Our carbon footprint has gone so severe that environmental groups are relentless in getting the message across to the people, especially to those who have the power to change the status quo. Now, it seems that the efforts have paid off, among architects at least: they have integrated green technologies with their designs.
A solid proof of this is the design of Vincent Callebaut which is a building that saves energy and absorbs carbon. The Paris-based architect said that he wants ‘to give hope for a better tomorrow.”
The building is called Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, which literally means The Retreat of Tao Zhu in the native language of Taiwan. It is situated in Taipei and set for completion this year. The construction started in 2013.
Render by Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Photos by Skyscraper Center
More than just a residential complex, Tao Zhu Yin Yuan will boast 23,000 trees and shrubs that will be thought of as an urban forest. The plan is to absorb 130 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which is equal to about 27 cars.
This move is necessary as Taiwan has produced more than 250 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2014 as recorded by the International Energy Agency.
“The tower presents a pioneer concept of sustainable residential eco-construction that aims at limiting the ecological footprint of its inhabitants,” said Callebaut.
With its design that is modeled after a strand of DNA, which is a double helix twisting 90-degree from base to top, the 21-story apartment complex allows natural lighting and ventilation. Moreover, it pushes the use of recycled rainwater and renewable energy through solar panels.
Render by Vincent Callebaut Architectures
“Outlandish and futuristic as [they] may seem, the core of all my designs is an attempt to address the real threat that cities pose for humankind and our ecological balance,” Callebaut said, referring to the many notable eco-concepts that he has developed over the years like the floating garden and underwater skyscrapers.
Callebaut believes that it’s time to take action against climate change, that inventing new eco-responsible lifetyles and incorporating nature into our cities should be necessary. He considers himself an “archibiotect,” a new interdisciplinary approach he invented in 2008 which joins architecture, biotechnologies, and technologies of information and communication together.
Source: Vincent Callebaut Architectures
