Green Design

Sustainable architecture or Green Design is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative
environmental impact of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and
development space. Sustainable architecture uses a conscious approach to energy and ecological
conservation in the design of the built environment.

It is an
approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human health and
the environment. The "green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air,
water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction
practices.

Green architecture may have many of these characteristics:

 Ventilation systems designed for efficient heating and cooling

 Energy-efficient lighting and appliances
 Water-saving plumbing fixtures
 Landscapes planned to maximize passive solar energy
 Minimal harm to the natural habitat
 Alternate power sources such as solar power or wind power
 Non-synthetic, non-toxic materials
 Locally-obtained woods and stone
 Responsibly-harvested woods
 Adaptive reuse of older buildings
 Use of recycled architectural salvage
 Efficient use of space

1. Rotating Skyscaper, Dubai

Images: AmeInfo and Unusual Architecture
Branded as the world’s first building in motion, Dubai’s Dynamic Rotating Tower is set for completion in 2010. It will
stand 1,378 ft high and have 80 independently rotating floors, which will give the tower an ever-changing shape. The
constantly moving floors, powered entirely by wind and solar energy, are set to rotate a maximum of 6 metres (20 ft)
per minute, or one rotation in 90 minutes, with the whole building making a full rotation in anywhere from 3 to 24
hours.

The unique design was created by Israeli-born Italian architect David Fischer, founder of the Dynamic Architecture
Group. He said of the design:

“The Dynamic Tower is environmentally friendly and the first building designed to be self-powered, with the ability to
generate electricity for itself, as well as for other nearby buildings. It achieves this feat with wind turbines fitted
between each rotating floor. An 80-story building will have up to 79 wind turbines, making it a true green power plant.”

The majority of the construction will take place off-site, with only the foundations and core being completed at the
construction site, making Fischer’s Dynamic Tower the world’s first prefabricated skyscraper. Each factory-built
module will come replete with preinstalled kitchen and bathroom fittings, which will drastically cut down on the amount
of work required on-site, and therefore the number of workers needed to finish the project. Once the 40 prefab
modules for each floor are completed they will be transported to the site and connected to the core serving each
particular floor. Included in the core is a special connection for clean water, the design of which was based on patent
technology used to refuel airplanes mid-flight.

Plans are already under-way for two more rotating towers, one in Moscow and one in New York. The only dilemma
remains for those who have a tendency to suffer from vertigo or motion sickness – better stick to the goode olde
chain hotel down the road.

2. Ecotopia, Dallas
Images: via Inhabitat
Reminiscent of a bombed out building that’s been long forgotten; this teetering, terraced building is set to be built in
Dallas, Texas, and is far from forgotten about. The unusual design was conceived by LA-based architecture
firm Standard for the Re:Vision Dallas competition, which challenged designers to create a residential complex within
the confines of one city block that would be able to boast carbon neutrality, zero water wastage and a LEED-ND
rating.

Standard’s answer to the dilemma was Co Op Canyon, a multi-terraced, community-centred apartment block, which
was inspired by the cliff dwellings of the nature-loving Anasazi Indians. Able to house up to 1,000 people, the
sustainable urban design includes lush green spaces and numerous vertical gardens that will provide more than
enough food for all its residents. The Co Op grounds will become vast growing areas manned by the residents
themselves, who can choose to keep the fruit and veg they harvest or swap it as part of the on-site cooperative
community plan. All green areas will be maintained using waste and rain water and energy will be generated entirely
on-site via solar panels.

It is proposed the housing units will be tucked into the canyon walls, and each one will have its own garden and yard.
There will also be picnic areas, a fitness centre, child care facilities and live/work units available for those who just
won’t want to go anywhere else.

3. Harvest Green Project, Vancouver

Images: Romses Architects

Conceived and designed by Romses Architects, the Harvest Green Project was a recent winner in ‘The 2030
Challenge’ – a competition held by the City of Vancouver to address climate change, reduce carbon emissions and
guide greener and denser development within the urban arena.

Harvest’s concept looks at vertical farming and is based on the premise that because food is so closely
interconnected with human existence, we should afford it more importance within our communities. In their urban
design, Romses apportioned areas within the Harvest buildings for growing fruit, vegetable and herbs, and also
included pens for chickens, sheep and goats. The plots throughout the building will be irrigated using rainwater
collected in a large tank on the rooftop and renewable energy to power the building will be ‘harvested’ from wind,
solar and geothermal sources.

