TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) revealed in an interview the reason why the group’s residential high-rise project in Taipei, Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, has taken 11 years to construct, sharing details of his revolutionary ecological vision to create a carbon-absorbing building.

In a Business Today article, Sheen said originally his vision had been to plant trees to reduce carbon dioxide and beautify the building. “Who would have expected that in the end, I built a garden designed for ecological coexistence and paid such a high price for it,” he was quoted as saying.

Rather than choosing designs created by world-class architects, Sheen opted for ecological architect Vincent Callebaut’s design, which featured a DNA-like double spiral structure that allowed more green coverage area. According to Sheen, he was attracted by the idea that a twisting building triples the amount of greenery — little did he know, the construction cost and length would both triple as well.

Tao Zhu Yin Yuan features a unique double spiral structure that rotates 90 degrees from bottom to top. (Tao Zhu Yin Yuan photo)

The end result is a 21-story building that rotates 90 degrees from its base to the top, with each floor rotating 4.5 degrees from the last, creating vertical spaces to plant trees. This allows the building to absorb as much as 130 tons of carbon dioxide every year, a reason why the project was selected by CNN as one of the nine new buildings in the world set to define cities in 2016.

Carbon dioxide absorption is not the only carbon footprint-reducing feature of Tao Zhu Yin Yuan. Sheen said that aside from being made from over 45% green materials, the building adopts a unique structure built with high-strength steel and designed to isolate vibration, allowing it to stand for as long as a thousand years and saving ten times the carbon footprint a demolition and reconstruction would generate.

Sheen also spent a lot of time, money, and effort on creating a natural environment featuring an urban forest complete with waterfalls that lower outdoor temperatures by 8-9 degrees Celsius at the height of summer. Over three years, an ecosystem has formed at Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, attracting Taiwan blue magpies and rare fairy pittas to frequent the site.

Sheen's goal was to build an urban forest in the heart of Taipei. (Tao Zhu Yin Yuan photo)

To ensure the forest is sustainable, Sheen studied the ecology of trees and hired tree doctors to help select the best species to plant at the site by analyzing the local climate and adjusting soil compositions.

“Some trees don’t fare so well after we plant them, and we would realize it was due to buildings affecting the sunlight’s direction, then we had to change which trees to plant. Some trees that reach certain ages absorb reduced amounts of carbon, too. These things we must research and assess beforehand, because re-planting different trees would only make the construction even more complex.”

Sheen also specifically created public spaces in Tao Zhu Yin Yuan for different age groups in mind. He told Business Today that certain trees at the site were selected so children can safely climb them; a stream at the front gates gives them a space to play in and the opportunity to catch fish.

For adults, there is an ecological club where small concerts can be held, as well as spaces for parties in the courtyard, on the roof, and by the swimming pool. Additionally, the elderly can pass the time in a gazebo, exercise on a platform lined with pine trees, and take walks by the waterfall.

These spaces were inspired by Sheen’s childhood, when he would swim in the Tamsui River, play with ants, climb trees, or catch fish in streams. He said he wanted the children living at Tao Zhu Yin Yuan to be able to access nature easily and spend less time with electronics.

Sheen even had the idea of introducing fireflies at the site. As fireflies are very sensitive to their habitat and require a very clean water source, plenty of plants, and no light pollution to survive, he said the feat would allow residents to truly enjoy living with nature integrated with their lives.

Sheen seeks to create a living environment that allows residents of all ages to access nature easily. (Tao Zhu Yin Yuan photo)