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.

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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!

There is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind at this point that the Middle East is the sand box for eco-architects and designers who wish to incorporate green designs with fluid forms, creating structures of beauty, utility and majesty. Since there’s a demand for unique, astonishing and eco-friendly buildings, the Helix Hotel is just one of those.

Designed by Leeser Architects and forming a captivating corkscrew from top to bottom with no clear breaks, the entire structure garners green energy from both the sun and the wind, and flows from retail and residential to hotel suites and saunas. All set to take shape in Abu Dhabi, the specially designed GROW panels made from 100% recyclable polyethylene on the exterior of the Helix Hotel will harness both solar and wind energy for the power needs inside.

And all these are being put together, while a spectacular ocean-fed waterfall in the atrium  will help maintain interior climate and humidity levels! Add to this the fact that no two rooms of this 280-roomed building will be alike and you have a one-of-a-kind hotel that merges green function with sizzling form…

Another jewel in the crown of Dubai, eh? [via Inhabitat]

While the world is witnessing a terrible financial crunch, Dubai remains calm and unaffected by this crisis. Their vivid taste for exotic high rise constructions fuels their desire for more of the kind. Meeras Construction is one such company which has visions of making Dubai a very Hi-Tech city. It has recently roped in two architects, Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill to work on four projects, approximating $15 billion. The projects are 1 Dubai, Park Avenue, Park Gate and Meeras Tower.

Jumeirah Gardens Dubai

Part of the Jumeirah Gardens Master Plan - an ongoing construction that is scheduled to be completed in 12 years, the central attraction is 1 Dubai Park. At 2,000ft it is estimated to be the tallest and the largest building in the world. Secondly, there’s 1 Park Avenue, a 116 storey building housing premium offices, condominiums, houses and service apartments apart from the world’s tallest luxury hotel. Third and last in the series is the Park Gate which will consist of six towers connected together by high technology canopied pathways.

All three projects are designed to the highest environmental standards. It looks good on paper, but I want to see them live first and see how sustainable they are. Meanwhile enjoy the astonishing architecture.

WorldArchitectureNews via Inhabitat

Park Gate - Jumeirah Gardens Dubai

Park Gate - Jumeirah Gardens Dubai

1 Park Avenue - Jumeirah Gardens Dubai

1 Park Avenue - Jumeirah Gardens Dubai

Dubai continues to set standards and, why not with all the money the little kingdom has in the bank. Oil money. Our money.

Dr. David Fisher is the designer of this Dynamic Architecture – a wind-powered rotating skyscraper, 420 meters high and with 80 floors that rotate independently. A total of 48 wind turbines will be installed between each floor making it very environmentally friendly and capable of sustaining itself with electricity.

Dubai has some 4,000 hours of wind annually and with that kind of wind generating power, the tower will get all the annual power it needs from just four of the turbines and the other 44 will send power to support Dubai’s power grid .

The wind-powered rotating skyscraper will be built in parallel stages instead of from the ground up, with a solid concrete core and a factory nearby prefabricating each floor in segments. Each apartment will be modular and should be tailored to the individual tenant’s desires.

Another similar project, but smaller is planned for Moscow. Only 400 meters and 70 floors. I now wonder if HSBC knew about this design, before they built their eco-friendly skyscraper.

Meanwhile -‘The Donald’ and His $2B Golf Course is heading the other way.

And maybe Dubai will use Beer Bottles for their hot water system. We can only hope.