The green element of the Harvest Project doesn’t stop there; as well as food and energy harvesting, Romses
included a large farmers market and supermarket in the concept, along with ideas for transport and proposals for
education and research facilities that would service the community and beyond. The completion of the Harvest Green
Project will certainly pave the way for Vancouver’s ambitious plans to become the most sustainable city in the world.
4. Frasers Broadway, Sydney

Images: Hermeneusis
Already dubbed ‘the most sustainable development in Australia’, Frasers Broadway is a commercial, residential and
retail complex set to take over the old Kent Brewery in Sydney. Located only a few minutes from Central Station, the
250,000 square meter development will consist of a collection of buildings within a 14-acre block, designed by various
architects, including the celebrated Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Foster & Partners. Australian firms will feature heavily in
the design, too, with contributions from Johnson Pilton Walker, Tzannes Associates, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Turf
Design, making it a truly international affair.

The overall aim of the project is to achieve carbon neutrality – a step towards reducing the city’s emissions by up
60% and part of the Sydney’s 2030 vision plan. To achieve this, Frasers Broadway will feature a gas-powered co-
generation electricity plant, a wastewater recycling plant, solar power energy and green rooftops.
Along with instructions to include a number of eco-friendly and sustainable features in the design, another stipulation
was that over 32 heritage buildings that already exist on the site will be retained or earmarked for reuse, which only
emphasises the green element of the design and should be lauded.

5. City of the Future, San Francisco

Images: Tuvie
If you needed another reason to visit to one of the top happening cities in the States, here it is: IwamotoScott’s vision
of the future San Francisco – Hydro-Net.
Encompassing a ‘geothermal mushroom’, algae-harvesting towers and a ‘fog flower’, IwamotoScott Architects’ design
won them first prize in the History Channel’s City of The Future contest; a competition to determine what the city
could look like in 2108. Whether it will actually be built or not is another matter, but it certainly falls into the bracket of
inspiring sustainable concepts of the future.

Designed to harness energy from the area’s unique microclimate and geology, above ground Hydro-Net’s fog
catchers would generate distilled fresh water from the city’s foggy atmosphere, while below ground level carbon
nanotube walls would collect and disperse hydrogen produced by algae, which would then be used to power hover-
cars in underground tunnels.

The intricately linked Hydro-Net system would see terrestrial and subterranean worlds become one – a seemingly far
cry from how we live today but judging by the technological advances of certain designs of the moment, we may not
have to wait for almost a hundred years to see designs like Hydro-Net come to fruition.

Dynamic Tower // Dubai // David Fisher

Italian architect David Fisher has designed his first skyscraper, the Dynamic Tower that will be the

first Building in Motion to be constructed in the world, and it will herald a new era of architecture and

become a symbol of a city. Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates

independently at different speeds, resulting in a unique and ever evolving structure that introduces a

fourth dimension to architecture, Time. The skyscraper will offer occupants a 360 degree view and a

constantly changing skyline. The building is equipped with wind turbines on each floor, so it generates

its own electricity.

The rotation will take up to 3 hours, and get power from photovoltaic solar cells and 79 wind turbines,

one located between each floor. The system is meant to create enough energy to power to the entire

tower and still have juice to spare for some surrounding buildings. According to Fisher, two of these

$700 million futuristic scrapers are planned so far, one each in Dubai and Moscow. They will be built

using a truly radical technique.

The Dynamic Tower will be the first skyscraper to be entirely constructed in a factory from

prefabricated parts that are custom made in a workshop, resulting of fast construction and of

substantial cost savings. The only part of the tower built on site will be the skinny center core.

With this method, each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days, units can also be

customized according to the owners needs and styles. The first two towers are to be built in Dubai and

Moscow, construction is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Dynamic Tower // Dubai // David Fisher

Italian architect David Fisher has designed his first skyscraper, the Dynamic Tower that will be the

first Building in Motion to be constructed in the world, and it will herald a new era of architecture and

become a symbol of a city. Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates

independently at different speeds, resulting in a unique and ever evolving structure that introduces a

fourth dimension to architecture, Time. The skyscraper will offer occupants a 360 degree view and a

constantly changing skyline. The building is equipped with wind turbines on each floor, so it generates

its own electricity.

The rotation will take up to 3 hours, and get power from photovoltaic solar cells and 79 wind turbines,

one located between each floor. The system is meant to create enough energy to power to the entire

tower and still have juice to spare for some surrounding buildings. According to Fisher, two of these

$700 million futuristic scrapers are planned so far, one each in Dubai and Moscow. They will be built

using a truly radical technique.

