wind-flowers!

http://blog.cleantechies.com/2011/03/06/power-flowers-make-peace-with-wind-turbine-critics/

"A Dutch architectural company wonders if wind turbines can be transformed into objects of desire.

As desperate as the world is for consistent, renewable energy, some people have voiced opposition when the construction of a wind farm is proposed in their area. Apparently, everyone wants to reap the benefits of wind energy, but no one wants to look at the turbines.

As a result, wind farms are typically built in the middle of nowhere, and these remote locations make it difficult to get the power to the traditional grid and power plants where it can be used.

Dutch design house NL Architects believe that wind turbines need to be erected much closer to urban settings, so to overcome resident objections, they made the turbines more efficient and beautiful in the process.Dutch design house NL Architects believe that wind turbines need to be erected much closer to urban settings, so to overcome resident objections, they made the turbines more efficient and beautiful in the process.

Inspired by the efficiency, silence and small size of Eddy, a vertical-axis wind turbine created by Urban Green Energy that can be mounted almost anywhere. NL Architects decided to see if they could ‘densify’ the grid by giving Eddy a more compact and desirable tower design.

The result is the Power Flower: an urban turbine featuring a hollow steel column with branches at the top. These branches would be home to either three or 12 Eddy-like turbines and could be deployed closer to, or even within, urban environments such as parks, streets or roadways.

It’s estimated that the Power Flower’s structure would generate over 13,000 kWh of power every year at an average wind speed of 5 meters per second and generate as little as 42.8db of noise at 12 meters per second. Each 12-turbine structure’s annual power output for the same average wind speed is calculated at 55,000 kWh.

These are only conceptual images (practical and engineering issues still remain), but what if every house had a Power Flower in the yard? Renewable energy would be generated in the heart of residential areas, where it’s needed most, and serve as a constant reminder of the beauty and utility of wind power."

Article by Beth Buczynski, appearing courtesy Crisp Green.

A slide show on this power flower can be seen on the: NL Architects website

green green green

strange and interesting architecture

interesting....

Security and Design meet! haha!



I'd love to see someone try break into this house!!

Strange & Freaky

Strange & freaky finding whilst looking for spacial diagrams!

Try reading the text on the image.

Norman Foster's green agenda | Video on TED.com

Norman Foster's green agenda Video on TED.com

The research for our DSW documents continues

Types of Green Roofs  (http://www.rooftoplandscapes.co.za/types.php)

"The choice of rooftop landscape type relates to the type of plants that can be grown on the roof. The choice is limited by the loads that your roof can withstand."




Intensive Rooftop Landscapes

 
"Intensive Rooftop Landscapes

Intensive Rooftop Landscapes replicate ground level gardens on roofs.



Typically, these roof gardens have a growing medium depth of 200 mm or more and can sustain large plants and even trees. The weight requirements for intensive green roofs are such that they are normally installed over concrete roof decks. Such roof gardens typically require a level of maintenance comparable to that of a similar ground-level garden.



Extensive Rooftop Landscapes



Extensive Rooftop Landscapes

Extensive roof gardens are typically covered with low-growing plants.

These roof gardens have a growing medium depth of less than 200 mm. They usually require less maintenance than intensive roof gardens.

 

Biodiverse or Brown

Rooftop Landscapes



Biodiverse or Brown Rooftop Landscapes

Biodiverse roof gardens recreate pre-existing ground ecosystems.

These are constructed in a similar way to the other types green roofs, but are designed with specific biodiversity objectives in mind, such as providing a habitat for a specific species. To maximise biodiversity, a wide range of growing mediums will normally be distributed around the roof surface (usually sourced from the local area).

 Biodiverse roof gardens emphasise evolution over design. Thus, very little maintenance is required. In most cases, these are either left alone to allow the germination of wind-blown seeds, or alternatively, seeds collected from the local area are scattered over the roof area. Over time an ecosystem of plants and animals will develop on the roof."

The idea of roof gardens will and is bringing nature back to concrete jungles! genius!

Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects 

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TOD’S Omotesando Building
Location	Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Period	2002.4~2004.11
Structure	reinforced concrete, steel frame
Scale	7 stories, 1 basement
Site Area	516.23m2
Building Area	401.55m2
Total Floor Area	2,548.84m2

 http://www.toyo-ito.co.jp

I love how the skin of the building looks like flat-pressed branches!

Something new and fresh for this city space.

The Orquideorama

 

 

 

This is a photo showing timber meshwork of a newly built structure, in order to renovate a botanical garden in Medellin, Colombia.

It was done by Plan B Architects in 2008.

(Read more: ORQUIDEORAMA: A Beautiful Floating Meshwork of Modular Flower Tree Structures | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World )

 

 

Curtain Wall Claddings

We have been doing our DKD presentations at the end of last week and the beginning of this week.
There are some amazing high-tech clads, that make it seem as if buildings are becoming live mechanical bodies. It was very interesting seeing new systems and how they work.

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi

Foster and Partner's carbon-neutral Masdar City is springing to life in Abu Dhabi, and we recently had a chance to take a first-hand look inside this ambitious sustainable development! Just last Friday we checked out the city's first eco street fair and Organic Market -- a family affair complete with cotton candy, clowns, and princess fairies that also gave locals and visitors their first glimpse of some of the world’s most advanced architectural and cleantech developments. It also gave eco-businesses and organizations, such as the Land Art Generator Initiative, an opportunity to strut their good green stuff - read on for a first look!

Read more: PHOTOS: A First Look Inside Masdar: Foster + Partner’s Carbon-Neutral Eco City Masdar City Market Street Fair – Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

The Cube by Make Architects

http://archplus355.blogspot.com/2011/01/cube-make-architects.html

The Cube is the final phase of Birmingham's successful Mailbox development, providing 42,000m² of accommodation for shops, bars, cafes, offices, apartments and a boutique hotel.The building is square in plan with public space at its heart and a diagonal axis dividing it into two L-shaped structures at lower levels. As the building rises the floorplates expand to bridge the ground level route and terrace at the uppermost levels, allowing a dramatic asymmetric lightwell to occupy a third of the plan. The lightwell twists as it rises upwards, slicing through the floor plates to create dynamic spatial relationships while drawing natural light deep into the heart of the building.

A geometric metal and glass cladding system is used for the lower levels and upper floors of accommodation, dissolving into a fretwork screen at upper levels. The modular cladding system also plays a key role in the building's environmental strategy, offering infinite flexibility to tailor the glazing of each facade in response to potential solar gain. Other energy efficient measures incorporated into the building design include natural ventilation and the installation of centralised plant.