Category Archives: Architecture
Sky scrapers of the future will be nothing like those silly boxy structures we see in metropolitan cities around the globe today. Judging by this design, we sure expect some pretty futuristic structures in the future, which would probably scare the life out of visiting aliens. The tower designed by Vahan Misakyan might just find its place in city of Yerevan in Armenia, and at first sight, it does look intimidating with that insect-like design. But it isn’t really isn’t what you’d expect from a structure like this. This one has a clean and green soul! The structural geodesics of this building are linked with habitable bridges, with the tower using a rain water collection system integrated in its skin, besides photovoltaic cells and wind turbines.
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Well, the Japanese sure take their green energy seriously, so much, that homes will now be offered pre-fitted with lithium ion batteries out there. The Daiwa House Industry Co Ltd will soon start putting up homes with lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries and photovoltaic (PV) cell modules on the market starting spring 2011. Nothing gets better than powering up a home with solar power, with PV cells soaking in the sun during the daytime and storing the energy in the lithium ion batteries. These modules can be a pinch, especially after buying a new home. So, buying the entire package together could reduce the costs to some extent too. And then again, a solar powered home leaves no carbon footprints when it comes to powering up.
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Amsterdam might just play host to a super green and luxurious hotel. This on uses neither the grid, nor the usual renewable energy sources we come across, like the wind and the sun. The H2Otel designed by Netherlands-based architecture firms RAU and Powerhouse Company is powered by water instead. This hotel is a prototype and an example for hoteliers around, using a very different system developed, that integrates the use of water as an energy source for everything from for heating, cooling, cooking to the generation of electricity. Besides its watery act, the hotel also features a host of other energy efficient strategies, making it greener and cleaner, like a passive design, smart fixtures and appliances and advanced climate control systems.
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Cambridge, UK, will now have more than a University to show off on the globe. The city will play home to the first eco-mosque, designed by Marks Barfield. Yes you got that right; these are the same guys who came up with the London Eye and the Kew Gardens Treetop Walkway. The Eco-Mosque will be laid out on an area of 0.4 hectares, purchased two years ago. Costing £13 million, this mosque will be a one of a kind place of worship that will hopefully inspire many others, regardless of the religion they belong to around the world, to take up the green cause. The mosque features a green roof, natural lighting provided by beautiful skylights, and energy locally generated by ground-source heat pumps.
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TRA brings sunshine to the railway. The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) will open a sparkling new station, its first to be powered by the sun. The solar powered station will open up to commuters on July 14 and is an attempt to improve public transportation for people who work in Tainan County’s Southern Taiwan Science Park. Earlier set up as a temporary station for visitors to the 2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival at the science park, the Nanke Station was negotiated upon by the county government and the TRA, converting it into the first permanent station to be built by a local government. A solar powered system is to be installed at the station. Panels are to be installed on the roof and all over the platform that will absorb in juice from the sun.
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Pythagoras is here with something more than a confusing theorem that has left many a geometry student baffled in the past. We aren’t talking about the good old mathematician anyways. We’re talking about the firm Pythagoras Solar, founded by philosophy M.A. Gonen Fink, which has recently developed a nearly transparent solar glass, using patent-pending products. In short, this awesome development works as a skylight and a solar energy sucking energy generator too. Now a skylight sure has loads of energy-saving features that turn your required space energy-efficient. Skylights let in daylight, for natural lighting and also help reduce building heating and cooling costs. This one does a lot more. It produces electricity!
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Airports seem to grow larger, and some of them also turn greener. At least that’s what the new Domestic Terminal at Brisbane, Australia aims to be. And for that the international design studio Urban Art Projects (UAP) have collaborated with artist Ned Kahn to give the Brisbane Airport Corporation an eight-storey kinetic public art project, which with replace their short-term multi-level car park. American artist Ned Kahn is will use natural elements like wind and light into his art for the 5000 sq m kinetic frontage for the short-term car park.
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The T Bailey Offices in Anacortes, Washington are indeed a whole lot closer to renewable energy than you could possibly think. They should be, taken that the headquarters use the very product they manufacture, pipes used in wind turbine towers. T Bailey headquarters will use these pipes, integrating them into their building structure for an additional space. The designed 11,700 square foot office addition, with pipes, will adjoin the current heavy industrial manufacturing plant of T Bailey. To enter the “building”, one needs to climb to the main office space via a horizontal 14’ and vertical 22’ diameter pipes. A skylight and fan ventilate the main office floor. To power up the fan and skylight, solar energy is used.
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Researches in the Netherlands have literally driven upon a shocking fact recently. Using roads as air purifiers has never been thought of before, until now. Tests carried out in the municipality of Hengelo with the Castorweg road being resurfaced. The project included 1,000 square meters of the road’s surface being covered with air-purifying concrete paving stones. As a comparison, another 1.000 square meters was surfaced with normal paving stones. Last spring, the researches carried out three air-purity measurements between a half and one-and-a-half meters. And then, an astonishing fact was revealed. The area over the air-purifying paved area was found to have 25% to 45% lower NOx content, as compared to the normal paved area.
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Living spaces go greener by the day, as people around the globe realize the need for a lighter carbon footprint and a cleaner environment. And there’s no better place to start off on this green spree, than at home! Green houses are sprouting up everywhere. The latest we’ve come across is the Fish House by Guz Architects. Now an imaginative mind would probably think this to be a house amongst fishes, with a life just like the Little Mermaid. Well, it sure is among fishes, though you won’t be lounging or dining with any of them. The house uses natural ventilation, keeping out constant air conditioning. It opens out to the ocean itself, so stick out your tongue and taste the ocean wind. The home’s swimming pool links the house with the environment around, bringing one closer to nature, and yes, solar panels juice up this one.
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