I have been looking at a lot into greener structures of late and this iteration from  architect Robert Ferry has captivated my imagination the most. It was an entrant at a design competition in Dubai which required him to design a tall emblem for the Za’abeel Park. Sadly, it was rejected.

Nonetheless, the Almeisan Tower does give us a glimpse into the future leaving us mesmerized with the way things could shape up. This tower isn’t just a place for recreation. The 600kW solar tower makes it a capable energy grid good enough to power the structures within and the park as well, of course.

(more…)

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

New York is one of the most glittering places in the United States, not just for its opulence, but for the glowing lights as well. What is hurting though is the large chunk of energy consumed on a daily basis to power those lights. With the judicious use of energy becoming a priority to help cool the earth it is mandatory to think of greener solutions in the Big Apple.

(more…)

The natives of Boston, MA will definitely remember the Big Dig Highway project or more aptly the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T). There were 600,00lbs of refuse for that project which instead of being dumped, has been all converted into an uber stylish modern private house in Lexington, MA.

It didn’t come easy though as the Big Dig House started as a project with infrastructural waste in 2006 and has now ended up as a plush house three years later.

(more…)

The Sears Tower in Chicago is to undergo a “green” change that will cost a cool $350 million. The plan is to make the 110-story office tower,the tallest building in the United States as well as in the Western Hemisphere at a height of 1,450 feet, “a beacon for environmentally sound space.”

Green Sears Tower

American Landmark Properties, which owns Sears Tower, expects to cut the building’s electricity consumption by 80% and water consumption by 40%. Sears Tower, built in 1973, will be renamed Willis Tower later in the summer of 2009.

The 9-point “green” plan for Sears Tower includes the following measures:

(more…)

The prototype of the prefab home of Blue Sky Homes in Yucca Valley in California, the United States, is now complete, weeks after installing the footings. And the photos of the prototype, released by Dave McAdam, owner of the Yucca Valley, show what one expert described as “an excellent example of clean, efficient, contemporary, desert architecture.”

Blue Sky Homes Prefab Home Ready

(more…)

The concept of urban farming has taken the shape of the wings of a dragonfly in the Roosevelt Island in New York City. The initiative aims at relieving shortage of food as well as “reconnecting” consumers with producers.

Dragonfly Vertical Farm in New York

(more…)

In the modern era, sustainable living has to be a priority if we care about our planet. Laguna Beach is thronged with architecture that defines sustainable living at its best as it has long embraced the environmentalist movement. The latest addition to the Laguna Beach is the Susi Q Senior and Community Center.

The building has been laid on a 8,200 square feet area. It has been designed by LPA Architects, built by Swinerton Builders, while the project management was taken care of by Griffin Structures.

It is not just about the ‘obvious’ contemporary space with clean lines, there are sustainable design elements which can be used as a benchmark for other architectural structures.

Natural daylight is ensured using skylights and solar tubes. There are operable aluminum-clad windows and water efficiency is warranted using drip irrigation and water efficient fixtures.

Most of the building material used is recycled content and 75% of the construction waste has been recycled back again. Cooling is an important factor in islands and therefore the heat island reduction is done using cool roofs.

Looks like a lovely place, isn’t it? [via Jetsongreen]

Here is a mighty good example of how apparently “useless” objects— however big they are, could be put to good use.

Since the officials of the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, were not prepared to let go waste three abandoned sewage treatment silos, they invited proposals, on a competitive basis, in order to settle on the best use that these structures can be put to use.

An interesting and practical proposal came from NL Architects, based in Amsterdam, suggesting that the huge silos be turned into climbing towers. The silos would also house multi-purpose areas, offices, restaurants and such other commercial spaces.

According to the plan put forward by NL Architects, in the fashion of the Denmark Water Tower Renovation, the roofs of two towers of Amsterdam’s silos could be extended up to 18 meters – the maximum height the towers could support.

(more…)

Dubai’s free zone— the Food City, as it was named by the city’s Chamber of Commerce, has been designed by the creative architects from GCLA as a self sufficient metropolis. An off-the-grid structure that doesn’t lack on sustainable features, the future-forward urban quarter is going to sport vertically stacked green walls and aquatic farms, artificial roof landscapes, renewable energy and thermal conditioning systems.

An amazing project that brings life to a sandy city, GCLA architects also thought of integrating features meant to lower energy and water consumption. Hence why the Food City is going to use concentrated solar collectors, towers covered in thin-film photovoltaic cells, piezoelectric pads in pedestrian areas, and methane harvesting through sewage percolation tanks. It’s also designed to use a set of atmospheric water harvesting, solar desalination through concentrated solar collectors and grey water recycling systems to keep water levels under control.

Ambitious an visionary, Dubai is going to change soon (even more than it did in the last few years) and we get to witness it all. It’s stunning!

The Obama administration has said its open season on hunting of gray wolves in Idaho. Red Riding Hood will be safe again on her way to grandma’s house.

Bush’s administration removed the wolves from the federal endangered species list in Montana and Idaho. Earthjustice says it is too early. They prefer the Big Bad Wolf to Little Red.

Wolves take a huge toll on big game animals – elk, for example and little girls.

Wyoming is still a safe haven for wolves if the furry fellows can just figure out where the state lines are.

Once on verge of losing the wolves altogether, their restoration is considered one of the greatest conservation achievements in US history— depending on whether or not you ask the folk of fairy tales.

Still, a wolf is a creature that has been blessed with life on this planet. There is a place for them and the balance ought not be kept with guns. But, neither should they be allowed to eat little girls or their grandmothers.

Right?

[via MotherJones] Images by douglas-brown and dobak (1+2)