions known to man, 199 00:09:53,193 --> 00:09:55,429 at least for people who work in this industry. 200 00:09:55,529 --> 00:09:57,598 It's a method of applying concrete 201 00:09:57,731 --> 00:09:59,967 projected at high velocity, 202 00:10:00,067 --> 00:10:03,804 usually onto vertical or overhead surfaces. 203 00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:06,740 [Jay] Widely used on the New York City subway system, 204 00:10:06,874 --> 00:10:09,543 Jeanne takes her team to investigate. 205 00:10:09,677 --> 00:10:11,978 [Jeanne] And once I saw them applying it, 206 00:10:12,079 --> 00:10:14,815 the way that the teams worked and how skilled they were 207 00:10:14,882 --> 00:10:17,384 at making beautiful vaults 208 00:10:17,518 --> 00:10:20,054 that no one will ever see under the ground, 209 00:10:20,154 --> 00:10:23,824 I thought that this is really a potential solution 210 00:10:23,924 --> 00:10:25,125 for our project. 211 00:10:26,793 --> 00:10:28,295 [Jay] COST of Wisconsin, 212 00:10:28,395 --> 00:10:32,066 one of the world's few experts in decorative Shotcrete, 213 00:10:32,166 --> 00:10:33,900 arrive on site. 214 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,571 They have unique and highly trained artisans 215 00:10:37,704 --> 00:10:39,806 that mostly do architectural concrete 216 00:10:39,906 --> 00:10:43,744 for theme parks and zoos. 217 00:10:43,844 --> 00:10:46,547 [Jay] Here, though, it not only has to look the part, 218 00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:50,016 but be strong enough to hold up the entire building. 219 00:10:50,117 --> 00:10:51,985 So if you have an eight-inch-thick wall, 220 00:10:52,086 --> 00:10:55,389 you might shoot that two or three times 221 00:10:55,489 --> 00:10:57,358 to get that full thickness. 222 00:10:57,458 --> 00:10:59,760 So you're spraying concrete overhead. 223 00:10:59,860 --> 00:11:01,462 You do that in multiple passes to make sure 224 00:11:01,595 --> 00:11:04,164 that you can actually apply that concrete 225 00:11:04,264 --> 00:11:07,467 without it, um, falling back down. 226 00:11:08,936 --> 00:11:10,937 [Noori] We had to tackle each day 227 00:11:11,037 --> 00:11:13,640 one day at a time, one zone at a time, 228 00:11:13,774 --> 00:11:15,309 one level at a time, 229 00:11:15,409 --> 00:11:17,211 to reach to the point where 230 00:11:17,277 --> 00:11:19,313 the building was self-supporting. 231 00:11:19,413 --> 00:11:23,384 [Jay] Each layer of Shotcrete takes 28 days to set. 232 00:11:23,484 --> 00:11:26,386 But at last, they're ready for the final coat-- 233 00:11:26,453 --> 00:11:29,490 one and a half inches of white concrete. 234 00:11:29,623 --> 00:11:31,492 We decided to go with this rough pass, 235 00:11:31,592 --> 00:11:33,961 which was--it's very beautiful with the light, 236 00:11:34,061 --> 00:11:38,499 but it's also good for the acoustic qualities inside. 237 00:11:38,632 --> 00:11:40,334 [Jay] Not only does it need to look beautiful 238 00:11:40,468 --> 00:11:42,870 and support the building's floors, 239 00:11:42,970 --> 00:11:45,171 on the outside, it also has to hold up 240 00:11:45,272 --> 00:11:47,107 huge stone panels. 241 00:11:47,241 --> 00:11:48,943 It's the same material that's used 242 00:11:49,043 --> 00:11:50,944 on the opposite side of the museum. 243 00:11:51,077 --> 00:11:54,447 We even used the same stone out of the same quarry. 244 00:11:55,549 --> 00:11:56,783 [Jay] Created off site, 245 00:11:56,917 --> 00:11:59,152 they now need to be craned into position 246 00:11:59,252 --> 00:12:02,056 and secured onto steel fixing pegs 247 00:12:02,156 --> 00:12:03,891 embedded in the Shotcrete. 248 00:12:03,991 --> 00:12:07,661 The Shotcrete wall on the façade had embeds 249 00:12:07,761 --> 00:12:11,998 that received the stone façade. 250 00:12:12,099 --> 00:12:15,035 [Jay] To achieve the seamless look the architects want, 251 00:12:15,135 --> 00:12:19,073 each of the embeds must be in exactly the right spot. 252 00:12:19,173 --> 00:12:21,008 I think there was some anticipation, 253 00:12:21,141 --> 00:12:24,945 um, some anxiety obviously. 254 00:12:25,045 --> 00:12:28,649 [Jay] As the panels are fixed into position... 255 00:12:28,749 --> 00:12:30,517 they line up perfectly. 256 00:12:32,853 --> 00:12:36,157 Inside and out, the Shotcreting is complete. 257 00:12:36,257 --> 00:12:39,627 [Noori] That was a huge milestone for everybody. 258 00:12:39,727 --> 00:12:43,797 We ended up using 3000 cubic yards, approximately, 259 00:12:43,897 --> 00:12:47,434 of both structural and architectural Shotcrete, 260 00:12:47,534 --> 00:12:52,039 which is a massive scale. 261 00:12:52,172 --> 00:12:56,309 [Jay] The engineers can finally remove all the shoring, 262 00:12:56,409 --> 00:12:59,579 and the exhibits can move into their new home. 263 00:13:02,883 --> 00:13:06,086 [music] 264 00:13:06,186 --> 00:13:09,690 [Jay] May 4, 2023, and the Richard Gilder Center 265 00:13:09,790 --> 00:13:12,093 for Science, Education, and Innovation 266 00:13:12,226 --> 00:13:14,494 is revealed to the world. 267 00:13:17,731 --> 00:13:21,401 The overall response to the building has been amazing. 268 00:13:22,135 --> 00:13:23,604 [Man] When I first walked in there and saw it, 269 00:13:23,737 --> 00:13:25,805 I was like, "It's, it's really cool." 270 00:13:27,107 --> 00:13:29,176 [Jay] The curved stone exterior 271 00:13:29,276 --> 00:13:32,613 draws you into the 80-feet-tall concrete canyon 272 00:13:32,747 --> 00:13:35,182 running right through the middle. 273 00:13:35,282 --> 00:13:36,349 [Jeanne] It's the central atrium. 274 00:13:36,450 --> 00:13:38,952 I think it's like giving a public space 275 00:13:39,053 --> 00:13:40,387 back to the museum, 276 00:13:40,487 --> 00:13:42,956 where people can just hang out 277 00:13:43,056 --> 00:13:44,825 and they can talk about what they saw. 278 00:13:44,925 --> 00:13:48,329 [music] 279 00:13:48,429 --> 00:13:52,299 [Jay] Holes in tunnels lead you into exhibition spaces 280 00:13:52,433 --> 00:13:55,235 that connect to the rest of the museum. 281 00:13:55,335 --> 00:13:57,504 [music] 282 00:13:57,605 --> 00:13:59,406 You should totally come to this museum. 283 00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:02,242 It's like a dream come true. 284 00:14:02,343 --> 00:14:04,010 [Jay] It's a breathtaking building 285 00:14:04,144 --> 00:14:06,146 made with groundbreaking methods 286 00:14:06,246 --> 00:14:10,350 that reimagines what a museum can be. 287 00:14:10,484 --> 00:14:13,020 Visitors not only come for the exhibits, 288 00:14:13,154 --> 00:14:16,524 but they come for the structure itself. 