The Dynamic Tower will be the first skyscraper to be entirely constructed in a factory from

prefabricated parts that are custom made in a workshop, resulting of fast construction and of

substantial cost savings. The only part of the tower built on site will be the skinny center core.

With this method, each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days, units can also be
customized according to the owners needs and styles. The first two towers are to be built in Dubai and

Moscow, construction is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Inspired by the cliff-side villages of Anasazi Indians, Co Op Canyon is a terraced urban oasis full of vertical gardens
and lush spaces that aims to create a holistic, community-centered, sustainable city block. Designed by LA-based
architecture and design firm, Standard for the Re:Vision Dallascompetition, the canyon harvests enough rainwater,
solar energy, and agriculture to completely sustain its 1,000 residents.

Co-Op Canyon: Ecotopia Inspired by Anasazi Cliff Dwellings

by Bridgette Meinhold, 06/08/09

filed under: Architecture

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Inspired by the cliff-side villages of Anasazi Indians, Co Op Canyon is a terraced urban oasis full of vertical gardens
and lush spaces that aims to create a holistic, community-centered, sustainable city block. Designed by LA-based
architecture and design firm, Standard for the Re:Vision Dallascompetition, the canyon harvests enough rainwater,
solar energy, and agriculture to completely sustain its 1,000 residents.
Standard‘s design for the Dallas sustainable block was inspired by the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi Indians and their
strong connection to nature. The structure resembles a terraced canyon with housing units tucked into the canyon
wall. On the canyon floor, community gardens are ripe with organic fruits and vegetables that residents grow to use
themselves or exchange within the others as part of a cooperative community. Each residential unit also has its own
garden and yard space.

The co-op is not only centered around the production of food, but also on community, with the aid of a community
kitchen, open space, picnic areas, child care, fitness center and retail space. The community kitchen is the center of
the co-op and functions as a wellness center, providing cooking classes, food tastings, and nutritional education.
Retail space and small live/work units allow some of the residents to remain local for their work and shopping.
The sustainable city block can house up to 1,000 people, and in addition to its strong community aspects it is a zero
carbon and structure that wastes no water. On-site power from solar panels will meet the energy demands of the
community, while waste and rain water will be collected for use in landscape irrigation. Overall Co Op Canyon is a
well thought out community with an appealing design – Standard has clearly thought outside of the box with their
entry.

The Re:Vision Dallas challenged architects and designers to create a residential complex within one city block that
could live up to a LEED-ND rating, carbon neutrality, zero waste water and no run-off, all while reducing construction
waste by 75%. The city block has already been set aside and the winners of the competition will have a chance to sell
their idea to the Dallas developers.
 may 06, 2009

romses architects: harvest green project,

vancouver
 8

harvest green project, vancouver by romses architects

image courtesy romses architects

the ‘harvest green project’ by romses architects was a winning entry in

a recent competition held by the city of vancouver ‘the 2030 challenge’
to address climate change plans and to guide greener and denser development,
reducing carbon emissions for the future.
the concept of ‘harvest’ is explored in the project through the vertical
farming of vegetables, herbs, fruits, fish, egg laying chickens, and a
boutique goat and sheep dairy facility. in addition, renewable energy
will be harvested via green building design elements harnessing geothermal,
wind and solar power. the buildings have photovoltaic glazing
and incorporate small and large-scale wind turbines to turn the
structure into solar and wind-farm infrastructure. in addition, vertical
farming potentially adds energy back to the grid via methane generation
from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals. furthermore,
a large rainwater cistern terminates the top of the ‘harvest
tower’ providing on-site irrigation for the numerous indoor and outdoor
crops and roof gardens.
while the harvest green project supports the city mandate for compact
mixed-use communities in and around transit hubs, it further enhances
the mixed-use programming to include urban farming as a reaffirmation
of the importance of the connection of food to our culture
and daily life. in addition to food and energy harvesting, the proposal
purposefully incorporates program uses for residential, transit, a large
farmers market and supermarket, office and agricultural research and
educational facilities, and food related retail/hospitality. the result will
be a highly dynamic synergy of uses that compliment and support
each other.
harvest green project

image courtesy romses architects

harvest green project

image courtesy romses architects

harvest green project

image courtesy romses architects

harvest green project

image courtesy romses architects

harvest green project – sections

image courtesy romses architects

harvest green project – sections

image courtesy romses architects