First Principles - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 58

Figure S2.4 Pearl River Tower rendering.
Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, LLP.
through the building and turn the wind turbines with the greatest efficiency
by minimizing turbulence and restriction of flow much as a turbocharger on
a car improves performance. In this case it is estimated that the improved
performance generated by the increased wind velocity as it enters the turbines
will result in up to 15 times more electricity generated than that from a stand-
alone wind generator. Generating energy on-site where it will be consumed
also overcomes the significant loss of energy that occurs in transmission. Recall
that the second law of thermdynamics holds that any conversion of energy
results in an increase in entropy. That is, an isolated system's energy becomes
less available to do work. In addition to the solution's consideration of airflow
to generate a portion of the building's power needs, the solution responds to
the specifics of place by orienting the building to an adjoining park and to
take advantage of prevailing winds unlikely to be interrupted by future tower
development. The design for the passage of wind through a building also yields
structural advantages, as it is anticipated that the openings will help reduce the
building's sway.
The design reality of Emerson's quote is: Form truly follows function.