289 00:14:16,624 --> 00:14:20,493 This was the highlight of my career for sure. 290 00:14:22,662 --> 00:14:30,337 [music] 291 00:14:31,972 --> 00:14:35,275 This next fantastic and futuristic-looking building 292 00:14:35,376 --> 00:14:37,578 was one of the final projects overseen 293 00:14:37,644 --> 00:14:39,780 by the internationally celebrated architect 294 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:41,281 Zaha Hadid. 295 00:14:41,381 --> 00:14:44,652 The canopies of the vast roof are totally self-supporting 296 00:14:44,752 --> 00:14:47,487 and were inspired by the wings of migrating birds. 297 00:14:47,587 --> 00:14:51,025 You know, looking at it, it really wouldn't surprise me 298 00:14:51,125 --> 00:14:53,694 if this building could actually fly. 299 00:14:53,794 --> 00:14:55,730 Either way, in design terms, 300 00:14:55,830 --> 00:14:58,531 it definitely reaches spectacular new heights. 301 00:15:00,633 --> 00:15:05,105 Zhuhai City in Jinwan, southern China, is booming. 302 00:15:05,206 --> 00:15:06,974 In just 35 years, 303 00:15:07,074 --> 00:15:09,910 the population has gone from 180,000 304 00:15:10,044 --> 00:15:12,713 to around two million people. 305 00:15:12,846 --> 00:15:14,448 But despite Zhuhai's size, 306 00:15:14,548 --> 00:15:16,250 it was missing a cultural center. 307 00:15:16,383 --> 00:15:19,386 So, they decided to do something about it. 308 00:15:19,486 --> 00:15:22,322 It's like a visitor from another planet. 309 00:15:24,525 --> 00:15:26,426 [Jay] Built in the middle of a reservoir, 310 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,229 under a giant, wing-like canopy, 311 00:15:29,329 --> 00:15:33,834 are four buildings, including a theater and an opera house. 312 00:15:33,901 --> 00:15:37,437 But creating this most wonderful and unexpected of buildings 313 00:15:37,538 --> 00:15:39,740 was far from easy. 314 00:15:39,873 --> 00:15:44,377 Fluid and curved buildings always mean one thing--trouble. 315 00:15:45,445 --> 00:15:50,284 [Jay] This is Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Art Center. 316 00:15:50,384 --> 00:15:53,053 So, how did they build it? 317 00:15:56,390 --> 00:15:58,025 [Jay] It's 2016, 318 00:15:58,125 --> 00:16:00,160 and in Zhuhai, southern China, 319 00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:03,197 legendary architect Zaha Hadid's practice 320 00:16:03,297 --> 00:16:08,001 is signed up to design a new cultural hub for the city. 321 00:16:08,101 --> 00:16:11,838 Hadid previously designed the nearby Guangzhou Opera House. 322 00:16:11,972 --> 00:16:14,741 But this project is on another level. 323 00:16:16,277 --> 00:16:18,311 It will have four interconnected buildings 324 00:16:18,411 --> 00:16:21,047 and be completely surrounded by water. 325 00:16:23,150 --> 00:16:24,385 It's an artificial lake, 326 00:16:24,485 --> 00:16:26,119 and they wanted to have a signature building 327 00:16:26,219 --> 00:16:27,821 in the middle. 328 00:16:27,921 --> 00:16:29,323 [Jay] The boggy, waterlogged site 329 00:16:29,456 --> 00:16:32,459 will be transformed into a beautiful manmade lake. 330 00:16:32,559 --> 00:16:35,663 But, this will be more than a pretty backdrop. 331 00:16:35,796 --> 00:16:39,033 It's part of a solution to a modern city problem. 332 00:16:39,166 --> 00:16:41,034 China's rapid urbanization has meant 333 00:16:41,134 --> 00:16:44,170 too many hard surfaces with not enough drainage. 334 00:16:44,271 --> 00:16:46,073 That means flooding. 335 00:16:46,139 --> 00:16:48,308 [Jay] In 2012, a flood in Beijing 336 00:16:48,442 --> 00:16:52,546 caused huge damage and killed 79 people. 337 00:16:52,646 --> 00:16:55,549 It resulted in the Sponge City Initiative. 338 00:16:55,649 --> 00:16:58,586 Sponge City's a general approach 339 00:16:58,686 --> 00:17:02,389 to how to mitigate flood water. 340 00:17:02,490 --> 00:17:04,224 This whole district is a Sponge City 341 00:17:04,357 --> 00:17:06,727 in the way that they create areas 342 00:17:06,861 --> 00:17:08,929 where water can be stored. 343 00:17:09,029 --> 00:17:11,364 So the lake is part of storing water. 344 00:17:11,464 --> 00:17:14,100 These lakes and green spaces also make the cities 345 00:17:14,234 --> 00:17:15,536 better places to live. 346 00:17:15,669 --> 00:17:18,805 This is a really holistic approach to urban planning. 347 00:17:20,908 --> 00:17:22,409 [Jay] In the middle of this lake 348 00:17:22,542 --> 00:17:26,713 will be one of Zaha Hadid's most ambitious projects-- 349 00:17:26,813 --> 00:17:28,115 four cultural buildings 350 00:17:28,215 --> 00:17:31,785 united under a giant flying roof. 351 00:17:31,885 --> 00:17:33,887 To make the bold design a reality, 352 00:17:34,020 --> 00:17:36,223 they will need to find a way to support the structure 353 00:17:36,323 --> 00:17:39,559 on unpromising, damp, and silty soil. 354 00:17:40,961 --> 00:17:44,097 Creating foundations strong enough to handle its weight. 355 00:17:45,365 --> 00:17:47,601 Around the complex, they'll need to figure out how to contain 356 00:17:47,701 --> 00:17:51,505 hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. 357 00:17:51,605 --> 00:17:54,408 Then orchestrate the simultaneous construction 358 00:17:54,541 --> 00:17:58,812 of a theater, opera house, museum, and science center. 359 00:17:59,813 --> 00:18:02,315 Finally, they'll have to find a way to engineer 360 00:18:02,416 --> 00:18:03,784 the enormous roof, 361 00:18:03,884 --> 00:18:06,687 which needs to look lightweight and birdlike, 362 00:18:06,787 --> 00:18:10,156 yet be strong enough to withstand typhoons. 363 00:18:11,959 --> 00:18:15,495 Tragically, at age 65, Hadid dies 364 00:18:15,629 --> 00:18:17,398 before the project gets started. 365 00:18:17,498 --> 00:18:20,066 But the team is determined to honor her. 366 00:18:20,801 --> 00:18:25,572 [speaking Mandarin] 367 00:18:29,709 --> 00:18:30,978 [Jay] Two years later, 368 00:18:31,111 --> 00:18:33,513 Hadid's initial designs have been fleshed out, 369 00:18:33,613 --> 00:18:35,949 and work is ready to begin. 370 00:18:36,083 --> 00:18:39,352 But the waterlogged site is a big problem. 