Prime Time: Cornerstone Shelter: Architecture

[Cris]

Discuss different kinds of housing, buildings and other structures here.

[Cris]

Dynamic Architecture: The Rotating Tower. Dubbed “rotating tower in motion” based on Dynamic Architecture concept by Florentine architect David Fisher the Rotating Tower currently being constructed in Dubai is first of its kind. This building will constantly in motion, with each floor capable of moving independently 360 degrees. The building also generates its own electricity (with enough left over for other surrounding buildings) by using 48 wind turbines that are fitted between each of the rotating floors. There are also solar panels positioned on the building’s roof. The floor rotates about 200 feet (6 meters) a minute.

The Rotating Tower has a central concrete core surrounded by 59 independently rotating levels. It will also be the first skyscraper built with industrial systems process, where 90% of the building materials will be produced and constructed as modules in an industrial factory set up in Jebel Ali. Each floor of the tower will consist of 48 modules that will arrive at the job site completely finished and self-contained with electrical, plumbing as well as air-conditioning systems ready for use. The modules will then be mechanically assembled at the rate of one floor every three days. The central core, the only part that will be built on-site using traditional techniques, will house the stationary elements like the elevator shafts, staircases, plumbing and other utilities.

When completed, the rotating tower skyscraper will have 68 floors and will be 1,027 feet (313 meters) high. There will be a six-star hotel, offices and apartments of various sizes besides five villas on the top floor. Each of the villas will have designated parking on the same floor with vehicles brought up and down in special elevators. The roof of the Penthouse villa will also have a swimming pool and a garden. The tower also have a retractable heliport, a platform that will extend from the shell of the building at the 64th floor at the moment of landing, thus maintaining the dynamic aesthetic architecture of the tower.



These links shows the skyscraper in motion and the middle one features an interview with the architect.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfZpUyvOGMg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq-QUkE1DGM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbLlt-9kCuw

Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:27 am JenDiMarco wrote:

This building, the Dynamic Tower, challenges us like none of the technology we're seen before. Meaning, as writers, we've just been asked to stretch our minds to the extreme. This tower is *now*... imagine what mid-Prime Time will be. Imagine what *post*-Prime Time will bring? 8O

[Cris]

This You Tube features a number of different views of the evolving skyline of Dubai and also some great aerial shots of the city.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8k7pkGKKA

[Cris]

3.25.2010 at 10:02pm: Jennifer wrote: We've talked about these amazing rotating skyscrapers for a while now and we even have a character (Guine DiMassa, in the "Under the Influence" series of comics) who designs and builds them. But this one takes the idea to a whole new level:





From an *amazing* site called dvice (as in futuristic devices) at dvice.com/archives/2008/10/editt_tower_add.php:

"Singapore's EDITT Tower, or the "Ecological Design In The Tropics" Tower, is green inside and out. Designed by the architects at TR Hamzah & Yeang and sponsored by the National University of Singapore, the 26-story structure features a prominent living wall of plants that adds some color, ventilation and dedicated biogas generation.

"The plants take up about half of the structure and it's planned that it'll be made from local vegetation. Ramps will connect EDITT to the surrounding shops and offices, so people can pop in for a visit to check out the garden. The building is also covered with photovoltaic panels that'll account for 39.7% of its power, and rainwater will be collected for both plant irrigation and supplying the building's water supply for flushing a toilet, for instance."

dvice.com/

3.25.2010 at 11:06pm: Launa wrote: [/color]Oh my gosh. That is completely gorgeous.

3.26.2010 at 1:45am: GamerChick wrote: Jennifer? Baby, is that one of Guine's designs? It looks like a totally different beast than the steel and glass tower we first had on the forum!


3.27.2010 at 3:15am Summer wrote: Jennifer, Olivia and I could not get over that rotating tower. It's incredible.

3.27.2010 at 3:56am Olivia wrote: At first glance I felt the rotating tower looked like a messy sandwich with greens run amuck. Very unappealing unless I was very hungry. But then I read on and thought it through while I read a pointless waste of trees at work that could have served the planet better as toilet paper, and I've quite decided that these towers are vital and beautiful.

They are not a mess, but rather, a hot mess. They could easily create a forest, a jungle even, in the middle of a sprawling cesspool of a city, complete with flora and fauna, a full ecosystem hand-in-hand with the Human (and Immortal) denizens of the tower itself.

