LM Project in Copenhagen, Denmark

Steven Holl architects have won "the LM project" to design a new harbor entrance to the city of Copenhagen. Connecting office towers and civic spaces with a public walkway 65 meters above the harbor, the project is intended to form an iconic landmark for the city. The design consists of two towers with two bridges meeting
at an angle. Public amenities such as cafes and galleries are also included in the design. The project utilizes sustainable solutions as both towers have high performance glass curtain walls with a veil of solar screen made of photovoltaics; collecting the sun's energy. Wind turbines line the top of the pedestrian bridge roof; providing all electricity for lighting the public spaces.
More of this project and others from the enterprise can be found at www.stevenholl.com.

Nanotechnology for Green Builidng

As I had stated in a previous post, Architecture will never cease to evolve as long as technology evolves. Therefore, nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the molecular scale, is opening new possibilities in green building through products like solar energy collecting paints, nanogel high-insulating translucent panels, and heat-absorbing windows. Even more dramatic breakthroughs are now in development such as paint-on lasers that could one day allow materials to send information to each other (remember this!), windows that shift from transparent to opaque with the flip of a switch, and environmentally friendly biocides for preserving wood. These breakthrough materials are opening new frontiers in green building, offering unprecedented performance in energy efficiency, durability, economy and sustainability...Please welcome the future of Architecture!
I would like to encourage you to visit greentechforum.net for more info as the director of the forum as well as associate professor in the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University in Indiana, Dr. George Elvin, produces webinars for the particular topic and all its innovations and advantages.

Vertical Farms

The concept of indoor farming is not new. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate the increasing population which according to certain demographic trends could go up to 3 billion by the year 2050! An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

Some of the advantages of vertical farming include:
year-round crop production;
no weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests;
all VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers;
VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services;
VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of
evapotranspiration;
VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals;
VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.);
VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers...

The above building is a concept called the Pyramid Farm by Eric Ellingsen.

Mission One: Green Superbike!

"What do you get when you combine lithium-ion batteries with a high-performance electric motor and components straight from the racing circuit? Answer: The fastest production electric motorcycle in the world".

This is how Mission One describes this green superbike which promises frankly...a lot! Going "green" does not in any way mean that we have to sacrifice performance and the "Need for Speed"! On the contrary, its 100 foot-pounds of torque engine delivers a target speed of 150mph with a...battery pack. That's right, it uses a High Energy Lithium-Ion with Integrated Thermal Management System and can last up to 150 miles in a single charge. Recharge time is under 2 hours. How much would that cost? Less than $2!! More information can be found on their website. Take a look, and I promise you'll be mesmerized!

When and where can you buy the Mission One, and how much does it cost? They are now accepting reservations for the Premier Limited Edition of the Mission One, limited to 50 numbered units to be delivered in 2010. You have to complete a form. The deposit amount is $5000, and the sales price is $68,995. Pricy, but environmentally worth it (not to mention its style)!

Veg.itecture?

One of the most interesting structure concept involving green buildings is called Veg.itecture and is based on vegetation as the primary component of a building. Until now it didn’t get too much attention, but Ken Yeang looks to change this situation. Ken is one of the most active promoters of this architecture and his designs are considered masterpieces.

Most of Ken’s buildings are bioclimatic skyscrapers, which means that the structures is alligned with the sun, adjusted to the climatic conditions throughout the year and makes use of lighting and ventilation.

I find this concept really inspiring because it can transform a structure from "dead" to "living", which translates to a harmonic co-existence among nature. By respecting nature, nature will respect us and we will be living in a healthy, clean and above all eco-friendly environment. Post your thoughts!

Green Classrooms

A school in Lutz, Florida, officially opened the nation's first modular classrooms to be registered for Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) for Schools program.

With the opening of nine new environmentally friendly, modular classrooms, Learning Gate Community School, a place where students learn how to incorporate green living into their daily lives, now sets a new standard in education and environmental responsibility.

A Platinum LEED(R) rating is the highest designation given by the USGBC for sustainable building practices. The LEED(R) for Schools program is even more stringent, according to contractors working on the project.

"Virtually every aspect of the buildings is recycled, renewable or organic," said Principal Patti Girard, founder of the environmentally focused charter school. "We used recycled steel frames, lumber approved by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and even soy foam insulation to build the classrooms. We'll even generate a portion of our own electricity by using solar-paneled awnings."

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation awarded Learning Gate a $250,000 grant for the planning and building of the new green classrooms. In appreciation, Learning Gate honored Lowe's today by naming one of the three new buildings "the Lowe's Building."