371 00:18:39,453 --> 00:18:42,322 [speaking Mandarin] 372 00:18:43,423 --> 00:18:44,958 [Jay] The boggy ground isn't strong enough 373 00:18:45,058 --> 00:18:46,293 to support the weight of 374 00:18:46,393 --> 00:18:48,261 the one million-square-foot building, 375 00:18:48,361 --> 00:18:51,832 so it'll need to sit on hundreds of steel piles 376 00:18:51,932 --> 00:18:53,833 sunk deep into the ground. 377 00:18:53,934 --> 00:18:56,469 [speaking Mandarin] 378 00:19:00,074 --> 00:19:01,942 A hundred and fifty feet is right at the limit 379 00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:04,045 of how deep these piles can go. 380 00:19:04,178 --> 00:19:06,380 This is about the same depth as the piles 381 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,315 used to support the One World Trade Center 382 00:19:08,415 --> 00:19:10,150 and the Burj Khalifa, 383 00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:13,053 which gives you an idea of how bad the ground is. 384 00:19:14,287 --> 00:19:16,556 [Jay] Digging that deep would be challenging anywhere. 385 00:19:16,690 --> 00:19:18,658 But the ground is so soft here 386 00:19:18,758 --> 00:19:21,561 that sinking the piles is fraught with danger. 387 00:19:21,662 --> 00:19:24,264 [speaking Mandarin] 388 00:19:27,868 --> 00:19:29,503 [Jay] The risk is that the heavy machinery 389 00:19:29,636 --> 00:19:34,141 could sink into the soggy soil, damaging the piles. 390 00:19:34,241 --> 00:19:35,742 It's a tense few months, 391 00:19:35,842 --> 00:19:38,045 but thankfully, the piles survive. 392 00:19:39,213 --> 00:19:43,049 And in 2019, the team is ready to start pouring concrete. 393 00:19:46,653 --> 00:19:49,857 First, they have to create an enormous concrete slab 394 00:19:49,957 --> 00:19:52,326 that contains foundations for all four buildings 395 00:19:52,426 --> 00:19:54,327 and the basement levels. 396 00:19:56,696 --> 00:19:58,832 But that's not the end of the concrete work. 397 00:19:58,932 --> 00:20:00,701 [Mei-Ling] Then, after basement, they will start 398 00:20:00,801 --> 00:20:04,037 pouring the concrete for the floor of the reservoir. 399 00:20:04,871 --> 00:20:06,340 [Jay] The huge base of the reservoir 400 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:07,975 is leveled with concrete, 401 00:20:08,075 --> 00:20:10,010 and its borders are marked out. 402 00:20:11,445 --> 00:20:15,015 When filled, it will help Zhuhai store and reuse 403 00:20:15,115 --> 00:20:17,884 70% of its rainwater. 404 00:20:18,018 --> 00:20:19,719 Before that, the team needs to build 405 00:20:19,819 --> 00:20:21,722 the center's superstructure. 406 00:20:21,855 --> 00:20:23,523 [Lydia] So we have four buildings. 407 00:20:23,623 --> 00:20:25,693 One is the museum. One is the arts center. 408 00:20:25,793 --> 00:20:29,462 Then the black box theater and the opera building. 409 00:20:31,064 --> 00:20:32,265 [Jay] The four buildings are all made 410 00:20:32,365 --> 00:20:34,701 out of reinforced concrete. 411 00:20:34,835 --> 00:20:36,870 And all four are built simultaneously 412 00:20:37,003 --> 00:20:38,873 by huge teams on the ground. 413 00:20:38,973 --> 00:20:40,540 Chinese construction starts before 414 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,676 you actually have dropped a pen. 415 00:20:42,776 --> 00:20:45,312 You have so much manpower. 416 00:20:45,412 --> 00:20:46,681 So it's incredible what they can do, 417 00:20:46,781 --> 00:20:48,381 actually, in a short time. 418 00:20:48,515 --> 00:20:49,850 [Jay] As the buildings go up, 419 00:20:49,983 --> 00:20:52,786 they're linked by a series of bridges and walkways. 420 00:20:52,886 --> 00:20:56,657 Each of the lobbies are facing the inside plaza space. 421 00:20:56,757 --> 00:21:01,962 And that connects the four buildings actually together. 422 00:21:02,062 --> 00:21:04,899 [Jay] The construction crews make sure work of the structure. 423 00:21:04,999 --> 00:21:07,868 But the next stage threatens to slow the pace. 424 00:21:11,237 --> 00:21:15,142 Zaha Hadid designs are famous for how complex they are. 425 00:21:15,242 --> 00:21:16,610 They create curves that flow out of 426 00:21:16,710 --> 00:21:19,513 the most unlikely materials. 427 00:21:19,613 --> 00:21:22,283 [Jay] Here, they've chosen concrete panels, 428 00:21:22,416 --> 00:21:23,884 but there's a problem. 429 00:21:23,984 --> 00:21:26,219 If they make them out of standard concrete, 430 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,891 each piece will be very heavy, limiting the panel's size. 431 00:21:30,991 --> 00:21:34,895 The biggest size maybe is 1.5 by 2 meter. 432 00:21:34,961 --> 00:21:38,332 [Jay] Covering the building in small panels will take too long. 433 00:21:38,432 --> 00:21:41,335 So the team turns to a wonder material-- 434 00:21:41,435 --> 00:21:44,871 UHPC, or Ultra High Performance Concrete, 435 00:21:44,938 --> 00:21:48,142 which is 10 times stronger than the regular stuff. 436 00:21:48,242 --> 00:21:50,878 Ultra high performance concrete is so strong 437 00:21:50,978 --> 00:21:52,946 because at the molecular level, 438 00:21:53,046 --> 00:21:55,483 there's minimal gaps between the particles. 439 00:21:55,583 --> 00:21:59,786 It's got an incredibly dense microstructure. 440 00:21:59,886 --> 00:22:02,256 [Jay] It's so strong, that they can prefabricate 441 00:22:02,356 --> 00:22:06,026 large 13-square-foot lightweight panels. 442 00:22:06,126 --> 00:22:09,396 And that means they can cover the building quickly. 443 00:22:11,331 --> 00:22:14,501 The installation of 4 by 4 meters panel 444 00:22:14,635 --> 00:22:16,103 is much faster. 445 00:22:16,203 --> 00:22:18,705 The speed of construction, it's, uh, double. 446 00:22:20,975 --> 00:22:22,209 [Jay] Over the next year, 447 00:22:22,342 --> 00:22:25,646 the distinctive Zaha Hadid style begins to emerge 448 00:22:25,746 --> 00:22:29,182 as the buildings grow and are covered. 449 00:22:29,283 --> 00:22:34,621 But now the team faces an even more daunting challenge-- 450 00:22:34,722 --> 00:22:39,293 bringing to life Zaha Hadid's 880-foot-long canopy roof, 451 00:22:39,393 --> 00:22:42,462 which will sit over the entire center. 452 00:22:42,562 --> 00:22:45,866 We want really the roof to feel like it's flying, 453 00:22:45,966 --> 00:22:49,670 because there's a lot of water areas in Zhuhai. 454 00:22:49,803 --> 00:22:52,706 It's always this migrating-- this flock of birds. 455 00:22:52,806 --> 00:22:55,576 And when we started looking at how can we make 456 00:22:55,676 --> 00:22:58,712 a very light roof structure, 457 00:22:58,812 --> 00:23:02,416 some of these shapes resembled this flock of birds. 