I propose in the Mardi Gras 3000 universe, that alluring and hard-to-get Ms. Guine DiMassa designs these green towers. After all, this is an alternate history, right?

[GamerChick]

Maybe these should get filed under Transportation but city planning and dynamic buildings just seems to fit really well below these green and fabulous towers.

Here are the parking lots/recharge centers to go with the dynamic towers that Hot Mama Guine is building!

www.greendiary.com/entry/eco-friendly-parking-lots-for-gray-pastures-and-green-minds/

I like this one most...



...though it might work best for on Hom. It seems almost to artistic. Any one else have thoughts on which might work well for Earth Prime Time? Or other ideas?

(I am assuming we're going to have primarily, if not all, electric cars by then.)

Gille

[Mira]

Gille, I went to your link and really enjoyed reading about many of the green projects that are already right here on Earth. A lot of them are very artistic. Maybe Hom and Earth can both be colorful?

This one is a parking garage but I think all the Hom roofs could be this way. City sky-scrapers on Earth in Prime Time or even before could be this was. Maybe even the top five or ten floors. All the while gathering energy.



"A design from Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners and James Mary O’Connor that flaunts its attention-grabbing aesthetics with a touch of green attributes. This parking garage in the US incorporates green features like a rooftop solar photovoltaic array to provide shade and on-site renewable energy, storm-drain water-treatment system, greywater harvesting. As far as the construction goes, recycled materials with low-VOC paints and finishes have been used. The building envelope utilizes low-e glazing to decrease heating and cooling loads and the mechanicals are energy efficient."

[Luz]

Mira, I thought your building was very beautiful! It inspired me to find more colorful and artistic energy-gathering structures and buildings that are on Earth now. I think Earth can be a very vibrant future place because it already has all these things.

I actually don't imagine the Celestial homeworld as very colorful because the people themselves are very colorful. I imagine they use a lot of reflective surfaces and moving surfaces like windmill artwork and water sculpture. I think Earth should get to kep most of these colorful buildings.

I really like our idea of skyscrapers being required to create their own energy or at least a portion of their own energy by having their top several floors be that rainbow glass. What would be housed there? Have you heard about the cities in America where they require new construction to have a budget for on-site artwork such as murals and sculptures? Maybe those top floors would have to be pubic access gardens and galleries or theatres or concert halls?

Luz

Other beautiful structures gathering energy:

www.greendiary.com/entry/spectacular-solar-trees-delight-to-your-eyes-and-the-environment/













(Vivien Muller has designed one of the most aesthetically pleasing solar tree concepts in the world. The modular tiny bonsai tree features up to 54 mini-photovoltaic cells that behave as tree leaves and soak up juice from the sun. The energy is stored in a battery during the day and can be used to charge your gadgets whenever required. To give it a neat look all the wires are hidden under the electronic bonsai tray. Several modules that can be rotated individually have gone into making the tree. You can obtain different shapes by arranging it according to your choice.)

[Cris]

Apr 15, 2010 6:59:05 GMT -8 GamerChick said:

Maybe these should get filed under Transportation but city planning and dynamic buildings just seems to fit really well below these green and fabulous towers.

Here are the parking lots/recharge centers to go with the dynamic towers that Hot Mama Guine is building!

www.greendiary.com/entry/eco-friendly-parking-lots-for-gray-pastures-and-green-minds/

I like this one most...



...though it might work best for on Hom. It seems almost to artistic. Any one else have thoughts on which might work well for Earth Prime Time? Or other ideas?

(I am assuming we're going to have primarily, if not all, electric cars by then.)

Gille

Gille, cool find. Thank you!

I have a question: In the original rotating tower, parking is on the same floor as your suite. I wonder if there's a way to combine the green tower and the recharge stations. These stations are cool, but they take up a lot of space. PT architecture seems to be going up rather than spreading out and if so, this might not be a very feasible design.

Ideas?

Cris

[Cris]

Mira and Luz,

Wow, these are all simply beautiful design. Perhaps you've answered the question I posed to Gille. Some kind of green array on top of the rotating tower?

Cris

[GamerChick]

That sounds good to me, Cris. Hey, I love the green vines and wild real plants hanging off everything, but maybe mixed in with these could be the solar trees?

