Focus

 

Can a city’s skyscrapers be green?

 

A prime source of power could be the strong winds at the street level of the high rise block. This could be used to power turbines incorporated into the buildings and so generate electricity for them. There is one skyscraper in the pipeline with an ingenious green alternative to air-conditioning. London’s proposed Citygate Ecotower, which is designed by m3architects, allows fresh air to enter a space between two layers of glazing around the building. This creates a thermal buffer zone whereby rising air cools the tower by absorbing heat from the interior. At the roof, the air – by now hot – is vented out. Pretty cool thinking……