Green technology in the new buildings will ensure maximum efficiency of lighting and temperature control, important in Florida's hot climate. The windows are designed to maximize natural light and photo-sensitive light fixtures gauge the amount of natural light coming into the rooms and self-adjust. Humidity indicators show when it's favorable to open the windows for a natural breeze. The school's six pre-existing buildings will be retrofitted to sustainable standards over time, according to Girard.

Principal Girard originally opened Learning Gate Community School in 2000 with a vision to develop a school dedicated to ecology and the environment. The Platinum designation, when received, will mark the achievement of turning that dream into a reality.

The school puts environmental sustainability at the center of its daily activities and curriculum. The campus features outdoor classroom settings and an award-winning organic garden where the students learn to grow and harvest food used in their daily lunch preparation.

"There's no rule that students have to sit in a classroom to learn," said Principal Girard. "Our students learn math by measuring growth rates of the vegetables in their garden and find inspiration to write essays while overlooking the pond or watching a fox run by. They're as likely to learn about science at our outdoor student-built weather station as inside one of our new green buildings."

This fall, the school expects to open an organic school kitchen and cafe, along with a program to serve students healthy lunches five days a week and teach them how to grow and prepare healthy and organic foods.

M.A.R.S Floating Wind Generator

Magenn Power’s MARS is a Wind Power Anywhere™ solution with distinct advantages over existing Conventional Wind Turbines and Diesel Generating Systems including: global deployment, lower costs, better operational performance, and greater environmental advantages.
MARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the 1000-foot tether for immediate use, or to a set of batteries for later use, or to the power grid. Helium sustains MARS and allows it to ascend to a higher altitude than traditional wind turbines. MARS captures the energy available in the 600 to 1000-foot low level and nocturnal jet streams that exist almost everywhere. MARS rotation also generates the "Magnus effect" which provides additional lift, keeps the MARS stabilized, and positions it within a very controlled and restricted location to adhere to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) & Transport Canada guidelines.

The Advantages of MARS over Conventional Wind Turbines: Wind Power Anywhere™ removes all placement limitations. Coast-line or off-shore locations are not necessary to capture higher speed winds. Reaching winds at 1,000-feet above ground level allow MARS to be installed closer to the grid. MARS is mobile and can be rapidly deployed, deflated, and redeployed without the need for towers or heavy cranes. MARS is bird and bat friendly with lower noise emissions and is capable of operating in a wider range of wind speeds - from 4 mph to greater than 60 mph.

The Advantages of a MARS combined Wind and Diesel Solution over a Diesel Generator-only solution: MARS can complement a diesel generator by offering a combined diesel-wind power solution that delivers power below 20 cents per kWh. This compares to a wide range of 25 cents to 99 cents per kWh for diesel-alone, reflecting the high fuel and transportation costs in remote areas. The MARS combined solution allows lower pollution and green house gas emissions. It also results in lower handling, transporting, and storage costs.

MARS Target Markets: Developing nations where infrastructure is limited or non existent; off-grid combined wind and diesel solutions for island nations, farms, remote areas, cell towers, exploration equipment, backup power & water pumps for natural gas mines; rapid deployment diesel & wind solutions (to include airdrop) to disaster areas for power to emergency and medical equipment, water pumps; on-grid applications for farms, factories, remote communities; and wind farm deployments.

Motorola W233 Renew

The new Motorola features the industry's first mobile housing made from plastics that contain recycled water bottles and the device is the first certified Carbonfree cellphone on the market. Through an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola offsets the amount of energy required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone. You can also enjoy your music! Not a beautiful phone, but it's a start. More features and specifications can be found here. There are more coming like the Samsung E200 (blackle it!).

Biomass

Biomass is organic material made from plants and animals. Biomass contains stored energy from the sun. Plants absorb the sun's energy in a process called photosynthesis. The chemical energy in plants gets passed on to animals and people that eat them. Biomass is a renewable energy source because we can always grow more trees and crops, and waste will always exist. Some examples of biomass fuels are wood, crops, manure, and some garbage.

When burned, the chemical energy in biomass is released as heat. If you have a fireplace, the wood you burn in it is a biomass fuel. Wood waste or garbage can be burned to produce steam for making electricity, or to provide heat to industries and homes.

Burning biomass is not the only way to release its energy. Biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy like methane gas or transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Methane gas is the main ingredient of natural gas. Smelly stuff, like rotting garbage, and agricultural and human waste, release methane gas - also called "landfill gas" or "biogas." Crops like corn and sugar cane can be fermented to produce the transportation fuel, ethanol. Biodiesel, another transportation fuel, can be produced from left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats.