March 5, 2014

Five Wild Ideas for Sustainability

These days, sustainability is the buzzword unlocking wild ideas—some soon to be realized. From a domelike structure inspired by butterfly wings to a self-sustaining underwater habitat, check out these five futuristic green projects, all geared to change the world as we know it.

1. Firm: Aleksandar Joksimovic and Jelena Nikolic

Project: Noah’s Ark: Sustainable City

Status: Proposal

Location: Oceans around the world

Standout: Conceived for the Evolo Annual Skyscraper Competition, massive underwater turbines provide energy for this artificial island, which encircles portions of the ocean and is tied to its floor with flexible cables.

2. Firm: Orproject

Project: Bubbles

Status: Seeking developer

Location: Polluted cities in the developing world

Standout: Conceived as a 5.4 million-square-foot enclosed park within a city such as Beijing, Mumbai, or Tehran, Bubbles incapsles a botanical garden that purifies air for nearby buildings.

3. Firm: Phil Pauley

Project: Sub Biosphere 2

Status: Proposal

Location: Oceans around the world

Standout: In the event of an apocalyptic disaster, up to 100 people can live on this closed, self-sustaining underwater habitat, which integrates systems that supply and manage air, food, fresh water, and electricity.

4. Firm: Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Project: Flavours Orchard

Status: Slated for completion in 2017

Location: Dianchi Lake, Kunming, China

Standout: Situated near a lake in southwest China, the 970,000 square foot Flavours Orchard will consist of 45 air-tight, energy-efficient villas designed to produce more energy with solar panels than they will consume.

5. Firm: SAMOO Architects & Engineers

Project: National Research Center for Endangered Species

Status: Proposal

Location: Yeongyang-gun, South Korea

Standout: Indoor/outdoor breeding and research facilities for endangered animals include three bubble-like domes.

Recent Projects