Enric Ruiz-Geli. Arquitetcto. ESPAÑA

Fuente: Enric Ruiz-Geli

Pearl River Tower. KOREA

ECO ARK. TAIWAN

Turning Taiwan's trash into a treasure.  The EcoARK pavilion is hailed as a new benchmark for the future of green buildings and a spectacular showpiece for the Taipei International Flora Expo. Adhering to the mantra of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”, the nine-storey high EcoARK Pavilion is built largely out of recycled plastic bottles. It weighs 50 percent less than a conventional building, yet it is strong enough to withstand the forces of nature, including fire! (NATGEO)

Documentary suggested by: Taís Stela da Silva Limiro  

Santiago's energy saving buildings. CHILE

By: Jimmy Langman

SANTIAGO, Chile — The Chilean capital of Santiago is now home to innovative new architecture projects that are helping the country solve its energy challenges.

Called Latin America¹s economic tiger for its high economic growth rates, Chile's vibrant economy has meant rising energy consumption. Chile is projected to need twice as much energy by 2025.

One way Chile tackles that challenge is by re-thinking its buildings. About a third of the world¹s energy is consumed in buildings ­ for heating, cooling, cooking, lighting and appliances. Architects here are moving away from highly-inefficient structures; instead, dozens of buildings that use energy efficient designs are now being built.

A green-building prototype for both Chile and Latin America is the Transoceanica building in Santiago¹s Vitacura neighborhood. It¹s the first building ever in Chile to achieve the LEED gold certification by the international Green Building Council. Finished in late 2010, the building consumes just one-fourth of the energy demanded by a traditional building its size.

The incredible energy efficiency of the Transoceanica building stems in great measure from passive, energy efficient design solutions, which lowers cooling costs, the largest factor in commercial energy use in Santiago.

Another key contributor to efficiency: a geothermal pump draws water from a 75-foot deep well below ground to cool the building.

Chile¹s Ministry of Housing and Urbanization is also doing its part by building 10 model energy efficient buildings to house its own offices around the country. The government is also developing green building standards, and has launched a certification system for residential housing, all pointing the way toward a more eco-friendly future.

Source: Globalpost

Fukuoka. JAPAN

By: Michael Condom

In Fukuoka, the most populated city on Japan’s Kyushu Island, the Acros Fukuoka building rises like a mountain from a central park.

The concept was to create a building that, while man-made, seemed to grow organically from the adjacent green space — which was one of the last of its kind in the city center.

As Japan and the rest of Asia look ahead to save energy, they are turning to the Acros Fukuoka building as a possible blueprint for more efficient urban planning.

The office building — which also houses a symphony hall, international convention center and shopping mall — employs the use of natural light and insulation to save energy.

Studies have shown the areas covered by vegetation on the south side of the building are 10 degrees cooler than concrete areas in the middle of Fukuoka during its intensely humid summer.

The mountain shape also creates a breeze at night which reduces the “heat island” effect of the surrounding area.

An atrium on the south side, together with banks of floor-to-ceiling windows, help reduce energy consumption through the use of raw light, softened by the curtains of vegetation.

Architect Takuji Fukuda explains the building is designed to take advantage not only of the naturally occurring light and insulation, but also rainwater to create a more environmentally friendly office building.

In a post-Fukushima Japan, the nation is undergoing a cultural shift in terms of its energy consumption.

“Everyone is probably saying the same thing — that we are using too much electricity. I think there is no question we do,” he said. “And so, now, we have to save power in Japan.”

Fukuda envisages major cities where natural methods will be increasingly combined with better urban design. Along with the cultural shift, an architectural shift may follow.

Source: Globalpost

Cologne Oval offices. GERMANY

Climat: pour une "architecture écologique"

TOWARDS A NEW ARCHITECTURE + ENERGY part 1

TOWARDS A NEW ARCHITECTURE + ENERGY part 2

Botanical Architecture. GERMANY

City spaces are being filled with foliage to make them greener. A group of architects from southern Germany use botanical elements for building. Now the concept of botanical architecture is taking root as a research field.

Source: DW

Clean Architecture

We take a look at the futuristic and sustainable designs of Catalan architect Enric Ruiz-Geli. His buildings boast low energy consumption and heat storage systems - and actually produce their own electricity. Just a few of the reasons why his practice Cloud Nine Studio has reaped an array of awards.

Source: DW

Ecopia - The Sky's the Limit | In Focus

Never before have so many skyscrapers been under construction all over the world at once. A new generation of modern skyscrapers has been designed to help revive city centers, spare the climate and check urban sprawl.

