Usage of green energy is the top most priority for people who are conscious about their responsibility towards the nature and environment. Keeping this in mind the mPower system has been developed which generates huge energy at minimal effort. The slender body of the device and leaf like tip resembles the structure of a large leaf. The color is green to enhance its organic nature. The steppers at the bottom are also shaped like leaves with the similar designs. Using this unique product you can save the natural resources and a large amount of money spent on electricity at the same time.
mPower consists of 2 units: Generation and Collection.
mPower Generation is a plant-shaped human-powered unit that produces electricity for immediate and future use. Users access their account using fingerprint recognition, stand on two pads at the base of the unit, and shift their weight from one pad to the other every ten seconds. The system, developed to take up the least amount of a user’s time and effort, can be adapted for the handicapped. A small portion of the electricity generated is used to power the interactive touch-screen at the top of the unit, which offers a broad range of informational services pre-customised by each user. The remaining majority of the electricity generated is sent to the city’s main power plant, to be used or stored. At their convenience, users receive payment for the electricity they generated by accessing their account at mPower Collection.
mPower Collection is a unit that, using the same fingerprint recognition technology, distributes payment and allows for account customisation to users of mPower Generation.
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The new art museum scheduled to be finished in 2009 has been inspired by nature and the way nature and its processes function. Designed by Paris based design firm R&Sie (n) architecture, even though on the first look, seems like an ice cavity but in fact it is carved out of wood and other eco friendly materials. Even the construction of this museum has been carefully planned so that the end result gives out an amorphous mix of structure which though looks disorderly but does have an identity of its own. It’s an interesting concept which inspires us to be responsible towards nature.
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The new city center designed by Dutch architects MVRDV for Gwanggyo, a city coming up 35 kms from Seoul in South Korea seems to be something taken out of the sci fi movies. Expected to be completed by 2011, the city is sufficient enough to hold 77000 inhabitants and has a design envisioned with two centers which is a mix of housing, culture, office, retail, and leisure and education spaces. Various atriums are created in the towers catering to various categories, with box hedges being planted on the roofs and terraces which in turn improves ventilation and reduces usage of energy and water.
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The new rain water harvesting and sports stadium storage design by Australian designer Chris Buerckner can be said to be innovative product in all respects. He has named it as Watree which looks like an umbrella placed upside down also acts as a shade in the rain. The rain water gets accumulated and is stored in it tank underground as these can be placed on areas away from the playing surface, the water stored can be used to sustain the stadium during the summer months through series of underground pipes. A practical and a self sufficient solution in these crunching times!
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Check out these Holcim Award Winners for North America announced in Montreal. The competition was held in 5 regions of the world on the Foundation for Sustainable Construction. There were almost 5000 projects from 90 countries that participated to encourage building constructions by keeping in mind technological, environmental, socio-economic, and cultural issues. Some of the projects are just unbelievable as they feature innovations that can be applied in homes and other buildings in order to contribute to today’s climate and energy challenges. Let’s see how helpful these next generation projects are going to be in reality.
Gold Award to New York City’s first carbon-neutral building
Silver Award for a self-contained day labor station in San Francisco
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