MUSHROOM-SHAPED APARTMENT BUILDING

Abstract: The invention relates to a mushroom-shaped apartment building raised from housing rings (2) that are circularly arranged, characterized in that a main concentrically positioned supporting column (9) leaves the spaces (17) within and in-between the housing rings clear for different purposes such as arcades for shopping and parking. The construction protects its residents from flooding during inundations and minimizes material damage and injury during earthquakes.

Description: Mushroom-shaped apartment building The invention relates to a multifunctional apartment building with an outside shape that is very similar to a mushroom. Compared with conventional buildings of any kind, this solution offers several advantages, especially when advanced system building is involved, due to the main supporting column which is centrally positioned and on which the building under consideration is suspended by means of tie rods, being a construction leaving the ground underneath completely free of hindrances around the supporting column, so it can be utilized as a marketplace, fancy fair, etcetera, roofed over by the first floor. The several floors are mutually reachable by elevators and stairs situated inside the supporting column. Within the ringshaped housing accomodation on the first floor, a parking bay is provided. This parking bay is accessible by an inclined winding slope from the ground level. The remaining spaces, on each floor encircled by the said ring-shaped housing accomodations, are available for stores, workshops, gymnasiums etcetera. The height of these spaces is determined by the height of one ring or a number of them. All utility- and sewerpipes are led through the central supporting column and radially on each floor to meter boxes and sanitary provisions respectively. The bottom of the supporting column can be utilized for machinery and equipment such as heating, airconditioning and sprinkler installations. On the outside of its basement, the column is provided with foundations beams, radially and spaced equally in the circumference, however not necessarily extending to the edge of the building. Eventually the foundation beams can be secured by spiral piles. The top of the building is covered by a dome-shaped roof, whether or not transparent. Furthermore this roof is provided with a skirt in its circumference, intended to collect and utilize the rain for several purposes . With regard to energy and water consumption it should be clear that the invention as described above is especially suited to be completely selfsupporting. In other words: not depending on artificial sources. A temporary energy surplus can be accumulated beneath the building and in due time utilized by means of heatpumps . If so wished, the housing accomodation, each module having a length of 12 meters, a width of 6 meters and a height of 3 meters approximately, can be delivered completely at the site. In this way, the building under construction can be raised in a very short time . Especially for regularly inundated areas such as estuaries without efficacious embankment, the mushroom-like apartment building according to the invention offers several advantages. People living in such a building can keep their feet dry during a flood, even on the first floor. Floods do not have much grip on the building since the projected area subjected to waterload is relatively small. Compared with conventional constructions, the mushroom-shaped building guarantees much more safety during earthquakes due to its flexibility. Subways and tunnels linked to the base of the column, facilitate the infrastructure between housing, work and the provisioning as well, independant of the condition of the ground in the surroundings, leaving it intact. Because of its particular construction, people can escape easily in times of calamitites. The construction lends itself to the installation of roofgardens where people can enjoy the sunshine and light and which give them a fine view of the surrounding area. The roofgardens all together give the construction under consideration the look of a green hill, thereby preventing pollution of the horizon. The required air inlet nozzles for the benefit of airconditioning are fitted on the top of the hemispherical roof in order to avoid suction of polluted air. One embodiment of the invention shall be explained by way of example, with reference to a accompanying drawing, wherein: Fig. 1 represents a cross-section of the mushroomshaped apartment building and Fig. 2 a semi topview. The circularly arranged housing modules 1 are part of a ring 2 , which rings 2 having an increased diameter seen from top to bottom, form a gradual cone 3 , at its top covered by a dome 4. This dome 4, whether or not transparant and whether or not provided with sun energy collectors, spans a space 5, which space 5 is available for different purposes. The people living in the building have the disposal of roofgardens 6 and all these gardens together present the viewer with an impression of an overgrown hill. The gradually constructed cone 3 is suspended by means of tie rods 7 and 8 to the column 9. The bottom of this column 9 is supported by the ground 11 after excavation. To the bottom side of the column 9, radially and equally spaced foundation beams 12 are firmly connected. These beams 12 in turn are connected to the top of screwpiles 13. The space 14 at the bottom of column 9 can be utilized for machinery and equipment for elevators, heating, airconditioning, etcetera. The elevators 15 are moving through semitransparant shafts 16 by means of hydraulic cylinders or otherwise (not drawn) . The housing modules can be completely delivered on site, for example with the help of helicopters. The areas 17 within the housing rings 2 can be utilized for different purposes. The free space 18 beneath the lower housing ring 1 is available as a market place, for example. Rainwater can be utilized for toilets, washers, etcetera, For said purpose, the retaining ring 19 is fitted along the brim of dome 4.

Claims: C L A I M S Mushroom-shaped apartment building, raised from modules that are circularly arranged, whether or not prefabricated, covered on top by a dome-shaped roof, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t a main concentric positioned column, on its bottomside provided with foundation beams, is functioning as a supporting pillar and accomodating all required provisions such as elevators and piping, leaving the space within the rings clear of hindrances so it can be utilized for different purposes such as parking, shopping etcetera, while the groundfloor is available for markets etcetera, during inundations and floods protecting its residents from wet feet and worse. Mushroom-shaped apartment building according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the slanting method of building can be utilized to install roofgardens which gives the viewer the impression of a overgrown hill, devoid of pollution of the horizon.

Inventors: VAN DEN BERG ARIE PIETER, VAN DEN BERG, ARIE, PIETER
Applicants: DEN BERG ARIE PIETER VAN, VER BEDRIJVEN VAN DEN BERG HEE, VAN DEN BERG, ARIE, PIETER, VERENIGDE BEDRIJVEN VAN DEN BERG HEERENVEEN BEHEER B.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: E04B1
IPC codes: E04H1