A new incredible building called Le Projet Triangle is being slated for construction in Paris sometime in 2014. Due to its unique orientation and shape, the architects say that the building will not cast shadows on adjacent structures. Additionally, such geometry will allow for “optimum utilization of solar and wind power.”
Looks pretty stunning. What do you think?
via Gizmodo
The Energy Efficiency Summit East 2008 will explore the current status and future direction for energy efficiency and demand programs, technologies, and finance. Held in Washington, D.C. from September 8-10, this conference will bring utilities and energy service companies together with emerging customer groups to explore opportunities for expanding the use of energy efficiency and demand response technologies.
This Summit provides the occasion for government regulators to examine how to implement energy efficiency while investors and technology developers will provide an overview of new technologies that reduce energy usage. The Summit will also include an Executive Forum on Sept. 8, ‘08, “Overcoming the Market Barriers to Commercializing Demand Management & Energy Efficiency Technologies”. Hopefully putting all of these great minds together will begin a solution to our renewable energy needs and set in motion, at the very least, a dialogue for solutions.
For more information, please visit the official site here.
Architect Vincent Callebaut was so inspired with the story of Noah’s Ark that he decided to come up with his own vision of a 22nd-century vessel for the masses. Dubbed the “Lilypad”, but also called the “Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees”, these giant, fully recyclable, “green” islands are self-sustaining wonders integrating solar, wind, and other renewable technologies. From the article,
“The lower half of the floating community is submerged, while the top extends upwards to soak up solar energy. The goal of this true amphibian, half aquatic and half terrestrial city is to create a harmonious coexistence of the couple Human / Nature and to explore new modes of living the sea by building with fluidity collective spaces in proximity, overwhelming spaces of social inclusion suitable to the meeting of all the inhabitants – denizen or foreign-born, recent or old, young or aged people.”
We’d love to live in one, but with an expected launch date of 2100, we’ll be too dead to truly consider it.
Check out additional photos over at Ecofriend.
Elevated Landscape Technologies (ELT) Easy Green, recently featured at the Los Angeles Green West conference, “is a line of products built around one main idea: sustainable living.” This company, responding to the need to bring nature back into our urban lives, offers Green Roofs and Living Wall systems. The benefits of such living systems extend from improved insulation and air quality to biodiversity and conservation—and they look amazing.
You can install the wall units yourself, and they are surprisingly affordable. Some ELT customers actually grow herbs and vegetables on their living room walls…so for those looking to harvest their living rooms, I guess this serves as your solution. Beyond personal application, many cities are adopting green roof systems. According to the ELT website, “More than 1 in 10 flat roofs in Germany are green. Norway, Sweden, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are also greening their cities by using green roof technologies.”
While some of their products claim to be “drought resistant,” I’m not sure if the roof units could actually survive Phoenix heat and sunlight. Additionally, the indoor wall units require quite a bit of water, two liters per panel, per watering. Yet, ELT’s living walls and roofs are works of natural art in and of themselves, which merits at least a look at the website photogallery.
For more visit the official site here….
At a cost of nearly $150 billion, you’re not going to see an Ultima Tower grace the skies anytime soon. The two-mile high structure is the brainchild of some forward-thinking architects looking for some creative ways to solve the world’s future population crisis. With people living in denser concentrations — such a structure (which has a square-mile footprint and can hold one million people) might be needed many years from now. From the article,
“The shape of the building draws inspiration from the nests of termites, a 1-mile wide funnel shape with gently curved sides. A criss-crossing network of double-helix cables distributes tension across the outer covering in such a way as to allow the entire building to absorb stresses instead of single areas. The design is extremely aerodynamically efficient, and resistant to earthquake shock waves. The structure is cooled in a similar way to a termite nest - the lower levels are cooled by water flow (in this case, a series of ground-floor waterfalls) and the cool air rises through the building, taking heat energy with it, and exits at the upper floors into the atmosphere.
The entire 150 million square foot surface of the building is covered with photovoltaic cells and wind turbine energy generators - and the extreme height of the structure allows a new form of energy generation to occur, using the differential in air pressure between the ground floor and the 10,500-foot high tip to generate further electricity for the project.”
Pretty incredible — and each of the 120 levels would feature their own fully landscaped habitats with a “sky” 30 to 50 meters high and inbuilt lakes, streams, rivers, hills and ravines. Sunlight would be filtered from above by an intricate system of mirrors — very similar to how the Egyptians lit the inside of their massive structures.
So what do you think? Would you like to live inside the Ultima Tower?
