Born in Belgium, Vincent Callebaut is an architect with worldwide acclaim. Known for his incredibly energy-efficient housing projects, Callebaut usually integrates uniquely futuristic designs with advanced green technology. Previously, we talked about Cairo’s Gate Residence, a spectacular mixed-use complex featuring geothermal cooling, wind turbines, solar panels and even wind catchers. Well this time around, France-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures firm has revealed plans to transfigure the city of Paris into a Mecca of sustainable green technology, by 2050.
Undertaken as part of Paris’s Climate Energy Plan, the project includes proposal for the construction of several high-rise buildings, with positive BEPOS index, within the existing city itself. Dubbed as the Smart City, the plan aims to incorporate environmental sustainability, while at the same time acknowledging the region’s rich history. In order to alleviate the Paris’s high-density problems as well as reduce the overall emission of greenhouse gases, the team suggests the establishments of as many as eight multi-utility towers.
Inspired directly from nature, the design of the structures will, in fact, complement the existing architecture of the metropolis. Of these new skyscrapers, some, like the Mountain Tower, will be constructed right on top of older buildings. According to the architects, this can be achieved by uniformly spreading the net structural load over unused chimneys and pipes. Furthermore, the newly-erected buildings will feature an array of green technologies, such as passive heating and cooling, flora-covered living walls as well as rainwater collection.
The Smart City also includes community gardens and suspended planting areas, which will in turn purify and oxygenate the city’s air. The project aims to maximize the exploitation of solar energy, by means of specialized technology. The exterior of the “Mangrove Towers” is covered with electrochemical, photovoltaic cells that can cater to the buildings’ electricity demands. The bio-facade of the “Photosynthesis Towers” is capable of producing substantial amounts of biofuel. “Phylolight”, a smart device that uses wind turbines to provide lighting as well as energy, will also be installed.
As is the case with other Vincent Callebaut projects, the Smart City towers will all be mixed-use, possessing a combination of business, residential and commercial spaces. These multi-use buildings actually enhance the city’s self-sufficiency, by reducing the total amount of fuel spent on transportation.
Via: Inhabitat