Or...

I actually like Mira's find better. The colored glass for the top few floors of every skyscraper? Let's say we have this president who says just what Luz proposes -- skyscrapers have to gather their own dang energy and provide space for the arts in those top floors.

I like the look of living plants hanging off of everything, too.

Maybe my nifty solar trees could appear lining streets in early PT? Like, instead of living trees (which have to be moved up to the top of skyscrapers to get any decent air) the solar trees line trees and fill parks. Different cities could have different styles (like some of the ones that Luz posted).

Gille

[Jennifer]

Apr 20, 2010 15:33:50 GMT -8 GamerChick said:

The colored glass for the top few floors of every skyscraper... president who says skyscrapers have to gather their own dang energy and provide space for the arts in those top floors. Living plants hanging off of everything, too.

Maybe my nifty solar trees could appear lining streets in early PT? Like, instead of living trees (which have to be moved up to the top of skyscrapers to get any decent air) the solar trees line trees and fill parks. Different cities could have different styles (like some of the ones that Luz posted).

I love both of these ideas and I think the solar trees lining streets and peppered in parks (or being the only type of tree in parks) could start in mid-PT and continue throughout.

Jennifer

[Admin]

The solar trees are truly beautiful. It does make sense, Jennifer, that they wouldn't really become prevalent until mid-PT.

This, too, reminded me not of just what PT might look like on earth, but something that would exist on Hom...



From inhabitat.com/2009/09/28/sonumbra-solar-tree/ :

"As advancements in lighting technology unveil fresh materials, we’re thrilled to see designers exploring new ways to light up the night. SonUmbra is a solar-powered tree composed of strands of light-emitting fabric woven into a lucent web of branches. The installation’s canopy of photovoltaic panels captures light during the day, and once the sun sets the tree blooms in an interactive flourish of light and sound.

We were thrilled to catch a glimpse of SonUmbra at this year’s London Design Festival, where its beautiful glow signaled a bright future for energy-efficient lighting. Designed by Loop.pH, the “sonic shade of light” is intended to be “planted” in remote areas, where it offers shelter from the sun by day and serves as a gathering place for the local community at night.

The installation is constructed from a light emitting fabric that is crafted into a lattice of electroluminescent fibers. As passerby move around the solar tree, the installation strikes up an interplay of light and sound that encourages interaction. According to loop.PH, 'This latticed pattern is animated in concert with the generated surround sound and visually illustrates the visitors’ position within the constellation. Wandering unaware or actively gravitating towards Sonumbra each person plays a part and becomes a note in a unique composition of light, sound and space.' "







Brianne

[Luz]

In bigger cities were pollution gets too thick, these trees could still thrive. In the classic "Blade Runner" film they talk about how the air is so much cleaner the higher up you live (such as floor 100 or more) and so the wealthy live high. There could be gardens up high of real green growing things but maybe only these solar trees and energy trees and plants lower to the ground. Like layers of strata showing the culture of the future.

Luz

[Erik]

I would totally incorporate that strata idea into my post-PT stuff, Luz. I actually even like that idea: "Where you at on the social strata, dude?"

Erik

[Admin]

From thechive.com/2010/04/06/first-the-compact-car-now-the-compact-house/ :













From www.inhabitots.com/2009/09/22/habitable-polyhedron-by-manuel-villa-a-new-familys-home-away-from-home/ :

"Habitable Polyhedron by Manuel Villa – A New Family’s Garden Escape

Parents of newborns should be first in line for a relaxing getaway, but being homebound tends to go with the territory of caring for a new baby. Architect Manuel Villa had the best of both worlds in mind when he designed his Habitable Polyhedron, a place of respite in the garden of a family’s home in Bogota, Columbia. An ‘independent space from day to day house activities,’ the Habitable Polyhedron is a dwelling place in nature designed to embrace a child and his parents.

Villa’s unique geometric aesthetic for this structure “is inspired in the shape’s perception processes children develop in their first years of life. The basic shapes of things and their differences are key elements in the development of knowledge, and specifically in acquiring reading skills and geometric basic concepts.” One face of Habitable Polyhedron’s pine structure opens onto a teak deck leading to the outside, and small windows and a skylight allow for ample natural light. A workspace and a sofa round out the internal features."