I’ve always thought integrated building turbines were a smart idea — but generally they could only be found on models or drawings of ‘potential’ green architecture. No longer. The Bahrain World Trade Center made history earlier this week by allowing its new integrated blades to start catching some wind and generating electricity. They are expected to provide between 11%-15% of the building’s power. From the article,
“he elliptical shapes of the two buildings of the architecture funnel and even accelerate the wind towards the turbines. And there’ll be no shortage of wind too, what with the Bahrain World Trade Center in direct path of the onshore breeze blowing from the Gulf coast. According to the project manager, the cost of turbines was reduced to 3.5 percent of the whole project’s, which means that should the turbines work as expected, the project is financially viable.”
It’s about time we create buildings that take advantage of their height and air flow to work for them, rather than against. The Middle East is currently a hot bed for green tech — so look to other projects in the coming months to wow even further.
via goodcleantech
[UPDATE] Metaefficient has posted a sweet video of the three turbines in action. Take a look here.
If you haven’t been to Chicago, I highly recommend it. It is truly one of the greatest cities in America — and has now been dubbed “the greenest” as well. To cap off a string of eco-friendly initiatives, the “Windy City” is planning on building a 2-mile eco-bridge. A breakwater in the Monroe harbor, it will celebrate Chicago’s new green honor — and potentially give it an edge in a bid to compete for the 2016 Olympic games. From the article,
“The project was also intended to enhance Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The observation tower is a prominent and central place to house the Olympic flame. The breakwater provides ample space for rowing and sailing events in calm water and could offer terrific viewer access for these events. The ecological and educational advantages of the project are plentiful. The bridge showcases the ecology of the Great Lakes and provides a haven for fish and water plants.”
The bridge would also be ringed with wind turbines — providing energy efficiency, as well as showing Chicago’s dedication to sustainability.
I think it looks beautiful — and would truly add even more space to the city’s already impressive harbor offerings. For more photos of the proposed “Eco-Bridge”, jump here.
While most green buildings strive to reduce or supplement their power consumption, there has yet to be a building that actually produces more energy than it consumes. Enter the The Masdar Headquarters building outside of Abu Dhabi — the world’s first positive energy building. Even the construction will be eco-friendly, as the first thing to be built will be a solar pier that will provide power for the rest of the assembly. The $300 million, 1.4 million square foot architectural wonder will be the centerpiece of the sustainable, car-free Norman Foster-designed Masdar City, a $22 billion development just outside Abu Dhabi. Absolutely incredible. Inhabitat shares some additional details:
“The building’s aggressive approach to sustainability enables it to offer the lowest energy consumption per square meter for its class, one of the world’s largest integrated photovoltaic systems and the world’s largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system. The complex will utilize sustainable materials and feature integrated wind turbines, outdoor air quality monitors. Compared with typical mixed-use buildings of the same size, the Headquarters will consume 70 percent less water.”
The United Arab Emirates have been heating things up lately with their green projects. In January, they announced the most ambitious sustainability initiative ever undertaken by a government, with up to $15 billion over five years going to green projects. The way it’s shaping up, the Middle East may become the green capital of the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. is still trying to figure out if it’s a good idea or not.
Tick, tock.
As if the design wasn’t striking enough, a new 500 ft. tower filled with condominiums in downtown Atlanta is also planning to incorporate some incredible green technology — and produce roughly half of its own energy needs.
Called the Aquarius Tower, the building will feature a five-floor wind tunnel with about 60 small turbines and rooftop solar panels. The construction will also incorporate the use of recycled materials and thermally-efficient products. All the amenities from pool, sundeck, fitness center, lounge, and media room to guest suite and concierge services come with the package.
Even more interesting, a state-of-the-art robotic valet system will automatically store and retrieve vehicles. Supposedly, this action alone helps save on pollution — but we’re wondering how much energy those robots are burning in the process. Then again, if it’s all coming from renewable sources, what’s not to love?
The $70 million project may get underway this spring –with plans in place to finish by 2010.
The Associated Press reports that former Vice President and current Nobel Price-winning global-warming prophet Al Gore has greened up his Nashville mansion:
Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient, and a building-industry group has praised the house as one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly. The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs.
“Short of tearing it down and staring anew, I don’t know how it could have been rated any higher,” said Kim Shinn of the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the house its second-highest rating for sustainable design.
Gore’s improvements cut the home’s summer electrical consumption by 11 percent compared with a year ago, according to utility records reviewed by The Associated Press. Most Nashville homes used 20 percent to 30 percent more electricity during the same period because of a record heat wave.
Nice to see that someone whose been talking for years like its a crisis has finally started acting like its a crisis.
