UFO-like greenhouse spheres to land in our cities, urban village to compliment port in US and designs presented for Norway's most energy efficient office building.
SWITZERLAND
Swiss-American company, Plantagon, is backing a UFO-like greenhouse design, which stands 100m tall and will grow plants on its heated spiral platform. Crops planted at the bottom of the sphere will eventually climb it before being harvested at the top. Plantagon is said to be in talks with 15 cities about constructing its vertical greenhouse in them, with one already planned for India.
UNITED STATES
The Cleveland Planning Commission has approved the first phases of a plan to transform 100 lakefront acres from maritime operations into an urban village. The village will consist of shops, condos, hotels and parks and construction could begin as early as 2011. The planners emphasised that the urban village concept will only work if the condos, restaurants and marinas can co-exist with a working port.
NORWAY
Various Architects, with consultants from Ramboll UK and Pollen Architecture, have presented their design for a low energy, zero-carbon office building. The 3,500 sqm building in Haugesund has been calculated to use 72 kWh/sqm per year, which would make it the most energy efficient commercial building in Norway. Four vertical wind turbines provide 10 per cent of the building's electricity needs, and seawater is used to both heat and cool the building.
CHINA
Metamode, a London-based practice, has won first prize in the A8 Tower Competition in Shenzhen. The winning proposal is for a 52,000 sqm office in the Shenzhen High Tech business park, with construction expected to begin next year. The design includes a responsive facade that adjusts according to remote data from the digital music sales website, A8.com.
UNITED KINGDOM
A team lead by Squire & Partners, Dixon Jones and landscape architects Kim Wilkie Associates will design a new masterplan for the Chelsea Barracks redevelopment. Initial proposals were submitted in September last year and were judged by a design panel. The development had to be readvertised over the summer after the original scheme by Rogers Stirk Harbour was pulled by Qatari Diar.
