Taking home the History Channel's $10,000 prize for designing the "City of the Future" we have IwamotoScott's vision of San Francisco in 2108. Sometimes we talk about technologies a few years down the road, but we like to keep stuff grounded here at EcoGeek. Looking more than 30 years into the future has always turned out to be craptastically inaccurate.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that this kind of vision is useless. While some elements (giant carbon nanotube algae towers and underground hovercar highways) are fairly insane, thinking of the survival of our cities in the face of another century's continued growth is pretty important.
I say hovercars are crazy because I don't really think they'll ever provide an advantage over cars (especially not underground.) And if we're going to have giant algae plants, I assume we'll build them outside of the city where land is exponentially cheaper...so we don't have to build giant carbon nanotube towers to house them. Call me crazy.
Nonetheless, the elements of the plan that make sense make great sense. Pulling energy from the sun and storing it in algae on a large scale? Excellent. Powering the city of San Francisco with local underground geothermal power? Fantastic. Taking the load off the rivers and ocean with moisture collectors a la Tatooine? Absolutely fabulous.
Indeed, I think it deserves the $10,000 grand prize, even if I don't think humanity is ever going to graduate to the hovercar...(O Future! Please prove me wrong!)
Tons of pictures after the jump.
Via Inhabitat
Russia's oil and gas industry has taken on new life in the last decade. Consolidation and capitalism have increased production and profits to new heights. And so we should start expecting to see these companies to start doing outlandish things with their profits.
Paris is well known for its rich traditions of arts and culture. Now the city is looking to continue this legacy in the coming century by supporting a new project that perfectly blends a refined sense of style with innovative environmentally conscious designs.
Callebaut says his objective with the structure is to “absorb and recycle by photo-catalytic effect the cloud of harmful gases (Smog) from the intense traffic near Paris." The building's spacious interior provides a public meeting space replete with a central courtyard and natural lagoon. The building also features strips of green plant cover on the rooftop. These strips collect rainwater for use in the lagoon and elsewhere in the building.
Your ratty old blue jeans may be stuffing the walls of a new banking center in Manhattan - and Bank of America anticipates receiving the highest certification for Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) for new construction because of it.
