Talk about a minimal impact on the environment! I'm not sure if The Cube would be for me, but there is no doubt it's an innovative concept. As a design student, I've found one of the most challenging spaces to design for are small, confined areas. What I found intriguing about this project is the versatility of the purposed-designed chairs and table in the living area. Because The Cube is only 3 x 3 x 3 meters, about 10 x 10 x 10 ft., flexibility of any furniture layouts would be virtually impossible. It's evident that The Cube's design team carefully took into consideration the user's needs within the space; and therefore, was able to successfully design for The Cube's maximum space use. However, one has to wonder if these cubes could be stacked, placed side by side, or reconfigured for multiple occupants. If they could be reconfigured, imagine the possibilities of The Cube. Some possible uses that came to my mind were a unique hotel next to an airport or even inside an airport, short-term housing for camping enthusiasts, or even something packed up and shipped to provide housing for victims of disaster.
The city of Milan, Italy has a bad reputation for its pollution and lack of green space. The Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, includes two residential towers, one reaching 27 and the other reaching 17 stories in height on the edge of the Isola neighborhood. The towers house 900 trees measuring 3, 6, or 9 m tall, and various other shrubs and floral plants.
With this design alone, the city of Milan will be able to optimize flat land by building up instead of out as well as produce energy. According to Stefano Boeri Architetti, "The diversity of the plants and their characteristics produce humidity, absorb CO2 and dust particles, producing oxygen and protect from radiation and acoustic pollution, improving the quality of living spaces and saving energy. Plant irrigation will be produced to great extent through the filtering and reuse of the grey waters produced by the building."
Section of the Vertical Forest Tower
Construction phase- Towers are taking shape
Construction phase- Greenery is being added
the future is looking green The Vertical Forest is only the beginning of Italy's eco-sustainable redevelopment of the Isola neighborhood. Milan Expo Tours stated, "The Vertical Forest is one of six ideas for a new BioMilan, a metropolis aiming to become an icon of biodiversity and of a new balance between man, nature and productivity. The new eco-project will include urban spaces such as a swimming pool and gym, shops, a piazza between the two buildings, and offices."
After an hour of watching countless YouTube videos, I stumbled upon this video and got chills because I was so inspired by the design's simplicity and functionality. The design speaks volumes because it can be built in any part of the world, which in turn saves costs in transporting building materials and practically eliminates climate as an issue. It also addresses many other green solutions such as: water harvesting, recycled materials, on site sewage treatment, day lighting, food production, and solar/thermal dynamics- just to name a few.
After watching the video, you can see how the architects' used unconventional, innovative building materials like recycled tires and pop cans. You might be asking yourself, why are building materials like used tires and pop cans necessary when we have better, more advanced building materials to choose from? The architects of the Simple Survival Earthship sum it up quite nicely by stating, "Housing has been big and inefficient for a long time. Energy shortages and dwindling natural resources are making us look at smaller, more planet dynamic housing. The Earthship Simple Survival Concept is our answer to this issue." This back-to-basic design concept is an excellent solution for developing countries who need low cost, safe structures, or possibly even disaster relief housing. The Simple Survival Earthship addresses these issues because the Earthships are designed for little money and are designed to be constructed in a short amount of time. In addition to low initial costs and a short construction period, the Simple Survival Earthships' require no bills such as electricity or water, your own food and water sources, as well as your own sanitation system. How awesome is that? But most importantly, to someone living in a third world country, such as Hati, this type of innovative technology would be life changing. Unfortunately, I think many people around the world have preconceived notions that design and architecture are lavish extras and only the wealthy can appreciate it because they are the only ones who can afford it. However, this video shows us this couldn't be further from the truth. Design- the true need for good, safe, clean design- is needed most by the people who don't have access to the services, the technology, or the money to afford it. These are the people the world should and needs to design for. As a future designer, I can only imagine how gratifying it would be to be a part of a design team working on a sustainable project such as the Simple Survival Earthship. From this project alone, it's clear that green design does have huge benefits for the environment as well as everyone living in it.
what are your thoughts?
Is this the future of designing sustainable buildings? Or is it a fad that will soon fade out?
Would you ever consider living in a Simple Survival Earthship because of its various benefits such as virtually no maintenance and now utility bills?
Are the Earthships a viable option for third world countries, especially countries who have faced a disaster and need immediate shelter, clean water, and sanitation that Earthships could provide?
Because Earthships are solar powered, they can't have a lot of electrically powered appliances including lap tops, phones, kitchen equipment, etc. What are three electrically powered items that you could live without, and what are three that you would never give up in a million years?
For more information on the Earthship Simple Survival Concept click hereto check out their website!
