Architecture

London's famous coal power station about to get new, green lease on life

By Loz Blain

22:51 June 24, 2008 PDT

June 25, 2008 A controversial development proposal now under consideration aims to turn London's iconic but defunct Battersea Power Station into a carbon-neutral biofuel power plant. The proposal also includes a 300 meter-tall residential tower featuring solar powered climate control and a glass 'eco-dome' that would allow residents to grow tropical roof gardens even in London's distinctly non-tropical weather. But is it a revolutionary plan to revitalize an old collapsing fossil fuel plant with a new green lease of life, or simply a grandstanding attempt by a property developer to build an ultramodern skyscaper in old London town? Read More

Burj Al-Taqa: self-sufficient skyscraper design

By Noel McKeegan

03:22 June 5, 2008 PDT

This concept eco-skyscraper from German-based architects Gerber Architekten combines traditional building ventilation techniques with the ability to generate 100% of its energy needs using wind and solar power. And the likely location for the "Burj Al-Taqa" or "Energy Tower” - you guessed it - Dubai. Read More

Two-mile high termite nest proposed to counter the population challenge

By Loz Blain

18:01 May 4, 2008 PDT

May 5, 2008 Forward-thinking architects are looking upwards in an effort to control a global population that is growing by around 2.2 per cent every year and becoming ever more concentrated in crowded cities. Eugene Tsui is taking nature as the inspiration for his 2-mile high, one-mile wide Ultima Tower, capable of housing up to a million people. Designed to be virtually impervious to wind, water and earthquakes, the massive tower is conceived less as an architecture project but as a series of mini-ecosystems within which other architectural projects can be developed. And it offers some ingenious ideas on energy production, water use and intra-colony transport. At US$150 billion a pop, you wouldn't expect to see the Ultima being built any time soon, but as population pressure increases, it's pioneering ideas like these that will form the inspiration for real-world solutions. Read More

Energy-positive wind powered rotating skyscraper set to begin construction in Dubai

By Loz Blain

21:34 April 17, 2008 PDT

Dubai has well earned its reputation for architectural extravagance and excess. Not a cent has been spared as various developers vie to produce the biggest, the most stunning, the most luxurious and the most outrageous projects ever undertaken. And while this next project is right up there in terms of luxury, exclusivity and head-spinning architectural genius, it adds a fascinating extra dimension - the ability to generate ten times as much power as it will use. Each floor of Dynamic Architecture's wind-powered rotating skyscraper is a single apartment with the ability to rotate independently, giving residents the ability to choose a new view at the touch of a button - quite a party trick. Wind turbines between each floor will generate a vast surplus of electricity capable of powering the whole surrounding neighborhood. Construction is set to begin soon in Dubai, with a second tower to follow in Moscow and numerous other sites around the world being considered. Read More

AeroVironment awarded patents for wind-power system

By Emily Clark

20:40 April 13, 2008 PDT

April 14, 2008 A name familiar to Gizmag readers through its achievements in the field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, AeroVironment is also a developer of efficient electric energy systems, an area in which it has been awarded a series of patents relating to its "Architectural Wind® Building-Integrated Energy Generation System" - a system which takes a new approach to harnessing wind power using low-profile turbines designed to maximize electricity generation by taking advantage of the way wind flows over certain types of buildings. Read More

London's mile-high vertical village

By Loz Blain

02:18 March 18, 2008 PDT

March 18, 2008 One of the key challenges in urban architecture over the next 50 years will be figuring out how to squeeze vast numbers of additional people into urban areas that are already extremely crowded. London, for example, will somehow have to deal with a projected 100,000 extra inhabitants every year until 2016. The current plan of building new "commuter towns" on the city's outskirts causes a raft of problems - but architecture think tanks are working on ambitious solutions that go vertical instead of horizontal in search of space. Could 100,000 people be comfortably housed in a single structure? Could one building realistically be a whole new town, with schools, parks, public squares and hospitals? Read More