458 00:23:02,549 --> 00:23:05,285 [Jay] This ambitious idea ruffles feathers 459 00:23:05,419 --> 00:23:06,953 among the engineers. 460 00:23:07,054 --> 00:23:10,924 [speaking Mandarin] 461 00:23:18,398 --> 00:23:21,468 How do you build a roof that looks like it's flying, 462 00:23:21,568 --> 00:23:24,638 but is actually firmly rooted in place? 463 00:23:26,373 --> 00:23:33,413 [music] 464 00:23:38,686 --> 00:23:40,687 [Jay] In the city of Zhuhai, China, 465 00:23:40,821 --> 00:23:42,322 architects have designed a beautiful 466 00:23:42,456 --> 00:23:45,859 880-foot-long roof for a new arts center 467 00:23:45,959 --> 00:23:48,695 that looks like a bird in flight. 468 00:23:48,828 --> 00:23:51,599 Now the team needs to find a way to support it 469 00:23:51,699 --> 00:23:54,601 with as few columns as possible. 470 00:23:54,701 --> 00:23:56,837 This was really a collaboration with the engineers. 471 00:23:56,970 --> 00:23:58,706 What can we actually do there? 472 00:23:58,806 --> 00:24:00,307 And what's gonna hold it up? 473 00:24:00,407 --> 00:24:03,310 And what can we accept how it looks in the inside? 474 00:24:03,410 --> 00:24:04,745 [Jay] The solution they come up with 475 00:24:04,879 --> 00:24:07,247 is something called tree columns. 476 00:24:07,381 --> 00:24:08,715 [Corina] You have one vertical column 477 00:24:08,848 --> 00:24:10,717 that joins together a number of supports at the top, 478 00:24:10,851 --> 00:24:12,253 like branches. 479 00:24:12,386 --> 00:24:15,088 It's very strong and doesn't take up much room on the ground. 480 00:24:16,724 --> 00:24:18,359 [Jay] This ingenious solution 481 00:24:18,459 --> 00:24:20,794 means they can support the entire roof 482 00:24:20,894 --> 00:24:23,997 on 22 of these tree columns. 483 00:24:24,098 --> 00:24:26,266 But to achieve the Zaha Hadid look, 484 00:24:26,366 --> 00:24:29,369 they will all need to be clad in aluminum. 485 00:24:29,469 --> 00:24:32,205 [Mei-Ling] The most difficult part of the project 486 00:24:32,339 --> 00:24:36,677 is to manage the cladding of the tree columns 487 00:24:36,777 --> 00:24:41,148 because there are a lot of doubly curved geometry. 488 00:24:41,248 --> 00:24:43,283 [Jay] To reduce the risk of problems on site 489 00:24:43,383 --> 00:24:45,586 and avoid slowing down the build, 490 00:24:45,686 --> 00:24:48,722 they create and test assemble the aluminum cladding 491 00:24:48,822 --> 00:24:50,490 in a factory. 492 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:52,392 It goes without a hitch. 493 00:24:55,930 --> 00:25:00,500 The final challenge is to design and build the roof itself. 494 00:25:01,736 --> 00:25:04,905 The architects want it to look lightweight and elegant, 495 00:25:05,005 --> 00:25:07,774 but it needs to be strong too, 496 00:25:07,874 --> 00:25:10,410 because this part of China is prone to typhoons, 497 00:25:10,510 --> 00:25:14,982 which can cause winds of over 150 miles per hour. 498 00:25:15,082 --> 00:25:17,451 The solution starts with a clever frame 499 00:25:17,551 --> 00:25:19,552 known as a grid shell. 500 00:25:19,653 --> 00:25:20,988 [Lydia] The grid shell allows you to 501 00:25:21,121 --> 00:25:24,257 only use the thick members where you need them 502 00:25:24,358 --> 00:25:26,893 and minimize where you don't need them. 503 00:25:26,993 --> 00:25:29,730 [Jay] Its latticed shape makes it super strong, 504 00:25:29,830 --> 00:25:31,331 yet delicate-looking. 505 00:25:31,431 --> 00:25:33,667 Now they need to fill in the gaps. 506 00:25:33,801 --> 00:25:35,836 Glass could shatter during typhoons. 507 00:25:35,936 --> 00:25:38,071 The team needs to think outside the box. 508 00:25:41,942 --> 00:25:44,411 They decide on specially made aluminum panels 509 00:25:44,512 --> 00:25:46,646 that are perforated with tiny holes. 510 00:25:48,649 --> 00:25:50,984 These allow the wind to blow through the roof, 511 00:25:51,118 --> 00:25:52,986 reducing the pressure on the surface. 512 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:56,056 But that's not their only benefit. 513 00:25:56,123 --> 00:25:58,658 [Mei-Ling] The perforation is across the whole roof 514 00:25:58,758 --> 00:26:02,729 to create a transparent look. 515 00:26:02,829 --> 00:26:04,398 [Jay] As well as letting in light, 516 00:26:04,531 --> 00:26:08,935 the panels also offer much needed shade in the summer. 517 00:26:09,035 --> 00:26:12,439 The roof plays a big role in keeping the sun out, 518 00:26:12,539 --> 00:26:13,474 keeping shading, 519 00:26:13,540 --> 00:26:15,175 keeping natural ventilation going 520 00:26:15,275 --> 00:26:18,178 in between the buildings. 521 00:26:18,278 --> 00:26:22,616 [Jay] It takes 12,500 of them to cover the whole structure. 522 00:26:22,716 --> 00:26:25,219 The roof is also designed to harvest rainwater 523 00:26:25,352 --> 00:26:28,789 through drain pipes hidden in the columns. 524 00:26:28,889 --> 00:26:32,026 [Mei-Ling] There is a big ton in the basement. 525 00:26:32,126 --> 00:26:35,695 The water will be then recycled for irrigation. 526 00:26:36,830 --> 00:26:39,199 [Jay] While work is happening on the roof, 527 00:26:39,299 --> 00:26:42,235 the team constructs the inside spaces. 528 00:26:44,038 --> 00:26:46,340 All that is left is to clear the site 529 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,342 and allow the reservoir to fill. 530 00:26:49,442 --> 00:26:52,179 [music] 531 00:26:52,279 --> 00:26:54,348 [Jay] It's November 2023, 532 00:26:54,481 --> 00:26:58,118 and the Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Center is complete, 533 00:26:58,218 --> 00:27:02,055 its wings unfurled like a giant bird. 534 00:27:02,122 --> 00:27:06,260 Zaha Hadid's designs are always incredible to look at. 535 00:27:06,393 --> 00:27:09,129 This one's a showstopper. 536 00:27:09,262 --> 00:27:10,530 [Lydia] Just think about the span, 537 00:27:10,630 --> 00:27:12,265 how long this roof is. 538 00:27:12,365 --> 00:27:15,903 I think that's, that's kind of incredible. 539 00:27:16,003 --> 00:27:17,404 [Jay] It's made even more impressive 540 00:27:17,504 --> 00:27:20,241 by how quickly they turned it around. 541 00:27:20,374 --> 00:27:24,177 Normally we would build 10,000-square-meter building 542 00:27:24,277 --> 00:27:25,913 in six years. 543 00:27:26,013 --> 00:27:28,115 In China, for the performing arts center, 544 00:27:28,215 --> 00:27:30,284 we have 100,000 square meter. 545 00:27:30,384 --> 00:27:32,920 It was built in three years. 546 00:27:33,053 --> 00:27:36,056 [Jay] Four buildings are joined under this roof, 547 00:27:36,157 --> 00:27:39,793 linked by walkways and open spaces with minimal columns 548 00:27:39,894 --> 00:27:42,462 to interrupt them. 549 00:27:42,596 --> 00:27:44,264 [Lydia] Our indoor space is amazing. 550 00:27:44,397 --> 00:27:47,768 It's one the first things I saw when I went to see the venue. 551 00:27:47,868 --> 00:27:49,570 It's like everyone sits on the steps. 552 00:27:49,703 --> 00:27:51,505 There was an event happening in the middle 553 00:27:51,605 --> 00:27:53,006 with music or something. 554 00:27:53,073 --> 00:27:55,576 And it was completely populated with people. 555 00:27:55,676 --> 00:27:57,010 It was fantastic. 556 00:27:57,944 --> 00:28:00,014 [Jay] The artificial lake is now joined 557 00:28:00,114 --> 00:28:02,749 to the Sponge City Initiative, 558 00:28:02,849 --> 00:28:06,186 helping to reduce flooding across the region 559 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,256 and providing the perfect framing 560 00:28:09,356 --> 00:28:10,891 for the building itself. 561 00:28:10,991 --> 00:28:13,927 Now you see it looks like a flock of birds 562 00:28:14,027 --> 00:28:16,863 floating above the water. 563 00:28:16,997 --> 00:28:18,832 [Lydia] I think it's amazing. 564 00:28:18,933 --> 00:28:21,602 To do a culture building, you don't get a chance so much. 565 00:28:21,702 --> 00:28:23,169 So to actually manage to do this 566 00:28:23,270 --> 00:28:24,571 and I get it built? 567 00:28:24,671 --> 00:28:26,173 It's amazing. 568 00:28:26,273 --> 00:28:32,646 [music] 569 00:28:33,613 --> 00:28:41,488 [music] 570 00:28:42,990 --> 00:28:44,425 Boston University is a place 571 00:28:44,525 --> 00:28:47,027 where all kinds of difficult engineering 572 00:28:47,127 --> 00:28:50,831 and scientific problems are posed and solved every day. 573 00:28:50,931 --> 00:28:52,499 So it's probably no surprise 574 00:28:52,633 --> 00:28:54,668 that when they wanted to build a brand-new center 575 00:28:54,768 --> 00:28:56,670 for computing and data sciences, 576 00:28:56,803 --> 00:28:58,472 the design they chose looked more like 577 00:28:58,605 --> 00:29:03,244 a complex, brain-busting puzzle than a regular campus building. 578 00:29:03,377 --> 00:29:06,213 If the question is, what's the wildest-looking 579 00:29:06,346 --> 00:29:08,248 college building in America, 580 00:29:08,382 --> 00:29:10,116 then here is the answer. 581 00:29:12,420 --> 00:29:16,856 Boston University's Center for Computing and Data Sciences. 582 00:29:17,991 --> 00:29:20,927 This is like someone's playing a giant game of Jenga. 583 00:29:22,229 --> 00:29:25,866 [Jay] A mind-bending structure that changed the city's skyline. 584 00:29:25,966 --> 00:29:27,501 [Frank] We knew this was a one-of-a-kind building 585 00:29:27,601 --> 00:29:28,802 for the city of Boston. 586 00:29:28,902 --> 00:29:30,437 Nothing like it. 587 00:29:30,537 --> 00:29:32,439 [Jay] Its gravity-defying shape created 588 00:29:32,539 --> 00:29:35,375 huge engineering headaches. 589 00:29:35,475 --> 00:29:38,646 How do we solve that problem? How do we do it simply? 590 00:29:38,712 --> 00:29:41,381 Getting this building built was a challenge. 591 00:29:41,482 --> 00:29:45,385 [Jay] It's the city's largest fossil fuel-free building. 592 00:29:45,485 --> 00:29:47,254 It's great for the university. It's great for the city. 593 00:29:47,354 --> 00:29:48,222 And it's great for the environment. 594 00:29:48,322 --> 00:29:49,557 So we were all in. 595 00:29:49,657 --> 00:29:51,925 [Jay] Loved by those it was created for. 596 00:29:52,025 --> 00:29:55,095 Definitely feels very special to be here. 597 00:29:55,229 --> 00:29:57,797 [Jay] So, how did they build it? 598 00:29:59,399 --> 00:30:03,203 It's 2012 in Massachusetts. 599 00:30:03,303 --> 00:30:05,539 With the tech sector booming worldwide, 600 00:30:05,639 --> 00:30:07,742 Boston University's computer science, 601 00:30:07,842 --> 00:30:10,677 and mathematics, and statistics departments 602 00:30:10,744 --> 00:30:12,579 are thriving. 603 00:30:12,679 --> 00:30:15,916 But their buildings are scattered across the campus. 604 00:30:16,017 --> 00:30:17,051 There was no center. 605 00:30:17,151 --> 00:30:20,887 There was no way to easily collaborate. 606 00:30:20,988 --> 00:30:23,824 [Jay] They decide to create a single brand-new building 607 00:30:23,924 --> 00:30:26,260 that will both bring everyone together 608 00:30:26,393 --> 00:30:29,396 and make the university stand out in a crowd. 609 00:30:29,497 --> 00:30:32,232 We are going to have to figure out a way to build a building 610 00:30:32,333 --> 00:30:36,336 that will sort of put computer and data sciences at the center, 611 00:30:36,436 --> 00:30:38,472 as it should be. 612 00:30:38,572 --> 00:30:40,241 It needed to be iconic 613 00:30:40,341 --> 00:30:43,109 because of the statement it makes. 614 00:30:45,446 --> 00:30:48,182 [Jay] Toronto-based architects KPMB 615 00:30:48,282 --> 00:30:51,052 are tasked with fulfilling the brief. 616 00:30:51,152 --> 00:30:54,821 The concept we presented was a vertical canvas 617 00:30:54,921 --> 00:30:56,890 of stacked neighborhoods. 618 00:30:57,023 --> 00:31:01,194 So each neighborhood could be identified as one department. 619 00:31:02,529 --> 00:31:03,897 [Jay] To add to the challenge, 620 00:31:03,964 --> 00:31:08,802 the university wants to be carbon neutral by 2040. 621 00:31:08,902 --> 00:31:11,438 The architects need to make sure the new computing center 622 00:31:11,572 --> 00:31:13,207 plays its part. 623 00:31:13,273 --> 00:31:15,308 They were asked to do a fossil fuel-free, 624 00:31:15,442 --> 00:31:17,477 carbon neutral building. 625 00:31:17,577 --> 00:31:22,616 That is a bold, bold request. 626 00:31:22,716 --> 00:31:24,718 [Jay] It's a tough ask. 627 00:31:24,818 --> 00:31:26,653 The way buildings have traditionally been made 628 00:31:26,753 --> 00:31:31,324 means they account for almost 40% of global carbon emissions. 629 00:31:31,458 --> 00:31:32,793 First you've got to build them. 630 00:31:32,893 --> 00:31:35,495 And then loads of energy goes into producing 631 00:31:35,629 --> 00:31:37,965 and transporting the materials you need. 632 00:31:38,065 --> 00:31:39,399 And once built, 633 00:31:39,466 --> 00:31:43,103 they use fossil fuels to cool, heat, and provide power. 