Acapulco is a city where climate is scorching hot all year round. Environmentalists believe that the amount of heat received by this city can be utilized as a handy resource. One only needs to use it efficiently and upgrade the infrastructure accordingly. The architecture and structural detailing can be tweaked and improvised to use this surplus heat. This is a great way to create renewable energy resources to combat energy scarcity and price rise. The high temperature entails use of cooling system for prolonged hours in the city. They are installed in almost every apartment in Acapulco. If renewable energy sources were used for cooling instead then the energy use can be reduced.
The project
An ecologically sustainable residential complex is being proposed on the beach, situated just near the Acapulco seashore. There is a vacant square in front of the beach where the complex will be constructed. The location chosen is absolutely great, it gives a view of the beach as well as the city. There are also many hotels in the vicinity.
A cubes rhythm design was chosen to create the structure. The cube design was planned to emulate a tree. The resulting apartments in this structure are really eco friendly. The building also has considerable thickness, it is quite wide. The project was an entry in the international competition, Acapulco Green Tower. It is conceived by Vasily Zeleznakov from the Far East national Technical University. The project was among the top ten finalists at the competition.
Innovation in the design
The building designed has several plate-like flat and thin structures jutting out. You can also say that it looks like cards stacked on top of each other, only with substantial space in between. Just like a tree, the wind blowing through the building cools its interiors considerably. The space lets the air stream flow through inside. Also, the interiors are made such that they have a natural barrier from direct sunlight. Only the soft and reflected sun rays flow inside the apartments.
The windows are conceived such that they cool down the entire building and shield the residents from the blistering sunny weather outside. They are done up with fotoelements which work like the venetian blinds. These fotoelements also generate energy. No one living in this building will require a cooling system for long hours, thereby helping to conserve energy and also cutting down on cost of living. The building can also produce electricity on its own, another feather in the cap.
Inspiration for the project
The idea was to create a structure that is similar to a tree. What is great about a tree is that its structure is not jam packed, there are gaping spaces in between the branches. This open network allows for wind to pass through thus cooling it down. If such a design can be applied to residential constructions then the energy required for cooling it would be decreased drastically. The household expenses with come down and energy will be conserved.