New Toronto waterfront development will have a “future proof” energy centre

By Jude Garvey

18:43 March 17, 2008 PDT

March 18, 2008 Waterfront Toronto, a 2,000 acre area of largely publicly owned land, is one of the largest urban developments currently underway in North America. As part of the project, a 3500 square meter District Energy Centre is under development which will consist of an interconnected network of underground pipes which that be extended to every area in each of the waterfront precincts. The plant will initially be powered by natural gas but the design will incorporate the necessary features for easy conversion to more sustainable, alternative fuel sources when they are approved for urban use. This "future-proof" system will make the new waterfront neighborhood a more efficient and sustainable user of energy in years to come. Read More

Architecture students think outside the box to design low-cost, less-waste housing

By Jude Garvey

00:28 February 20, 2008 PST

A non-profit organization has given architecture students a chance to learn about the practical, hands-on elements of their future profession whilst exposing them to the benefits of building low-cost, sustainable housing using materials sourced from the local area. Since 2000, DesignBuildBluff and graduate students from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture & Planning have designed and built energy-efficient, inexpensive houses using natural building methods and materials made of recycled products and locally salvaged waste or by-products. Read More

TAG Heuer opens 360 Degree Watchmaking Museum

By Noel McKeegan

22:32 February 5, 2008 PST

February 6, 2008 TAG Heuer has inaugurated its “TAG Heuer 360” Private Museum in a ceremony hosted by Formula One star Lewis Hamilton at the company's headquarters in La Chaux-De-Fonds, Switzerland. Celebrating the 150 year history of the Swiss watchmaker, the facility combines striking circular architecture with a world first 360-degree conical movie screen that uses a battery of 12 computers processing over 1 million images to bring visitors a unique presentation celebrating the 150 year history of the Swiss watchmaker. Read More

IKEA housing development steams ahead in UK

By Emily Clark

05:59 August 15, 2007 PDT

August 15, 2007 Work has now begun on the first BoKlok "flat-pack housing" development at St James Village in Gateshead, UK. Previewed in Gizmag in May this year, the project aimed at delivering fast, affordable, energy efficient and stylish housing has just moved into its construction phase. Read More

Domestic rainwater tanks with style: LUMI, the functional water feature

By Loz Blain

June 3, 2007 Long-term droughts in places like Australia have put water-saving solutions at the forefront of designers' minds - and while some manufacturers are keen to hide their domestic rainwater catchment tanks out of view, others are taking a very different approach. Melbourne's Full Tank has designed a household water tank that not only serves to cut domestic mains water usage by 20%, but also acts as an attractive and modern architectural design and lighting feature. The LUMI rainwater tank is a glowing sculpture in celebration of responsible water use. Read More

Lunabrite, the completely unpowered night light

By Loz Blain

June 21, 2007 Here's a simple, brilliant and very useful new product - glowing strip lights that recharge fully in the sunlight and glow for between 3 and 12 hours after dark without ever needing batteries or electricity. Expect to see Lunabrite strips appearing in architecture, marine, sporting, safety and even fashion applications in the very near future. Read More

The relocatable KITAHAUS Pod

By Mike Hanlon

October 10, 2006 As technology evolves, our ability to create remarkable temporary living and working environments has grown considerably, as can be evidenced by our recent stories on relocatable structures such as the off-the-grid home, the Sphere House, the Nackros Villa, the Free Spirit Sphere, the LoftCube and the first mobile hotel room. Now we can add to that the KitaHaus Pod which is designed as a stand-alone accommodation or temporary office and can also be interlink to create unique temporary or permanent living and working environments. The KitaHaus legs are adjustable so it can be situated in almost any site including normally unusable sloped and wooded areas. The construction is of sustainable materials using glulam frame, over boarded in 12mm ply and insulated using Actis super 9 fabric. The entire surface is then tiled using larch timber shingles which will eventually turn a silver grey colour. The pod’s main usage is envisaged as a holiday retreat but clearly it has many possibilities with an anticipated cost of GBP 50,000 to GBP 75,000 depending on volumes. Read More