634 00:31:43,236 --> 00:31:45,472 [music] 635 00:31:45,572 --> 00:31:47,874 [Jay] This bold Jenga tower of a building 636 00:31:47,975 --> 00:31:50,311 will have to tackle both problems, 637 00:31:50,444 --> 00:31:53,480 starting with finding a way of heating and cooling it 638 00:31:53,614 --> 00:31:56,116 by using the ground underneath. 639 00:31:56,216 --> 00:31:58,619 But it's going to be built on clay, 640 00:31:58,752 --> 00:32:00,787 so they have to find a way of creating 641 00:32:00,887 --> 00:32:02,556 super strong foundations 642 00:32:02,689 --> 00:32:05,393 while using as little concrete as possible, 643 00:32:05,493 --> 00:32:08,028 because making and transporting concrete 644 00:32:08,128 --> 00:32:10,196 produces a lot of CO2. 645 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,702 They then have to work out how to create 646 00:32:14,835 --> 00:32:17,004 the huge overhanging floors 647 00:32:17,137 --> 00:32:20,841 and make sure the 19-story teetering pile of blocks 648 00:32:20,975 --> 00:32:22,242 won't fall down. 649 00:32:23,977 --> 00:32:26,480 Traditional glass isn't good at holding in the heat 650 00:32:26,580 --> 00:32:29,383 in the winter or keeping it out in the summer, 651 00:32:29,516 --> 00:32:32,953 but they need to find a way of creating a glass façade 652 00:32:33,053 --> 00:32:35,889 that does both of those things. 653 00:32:35,989 --> 00:32:39,893 All of this has to happen before the start of the spring semester 654 00:32:40,027 --> 00:32:41,695 in four years' time. 655 00:32:43,664 --> 00:32:46,867 A site is found on a former parking lot. 656 00:32:47,001 --> 00:32:49,536 But before they can begin construction, 657 00:32:49,670 --> 00:32:52,005 there's an important job to do-- 658 00:32:52,105 --> 00:32:53,840 laying the groundwork for one of the building's 659 00:32:53,940 --> 00:32:56,443 most unusual features. 660 00:32:56,543 --> 00:32:58,612 The earth has a constant temperature 661 00:32:58,712 --> 00:33:00,947 of around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, 662 00:33:01,081 --> 00:33:03,284 and the big idea is to use this 663 00:33:03,417 --> 00:33:06,219 to heat and cool the new building. 664 00:33:06,319 --> 00:33:09,623 Underneath, they plan to lay a network of pipes. 665 00:33:09,723 --> 00:33:13,126 A ground source heat pump will then circulate water. 666 00:33:13,226 --> 00:33:14,961 In the summer, the heat pump uses 667 00:33:15,095 --> 00:33:17,297 the earth's constant 55 degrees 668 00:33:17,430 --> 00:33:19,700 to bring temperatures in the building down, 669 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,336 in the winter, to heat them up. 670 00:33:22,436 --> 00:33:27,508 But there's 350,000 square feet of building to heat or cool, 671 00:33:27,608 --> 00:33:30,878 which means drilling very deep. 672 00:33:30,978 --> 00:33:34,447 Typically we see geothermal wells in the... 673 00:33:34,581 --> 00:33:36,950 400 to 800-foot range. 674 00:33:37,084 --> 00:33:40,454 These wells were 1500 feet deep. 675 00:33:40,554 --> 00:33:43,957 Going 1500 feet is really a big ask. 676 00:33:44,090 --> 00:33:47,627 At just 200 feet, you're already getting resistance 677 00:33:47,727 --> 00:33:49,463 as you're going through bedrock. 678 00:33:49,563 --> 00:33:51,898 So the whole process is a tough ride. 679 00:33:53,266 --> 00:33:56,603 [Jay] In January 2019, work begins. 680 00:33:56,737 --> 00:33:58,939 There are 31 boreholes to drill, 681 00:33:59,073 --> 00:34:02,343 and they're all very close together. 682 00:34:02,443 --> 00:34:05,345 [Paulo] Our site is very constrained as an urban site, 683 00:34:05,445 --> 00:34:08,215 so there's not a lot of room. 684 00:34:08,315 --> 00:34:11,618 [Jay] Having to drill a lot of very deep holes close together 685 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,389 dramatically increases the risk of something going wrong. 686 00:34:15,489 --> 00:34:18,592 These wells could theoretically collide with each other 687 00:34:18,692 --> 00:34:20,694 as they're being drilled to depth. 688 00:34:20,827 --> 00:34:25,032 [Jay] Each costs around $250,000 to install. 689 00:34:25,166 --> 00:34:27,701 So a mistake could be catastrophic. 690 00:34:28,902 --> 00:34:30,304 As digging progresses, 691 00:34:30,404 --> 00:34:32,373 the team carefully monitors the progress 692 00:34:32,473 --> 00:34:35,109 to make sure the boreholes stay straight. 693 00:34:35,209 --> 00:34:37,878 The deeper you go, the more the borehole 694 00:34:37,978 --> 00:34:42,482 wants to deviate from perfectly vertical. 695 00:34:42,582 --> 00:34:46,153 [Jay] It takes almost a year of painstaking work. 696 00:34:46,253 --> 00:34:49,956 But at last, the drilling is complete. 697 00:34:50,057 --> 00:34:52,592 [John] They did a terrific job controlling the deviation. 698 00:34:52,692 --> 00:34:54,461 It really went remarkably well 699 00:34:54,527 --> 00:34:56,863 considering the amount of footage we've put in the ground. 700 00:34:58,398 --> 00:35:00,033 [Jay] In summer 2020, 701 00:35:00,133 --> 00:35:02,403 they are ready to start work on the foundations 702 00:35:02,503 --> 00:35:05,105 for the 19-story building. 703 00:35:05,205 --> 00:35:07,107 The soil here is going to make that 704 00:35:07,241 --> 00:35:09,943 anything but straightforward. 705 00:35:10,043 --> 00:35:14,814 A sand and clay foundation is a nightmare to build on. 706 00:35:14,914 --> 00:35:18,052 They're not ideal for supporting such heavy loads. 707 00:35:18,152 --> 00:35:21,655 Combating this requires some advanced engineering. 708 00:35:21,755 --> 00:35:28,495 [music] 709 00:35:34,001 --> 00:35:35,469 [Jay] The team building the bold new 710 00:35:35,602 --> 00:35:38,805 Computer and Data Sciences Center for Boston University 711 00:35:38,939 --> 00:35:40,740 needs to find a way to support it 712 00:35:40,841 --> 00:35:44,010 on the unstable sand-and-clay soil. 713 00:35:46,013 --> 00:35:48,048 One option would be to dig down 714 00:35:48,148 --> 00:35:49,883 and build underground supporting walls 715 00:35:49,983 --> 00:35:52,486 resting on the bedrock. 716 00:35:52,620 --> 00:35:54,187 But with the nearest layer of rock 717 00:35:54,287 --> 00:35:56,457 200 feet below the surface, 718 00:35:56,557 --> 00:35:58,492 it would be a huge undertaking, 719 00:35:58,626 --> 00:36:02,063 adding $5 million to the build. 