You are on page 1of 2

HOW ARCHITECTS HELP THE ENVIRONMENT AND SAVE ENERGY

For mankind to preserve the planet’s ecological health, we must change our perception of what our homes
and industrial buildings should look like, and blend these with nature, rather than replacing nature with
concrete. Architects need to make buildings more green and adaptable to our surroundings. They need to
avoid the sick building syndrome and create buildings that are energy efficient.
Green design is everywhere but there is a long way to go before it is the customary way of doing business.
Many times economics and environmental aspects of a building tend to conflict with each other, as one is
exchanged for the other. Architects need to design ecosystems to be healthier and lessen the pollution
impact on the earth.
The tea-pavilion Posbank is designed by architect Bjarne Mastenbroek and located in the national park
Velume Zoom near Rheden, Netherlands. Nature inspired the architect. The façades are as transparent as
possible. The construction is made of beams and almost invisible bars of steel while the grass roof is part of
the route through the building. The insulation is made of sheep’s wool and the toilets are flushed with
rainwater.Efforts have been made to become more in harmony with nature and the tea-pavilion blends in
with its environment at the end of a range of hills formed in the last ice age. From the entrance, the floor
rises in a continuous spiral that wraps itself around a group of trees ending in a 46 foot cantilever.
Today, our apartments are tied to a set location, but architect, Felipe Campolina, combined eco-friendliness
with the mobility of a trailer. In this dynamic building concept, green roofed, transportable, stackable
dwellings make mobile a real concept in a high-rise environment.
The exoskeleton structure that houses the individual units has three major components. One is a lift for the
modules to move up and down, as needed by the tenant. The next is a tower with a staircase, elevator and
water storage space. A lattice-like structure between each tower provides a place for units to slide into
their levels and pivoted into designated slots. There are six slots per floor.
Each unit is built using OSB plates with thermal and acoustic insulation bound by a rigid steel frame. The
unit is comprised of two boxes, one inside the other, that telescope when in place. The modules contain a
living room, dining room, bathroom and bedroom with a magnificent view. Each module can pivot twenty
degrees without disturbing a neighbor.
If the owner of one of these modules wants a break from city life, he or she can simply lower the home
down onto a truck and take it to the countryside, or if they are just tired of the neighborhood, the module
could be moved to a new location in a similar building.
There is a system of small robots that would regulate building facades, including energy usage, by checking
thermostats, closing windows, adjusting blinds, etc. They would even communicate with building users who
they identify as wasting energy.

Edge Monkey
The use of “edge monkeys” allows us to re-examine the notion of the use of robots in the environment, by
situating them in local building habitats. The architect / engineer can design both robot and habitat,
creating a secure ecology with a role in which the robots might succeed. Edge conditions are very
specialized habitats where the occupants can communicate and co-operate to regulate energy use. Edge
conditions of buildings are complex boundaries.
Recently, facades act as double skin systems where substantial gaps between the inside and outside faces
exist to assist airflow in heating and cooling. The boundary is a crucial area in the design of buildings, both
technically and aesthetically. This boundary could be a place for the edge monkeys, which are designed
together with the boundaries that they serve. Edge monkeys are visible, as they have a job to do in the
boundary zone; they also have the power of communicating beyond it, because they are energy misers.
Part of their role is to signal to internal occupants when the internal occupants are clearly wasting energy,
for example, keeping the blinds down and the lights on when this is unnecessary.
Edge monkeys could create Mexican waves and similar façade effects to entertain passers-by. The edge
monkeys can be delightful to watch as they perform their daily assignments. Now, you won’t have to go to
the zoo to watch a monkey swing on bars.
Notice robotic arms on each side
Eco Pods are an architectural design that can act as a temporary algae bio-reactor in a vertical way. This
concept was designed for Boston and features robotic arms, powered by a micro-algae system, which will
constantly reorganize the pods to different positions to ensure the best possible growing situation for the
algae. Moreover, these eco-pods are intended to inform the public about the potential of producing micro-
algae vertically. In this case, the building was empty. This design element can be placed in a variety of
locations around Boston, filling empty building sites.
Green architecture describes environmentally aware designs and techniques in architecture.
There is a growing demand for eco-design, eco-climate and bio-climate design which combines elements of
design and esthetics with sustainability and ecology. The plants are not only on the outside of this building,
but continue throughout the building itself, giving a contrast between the white walls and the green plants.
Google Headquarters
One of the world leading landscape architects is SWA, leaders in planning and urban design. They create
exceptional places for their clients, such as Google’s headquarters and the eco-corridor in China. They have
a strong commitment to design that synthesizes aesthetics and sustainability.
Ningbo East New Town Eco-Corridor
Architects are now able to take advantage of their sophisticated artistic visions, while minimizing the
negative environmental impact of their structures. Green architecture is full of prospects for the future
from both a creativity perspective, as well as ecological requirements. Because of modern technology,
architects can not only preserve the environment but improve it

You might also like