Building "green” has now become an economic necessity, most especially in Asia’s burgeoning megalopolises. The key question here is whether it is possible to build a high-rise that is both green and efficient. The first certified sustainable office high-rise is currently going up in Panama City. From Vertical Farming in New York City to the "Garden City” of Singapore, environmental skyscrapers are swiftly becoming one of today’s key technologies.

Source: DW

Eco-Cities | In Focus - ECOPIA.

Hamburg’s HafenCity and Tianjin’s Eco-city in China were conceived as model cities for sustainable, environment-friendly building.

In northern Germany, ten new housing developments are taking shape on Europe’s largest inner-city construction site, designed to create a vibrant urban atmosphere on the old Elbe River waterfront. The Tianjin Eco-city in eastern China, on the other hand, is going up on virgin land.  This satellite city is seen as a test for cutting urban Chinese energy consumption.

Source: DW

Tourism Goes Green. GERMANY

More and more architects around the world are designing hotels that meet the demand for sustainable tourism.

More and more travelers are considering environmental friendliness when they book hotel rooms or lodgings - sometimes this is even the most important aspect. These changes in attitudes are undeniable, and the travel industry is responding. But what does the industry understand by "sustainable”? In this part of our series, architects present their visions for the Swiss Alps, the Indonesian island of Bali and the eastern African nation of Rwanda.

Source: DW

A German Architect in Saudi Arabia | Arts.21.

Arts.21 had the rare chance to film the work of German architect Eckhard Gerber in Saudi Arabia. Artist Tomás Saraceno takes us to lofty heights and writer Sven Regener takes us back to the Berlin of the 1990s. We also talk with former WikiLeaks spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Daniel Brühl, the actor who plays him in the Hollywood production "The Fifth Estate".

Source: DW

Ecopia - Proyectos sostenibles en ámbitos educativos | Prisma. ALEMANIA

Escuelas construidas con barro local en Burkina Faso, dotadas de un sistema de ventilación con sistemas de energía independientes. Un campus universitario en Corea del Sur edificado bajo una gran cubierta ajardinada que emerge del suelo. Y un laboratorio científico en Alemania, planificado virtualmente, en el que se investigarán los mundos laborales del futuro. Nuestro documental presenta tres proyectos sostenibles en el ámbito de la educación y acompaña a los arquitectos a sus respectivas obras.

Fuente: DW

ECOPIA - Construcción inteligente. Vida sostenible: Mundos urbanos | Prisma

Ecopia - Intelligent Building, Sustainable Living

The architecture of the future is here, now. One key aspect of this new kind of architecture is "sustainability" -- and it's become a huge challenge for architects and engineers all over the world.

But what exactly does "sustainability" mean, as far as 21st century architecture is concerned? The definition is long and complex. It includes the use of environment-friendly construction materials, the recycling of these materials, the use of energy-efficient technology, and the impact that the project will have on the local culture.

Source: Deutsche Welle

Casa Ecológica. Madrid. ESPAÑA

Más Gente - Descubrimos como es una casa ecológica

Fuente: RTVE

Madrid ciudad sostenble. Madrid. ESPAÑA

Madrid, 21 de septiembre de 2012.- Madrid es la ciudad más sostenible de España, según el estudio “25 Ciudades Españolas Sostenibles” elaborado por Análisis e Investigación, con el patrocinio de Siemens, y verificado por KPMG, que se ha presentado hoy en Madrid. El informe ha analizado los principales parámetros medioambientales que forman parte de la gestión urbana y la primera conclusión ha sido que estos temas tienen un peso cada vez más importante dentro de las agendas municipales.

Fuente: Siemens España

Ribas Vaciamadrid. Madrid. ESPAÑA

Fuente: Ribas Vaciamadrid

Valdebebas (Sostenible). Madrid. ESPAÑA

Fuente: Valdebedas

I+ - La casa autosostenible. ESPAÑA

I+ - La casa autosostenible

Fuente: RTVE

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Held from January 13 to 17, 2013, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will be the largest gathering on sustainability in the history of the Middle East.

​Held from January 13 to 17, 2013, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will be the largest gathering on sustainability in the history of the Middle East. More than 30,000 anticipated participants from 150 countries, including globally recognized leaders from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders will assemble in Abu Dhabi to address the business, technology and financial challenges required for sustainable development and consider investments and partnerships that can deliver real world solutions.

The week’s five conferences and events: The Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) January 13 - 14; the sixth annual World Future Energy Summit (WFES) January 15 - 17; the International Water Summit (IWS) January 15 - 17; the fifth annual Awards Ceremony for the Zayed Future Energy Prize January 15; and the International Renewable Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi (ADIREC) January 15 - 17.   

Source: Masdar