720 00:36:02,163 --> 00:36:05,166 So the team takes a different approach. 721 00:36:05,266 --> 00:36:07,367 We did it with what we call floating the building, 722 00:36:07,501 --> 00:36:08,835 so a raft foundation. 723 00:36:10,971 --> 00:36:12,105 That means digging a big hole 724 00:36:12,206 --> 00:36:14,541 across the entire area of the building 725 00:36:14,641 --> 00:36:17,043 and then filling it in with reinforced concrete. 726 00:36:18,378 --> 00:36:20,447 [Nathan] We're floating the building on the clay 727 00:36:20,547 --> 00:36:21,448 that's below grade. 728 00:36:21,515 --> 00:36:23,684 So that clay is really soft 729 00:36:23,817 --> 00:36:27,188 and it also will slowly compress if you add more weight to it. 730 00:36:27,288 --> 00:36:28,155 So the goal is, 731 00:36:28,255 --> 00:36:29,556 how do we get the clay to not know 732 00:36:29,689 --> 00:36:31,291 there's a building on top of it? 733 00:36:31,391 --> 00:36:33,961 For a raft foundation, success or failure 734 00:36:34,061 --> 00:36:37,064 depends on a very clever trick. 735 00:36:37,164 --> 00:36:38,398 [Nathan] And the way that works is 736 00:36:38,532 --> 00:36:40,300 the amount of soil you take out 737 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,204 should equal the weight of the building. 738 00:36:44,337 --> 00:36:46,306 [Jay] If the team gets the calculation wrong, 739 00:36:46,407 --> 00:36:48,842 the soil underneath could compress, 740 00:36:48,942 --> 00:36:51,879 the building sink, and even collapse. 741 00:36:51,979 --> 00:36:54,181 [Nathan] If you think of it as an analogy, 742 00:36:54,281 --> 00:36:56,850 Indiana Jones, uh, Raiders of the Lost Ark, 743 00:36:56,983 --> 00:36:59,887 where Indy takes that idol, moves it off, 744 00:36:59,987 --> 00:37:02,422 and replaces it with sand of the equivalent weight 745 00:37:02,522 --> 00:37:04,558 so that Belloq doesn't feel the difference. 746 00:37:06,794 --> 00:37:08,461 [Jay] In November 2020, 747 00:37:08,595 --> 00:37:11,965 the hole is dug and ready for the slab to be poured. 748 00:37:12,065 --> 00:37:14,368 But there's another problem. 749 00:37:14,468 --> 00:37:17,003 Making traditional concrete is not very green. 750 00:37:17,104 --> 00:37:19,506 And this building is trying to keep its carbon footprint 751 00:37:19,606 --> 00:37:21,408 as light as possible. 752 00:37:23,144 --> 00:37:25,412 Embodied carbon are the carbon emissions 753 00:37:25,512 --> 00:37:29,183 associated with extracting the materials, 754 00:37:29,283 --> 00:37:32,586 manufacturing the products, delivering the products, 755 00:37:32,686 --> 00:37:35,022 and building the building. 756 00:37:35,122 --> 00:37:37,424 [Jay] Creating the cement that goes into concrete 757 00:37:37,524 --> 00:37:40,361 produces huge amounts of greenhouse gasses. 758 00:37:40,461 --> 00:37:43,297 So the team crafts a concrete recipe 759 00:37:43,430 --> 00:37:47,601 that reduces its carbon footprint by up to 30%. 760 00:37:47,735 --> 00:37:50,270 We added other materials like fly ash and slag 761 00:37:50,403 --> 00:37:52,873 to help reduce the embodied carbon that it takes 762 00:37:52,973 --> 00:37:54,441 to build the building. 763 00:37:55,575 --> 00:37:59,446 [Jay] Now it needs to be laid in one seamless pour. 764 00:37:59,579 --> 00:38:01,782 We started the placement at approximately 765 00:38:01,882 --> 00:38:03,817 4 o'clock in the morning. 766 00:38:03,917 --> 00:38:08,088 [Jay] Fifty-five trucks begin the first of 450 deliveries 767 00:38:08,188 --> 00:38:10,858 to three pumps stationed around the hole. 768 00:38:10,958 --> 00:38:13,227 [Nathan] One pump truck broke. They brought in another. 769 00:38:13,327 --> 00:38:15,662 Another pump truck broke. They brought in another. 770 00:38:16,964 --> 00:38:19,533 [Jay] Thanks to the team's meticulous preparation, 771 00:38:19,633 --> 00:38:22,402 the concrete all goes in according to plan. 772 00:38:22,503 --> 00:38:25,005 We finished it at 10 o'clock at night. 773 00:38:25,138 --> 00:38:27,375 It's 4,500 cubic yards of concrete. 774 00:38:27,475 --> 00:38:30,477 That was a massive undertaking. At the time, 775 00:38:30,577 --> 00:38:32,713 it was the second-largest concrete placement 776 00:38:32,813 --> 00:38:35,582 in the history of the city of Boston. 777 00:38:35,682 --> 00:38:39,586 [Jay] Next, they construct the building's central core. 778 00:38:39,686 --> 00:38:42,590 On its own, this won't be enough to hold up the floors 779 00:38:42,690 --> 00:38:44,824 hanging unsupported in space. 780 00:38:46,060 --> 00:38:49,529 They turn to an engineering trick called the cantilever. 781 00:38:49,663 --> 00:38:51,365 [Corina] A cantilever is an overhang 782 00:38:51,499 --> 00:38:54,200 that's only supported on one side. 783 00:38:54,334 --> 00:38:55,769 To stop it tipping over, 784 00:38:55,836 --> 00:38:58,071 the force is cleverly transferred through the building 785 00:38:58,171 --> 00:38:59,973 and into the foundations. 786 00:39:00,107 --> 00:39:03,110 [Jay] Here, though, the overhangs will be huge. 787 00:39:03,210 --> 00:39:05,245 We have these 23-foot cantilevers 788 00:39:05,345 --> 00:39:07,748 that come off of that center portion of the building. 789 00:39:07,882 --> 00:39:09,816 And those cantilever off of two sides. 790 00:39:10,984 --> 00:39:13,054 [Jay] To support them, the team designs a series 791 00:39:13,187 --> 00:39:15,255 of two-story steel trusses 792 00:39:15,389 --> 00:39:18,225 based on nature's strongest shape, 793 00:39:18,325 --> 00:39:20,427 the triangle. 794 00:39:20,527 --> 00:39:23,730 These will channel the huge forces from the overhangs 795 00:39:23,830 --> 00:39:26,000 back into the building. 796 00:39:26,100 --> 00:39:27,267 [Nathan] By using two story-deep trusses, 797 00:39:27,401 --> 00:39:30,237 we get a very strong, stiff structure 798 00:39:30,337 --> 00:39:32,372 that limits deflections at the ends. 799 00:39:32,472 --> 00:39:34,775 [music] 800 00:39:34,875 --> 00:39:37,544 [Jay] In May 2021, they start constructing 801 00:39:37,677 --> 00:39:40,480 the cantilevered blocks. 802 00:39:40,580 --> 00:39:41,949 Until they're finished, 803 00:39:42,049 --> 00:39:45,151 the building needs to be shored up to support them. 804 00:39:45,252 --> 00:39:47,087 On a structure as complex as this, 805 00:39:47,187 --> 00:39:50,591 it takes some serious shoring. 806 00:39:50,725 --> 00:39:54,160 We require 400 tons of shoring because 807 00:39:54,261 --> 00:39:58,198 every cantilever in the building had to be temporarily supported. 