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

I+ - Smart cities. ESPAÑA

I+ - Smart cities

Fuente: RTVE

Ciudades Inteligentes. ESPAÑA

Para Todos La 2 - Debate: Ciudades inteligentes

Fuente: RTVE

City of the Future | Tomorrow Today. GERMAN

Less waste, cleaner air, and a good transportation system - these are all things that would make the city of tomorrow more livable and more sustainable.

Researchers at a number of Fraunhofer institutes have joined in the "City of Future” project to find ways to make them a reality. Among the many ideas under investigation are building facades that are equipped with power stations to generate energy, and cars that help clean the air rather than pollute it. Today, these ideas only exist in a virtual model, but we went to meet the scientists who are working to bring about the city of tomorrow.

Source: DW

Local parks help cool down urban climate, German researchers find. GERMANY

Parks are perfect for recreation and, as a set of Hamburg researchers have found out, they are also important at controlling local climate conditions too. They say parks could be a useful tool in fighting climate change.

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

La ecología seduce al diseño. ESPAÑA

Naturalmente - La ecología seduce al diseño

Cada vez son más las empresas que crean y diseñan sus productos desde el respeto al medio ambiente, logrando de este modo avanzar hacia un método de producción mucho más limpio, eficiente y ecológico. Por eso, esta semana Naturalmente se pregunta cómo la ecología está seduciendo al diseño.

Fuente: RTVE

ECÓPOLIS

José Fariña, " Zonas verdes en las ciudades"

José Fariña, " Zonas verdes en las ciudades"

Entrevista completa a José Fariña, Catedrático de Urbanismo y Ordenación del Territorio por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, fragmentos de la cual ilustraron el documental "Paraísos de barrio" producido por el equipo del escarabajo verde. Podéis ampliar la información en el blog de Fariña, donde se reflexiona sobre urbanismo, territorio, paisaje y sostenibilidad.

Fuente: RTVE

El escarabajo verde - Paraísos de barrio

El escarabajo verde - Paraísos de barrio

19 abr 2013

Lo que aporta un parque urbano es algo más que una simple área de recreo para pasear, un lugar donde sacar al perro o sentarse a tomar el sol o el fresco según la época del año. Durante unos meses, hemos seguido con la mirada curiosa del paseante la evolución de uno de estos espacios para ver quiénes lo transitan y para qué lo usan,Un parque periurbano puede definirse como un área de interés ecológico, paisajístico o cultural situado en las afueras o en la proximidad de los asentamientos urbanos e intrínsecamente interconectado con el entorno de la ciudad. Un lugar en el que puede coexistir la protección ambiental con las funciones recreativas, educativas, económicas y de desarrollo de la propia urbe.Parece claro que estas zonas verdes tienen un gran interés para la salud de las personas, para la conservación de la biodiversidad y para la conectividad ecológica de diferentes áreas, para controlar la expansión territorial, para el mantenimiento y mejora de los servicios ecosistémicos, para la reducción de la contaminación.El programa ha puesto el foco en Vallparadís, un parque urbano de la ciudad de Terrassa, cerca de Barcelona. La cámara ha paseado por sus jardines y caminos, ha curioseado entre las personas que lo usan y ha compartido los bancos del paseo junto a expertos. Así, se han hecho visibles los beneficios que estas islas de naturaleza aportan a los ciudadanos y también algunas de las contradicciones de nuestros 'Paraísos de Barrio'.

Fuente: RTVE

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

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

Valdebebas (Sostenible). Madrid. ESPAÑA

Fuente: Valdebedas

Cheonggyecheon Seul. KOREA

The water that flows in the Cheonggyecheon is a Class-2 level of water quality. Class-1 has a high environmental adaptability for freshwater fish (Moroco oxycephalus, etc.) and Class-2 is for fish native to the Hangang(River) (minnow, crustacean, catfish, etc.). Therefore the water of the Cheonggyecheon is safe for recreational use, and children can play in the water with no worry of contamination from the habitat.

Source: Cheon Gye Cheon

Fujisawa Sustainable Smart. Tokyo. JAPAN

Source: Fujisawa SST

MEGACITY

No MegaCity você pode construir sua própria metrópole com a ajuda dos seus amigos! Use sua criatividade para cumprir metas e elabore estratégias para lucrar mais, sem deixar seus cidadãos na mão.

Fonte: MEGACITY

SIMCITY

WHAT IS SIMCITY? This is a new SimCity that delivers unprecedented depth of simulation. The model-like world and detail of the simulation make this the most responsive and personal SimCity ever. This is also the most expansive city management game yet where you can control a region that delivers true multi-city scale and play a single city or up to 16 cities at once each with different specializations. Multiplayer is also a first for the series, which adds a new dimension to your game as your decisions impact both your city and your region and creates new ways to play by collaborating or competing to earn achievements. Finally, SimCity is a live service that simulates real time updates from new challenges to new features and content.

Source: SIMCITY

Saga City - Our communities facing climate change

Source: SAGA CITY

Uso de la bicicleta. HOLANDA