The IBM Tower in Kuala Lumpur was the first modern green skyscraper—although its architect,Ken Yeang, prefers to call it a “bioclimactic” building, because of the way its natural

ventilation strategies make the building feel as if it were breathing. The design was the

first to bring low-energy use to a high-density urban environment, reflecting Yeang’s idea

that only the sustainable development of cities can accommodate the world’s population

growth. But unlike the sophisticated technical engineering of later green skyscrapers, most

of its strategies are passive—such as a spiraling atrium that accommodates “vertical

landscaping,” improving indoor air quality and aiding natural ventilation, and external

louvers that reduce solar heat gain.