Lowline
The Lowline is a plan to use innovative solar technology to illuminate an historic trolley terminal on the Lower East Side of New York City. Our vision is a stunning underground park, providing a beautiful respite and a cultural attraction in one of the world’s most dense, exciting urban environments.The proposed location is the one-acre former Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, just below Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The site was opened in 1908 for trolley passengers, but has been unused since 1948 when trolley service was discontinued. Despite six decades of neglect, the space still retains some incredible features, like remnant cobblestones, crisscrossing rail tracks and vaulted ceilings. It is also directly adjacent to the existing JMZ subway track at the Essex Street subway stop– so park visitors and subway riders would interact daily. This hidden historic site is located in one of the least green areas of New York City— presenting a unique opportunity to reclaim unused space for public good.
Source: The lowline (2019) The lowline . The lowline. Retrieved from: http://thelowline.org/
Bosco Verticale
In recent times, the “Vertical Forest” (Bosco Verticale in Italian) designed by Boeri Studio. It has been one of the most discussed architectural designs, both in Italy and internationally.
Vertical Forest is a residential complex consisting of two towers, 110 and 76 meters high (160 and 250 feet), completed in 2014 in Milan’s Porta Nuova district. The most interesting aspect of a project which – for its visually striking aspect – is possibly the most famous among the many built in Milan in the last years – is that Vertical Forest is a sort of “pilot project” of a new generation of sustainable buildings.
Source: Bianchini, R (2018) The Vertical Forest towers in Milan by Boeri. Phenomenon or archetype?.Inexhibit. Retrieved from: https://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/the-vertical-forest-towers-in-milan-by-boeri-phenomenon-or-archetype/
Agora Garden
Described by Vincent Callebaut as "neither single tower, nor twin towers", the 20-storey Agora Garden apartment block is designed with a double-helix structure that twists up around a fixed central core."Different from the modern city built of concrete, glass and steel, the Agora Garden tower appears in an urban centre as a green twisted mountain," says the architect.Balconies on each floor will be filled with plants, vegetable gardens and fruit trees, creating a cascading layer of greenery across the exterior. These will enable residents to grow their own food and compost all their biodegradable waste.Between two and four apartments will be located on each floor of the building and will integrate a number of sustainable technologies, including rainwater-harvesting and solar energy.
Source: Frearson,A (2013) AGORA GARDEN by Vincent Callebaut.Dezeen.Retrievedfrom: https://www.dezeen.com/2013/04/05/agora-garden-by-vincent-callebaut/
Asian Cairs
Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has developed a concept to introduce natural ecosystems into cities with designs for "farmscrapers" made from piles of giant glass pebbles for a site in Shenzhen, China.
As a response to the rapid urbanisation going on in the country, Vincent Callebaut wanted to completely rethink the current structure of cities and do away with suburbs. "The more a city is dense, the less it consumes energy," he explains.
He continues: "The challenge is to create a fertile urbanisation with zero carbon emissions and with positive energy. This means producing more energy that it consumes, in order to conciliate the economical development with the protection of the planet."
Source: Frearson, A (2013) Asian Cairs by Vincent Callebaut. Dezeen. Retrievedfrom: https://profesionaleshoy.es/jardineria/2019/06/28/asian-cairns-espacios-de-cultivo-verticales-en-la-ciudad-de-shenzhen/18572
Hyperions
‘hyperions’ is a sustainable agro-ecosystem project that is capable of resisting climate change due to healthy economic and environmental systems. developed under vincent callebaut architectures, the study aims to combine archaeology and sustainable food systems, that grow up around wooden and timber towers in new delhi, india. ‘hyperions’ is made of six garden towers, each 36-story high containing residential and office spaces. the name comes from the tallest tree in the world ‘the hyperion’ – a sequoia semperviren found in northern california – whose size can reach 115.55 metres (close to 380 feet). the aim behind the project was to create a cultural hub that combines urban renaturation, small scale farming, environmental protection and biodiversity.
Source: Smith, H 2016) Vincent Callebaut's Hyperions is a sustainable ecosystem that resists climate change. Desingboom. Retrievedfrom:https://www.designboom.com/architecture/vincent-callebaut-hyperions-sustainable-ecosystem-02-22-2016/
