Eco Factor: Sustainable housing inspired by equatorial rainforests.
Population explosion along with rapid industrialization has already affected millions and the views of the future seem even grimmer. The earth is not expanding, and the ever growing population will always have to battle the dearth of residential land. If land is scarce, the answer would definitely be the same – Go for the sky. Architect Sarah Mohd. Salleh has shown a possible way the human race could survive in the future.
Taking inspiration from the equatorial rainforests, a hostile place where life still thrives, the architect has envisioned similar structures for the urban world as well. Dubbed as The Symbiotic Tropical Mushrooms, the architecture is an artificial rainforest where trees are replaced with self-sufficient Mushroom towers. Just like in a tree, the canopy of the mushroom is integrated with transparent solar cells and the branches provide sustainable housing. The trunk is an energy passage from where supplies to the branches are made.
Apart from solar electricity, the buildings will also generate bio-mass energy, which would be channeled to each colony on the mushroom. Rainwater would be harvested and used for both potable and non-potable uses. Transportation will be minimized by keeping 90% of the area only for pedestrians. Each colony would be producing food and energy for itself by vertical gardens and living roofs
The Dark Side:
If the architecture ever comes to life, we might see the sad faces of many residents who usually are accustomed to travel in luxurious cars. The architecture however, seems too complicated to be built anytime soon.
Via: IFHP