808 00:40:00,301 --> 00:40:01,568 [Jay] Slowly, though, the building 809 00:40:01,668 --> 00:40:03,370 starts to rise from the ground, 810 00:40:03,470 --> 00:40:06,573 with each level carefully supported as it goes up. 811 00:40:08,843 --> 00:40:13,080 It takes around 3,320 tons of steel, 812 00:40:13,214 --> 00:40:15,582 but at last, the trusses and floors 813 00:40:15,716 --> 00:40:17,951 of all 19 stories are complete. 814 00:40:21,021 --> 00:40:24,725 Now they have the job of taking out all of the shoring. 815 00:40:24,858 --> 00:40:26,760 To do that, there are hydraulic jacks 816 00:40:26,894 --> 00:40:29,062 placed all over the building. 817 00:40:29,162 --> 00:40:30,497 This is definitely the most jacking 818 00:40:30,563 --> 00:40:32,833 that I have ever done on a project. 819 00:40:32,933 --> 00:40:34,535 [Jay] The huge weight of the building 820 00:40:34,635 --> 00:40:37,204 is resting on the shoring. 821 00:40:37,337 --> 00:40:38,739 Before they can remove it, 822 00:40:38,839 --> 00:40:40,941 they need to gently lift the building up, 823 00:40:41,041 --> 00:40:42,910 take out the top piece of shoring, 824 00:40:43,043 --> 00:40:46,213 and then let the cantilevers take the weight. 825 00:40:46,347 --> 00:40:50,150 We had to jack all at once, simultaneously, 826 00:40:50,250 --> 00:40:52,719 so that we could slowly and uniformly 827 00:40:52,853 --> 00:40:56,356 pick the whole building up ever so slightly 828 00:40:56,456 --> 00:40:59,292 and transfer the load from the shoring to the building. 829 00:41:02,963 --> 00:41:05,132 [Jay] On November 6, 2021, 830 00:41:05,232 --> 00:41:07,467 it's the moment of truth for the team. 831 00:41:09,970 --> 00:41:12,305 If they haven't installed the trusses correctly, 832 00:41:12,405 --> 00:41:16,210 then the cantilevers will sag and ultimately fail. 833 00:41:16,310 --> 00:41:19,780 As we did the jacking, you could hear the building 834 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:21,715 take on the load. 835 00:41:21,815 --> 00:41:23,216 [Jay] With the building lifted, 836 00:41:23,316 --> 00:41:25,385 construction workers carefully pull out 837 00:41:25,485 --> 00:41:29,223 the top pieces of shoring, column by column. 838 00:41:29,290 --> 00:41:31,958 You'd hear the bolts slip, 839 00:41:32,092 --> 00:41:33,561 the steel move. 840 00:41:33,661 --> 00:41:35,195 So that was a little unnerving. 841 00:41:36,463 --> 00:41:40,167 [Jay] The building, though, stays standing. 842 00:41:40,301 --> 00:41:42,403 When you saw actually the gap between 843 00:41:42,503 --> 00:41:44,971 the shoring and the building... 844 00:41:45,105 --> 00:41:47,775 you knew it was doing its job. 845 00:41:47,875 --> 00:41:49,476 That was an exciting moment. 846 00:41:49,576 --> 00:41:52,479 [Jay] It's a massive milestone for the team. 847 00:41:52,579 --> 00:41:54,548 [Paulo] Only when they started to pull away 848 00:41:54,648 --> 00:41:57,451 the shoring elements that supported the cantilevers 849 00:41:57,551 --> 00:41:59,386 did the building start to take shape. 850 00:42:00,988 --> 00:42:02,590 [Jay] In December 2021, 851 00:42:02,690 --> 00:42:05,292 the team turns to the final challenge-- 852 00:42:05,392 --> 00:42:07,727 wrapping the whole building in a curtain wall 853 00:42:07,861 --> 00:42:11,731 of not double, but triple-glazed glass. 854 00:42:11,831 --> 00:42:13,267 Patterned with solar shades, 855 00:42:13,367 --> 00:42:15,936 it will minimize heat fluctuations in the building, 856 00:42:16,036 --> 00:42:19,206 maximizing energy efficiency. 857 00:42:19,306 --> 00:42:21,709 But the deadline is now just a year away. 858 00:42:21,842 --> 00:42:23,710 This was a fairly complicated system, 859 00:42:23,810 --> 00:42:26,046 especially with the cantilevers. 860 00:42:26,179 --> 00:42:29,049 [Jay] Where they would normally install 30 panels a day, 861 00:42:29,183 --> 00:42:32,419 here, they can only manage 18. 862 00:42:32,519 --> 00:42:36,389 It takes five months to install more than 2000 panels 863 00:42:36,490 --> 00:42:38,792 across 19 stories. 864 00:42:38,893 --> 00:42:41,161 Remarkably, they remain on schedule. 865 00:42:41,228 --> 00:42:43,063 This was a iconic building 866 00:42:43,163 --> 00:42:45,866 with a one-of-a-kind design, 867 00:42:45,966 --> 00:42:49,102 with a lot of firsts for a lot of people. 868 00:42:49,169 --> 00:42:51,906 But it was constructed in a very tight timeline, 869 00:42:52,006 --> 00:42:53,506 48 months. 870 00:42:54,942 --> 00:42:58,412 [Jay] The incredible Center for Computing and Data Sciences 871 00:42:58,512 --> 00:43:00,213 opens its doors to students 872 00:43:00,347 --> 00:43:04,218 on January 19, 2023. 873 00:43:04,318 --> 00:43:08,155 To see all of these students embracing the building 874 00:43:08,255 --> 00:43:10,023 was the best feeling in the world. 875 00:43:11,424 --> 00:43:14,027 This building is the embodiment of what we're tackling 876 00:43:14,127 --> 00:43:15,195 as a society. 877 00:43:15,261 --> 00:43:16,964 It's an embodiment of excellence. 878 00:43:17,097 --> 00:43:20,668 It's an embodiment of passion, of learning. 879 00:43:20,768 --> 00:43:24,271 It's, like, so huge, and, like, very unique and distinct. 880 00:43:24,404 --> 00:43:27,274 And just, like, really puts the university on the map. 881 00:43:27,408 --> 00:43:29,576 [Jay] This beautiful stack of blocks 882 00:43:29,709 --> 00:43:33,113 ushers in a new era of sustainability, 883 00:43:33,213 --> 00:43:36,116 incorporating green roofs to help cool the building, 884 00:43:36,250 --> 00:43:38,585 capturing rainwater for irrigation, 885 00:43:38,685 --> 00:43:43,123 and using renewable energy to power its systems. 886 00:43:43,223 --> 00:43:45,859 There was a real pride that we were building a building 887 00:43:45,926 --> 00:43:49,529 that was one of its kind-- one of its kind in Boston, 888 00:43:49,630 --> 00:43:51,632 not only in terms of its iconic design, 889 00:43:51,732 --> 00:43:54,568 but its incredible sustainability. 890 00:43:54,668 --> 00:43:57,671 This was one of the greatest projects of my career. 891 00:43:57,771 --> 00:43:59,940 [Azer] I just cannot think of a bigger success. 892 00:44:00,073 --> 00:44:03,677 This was everything we dreamt of and a lot more. 893 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:12,719 [music] 894 00:44:33,474 --> 00:44:35,442 ♪ MTV ♪