Good day everyone, I'm here to talk about a engineering breakthrough that could change society forever.
There is a growing crisis that the world is facing that has taken a backseat to more pressing issues: expansion. As the population grows we are forced
to spread out, and the land that could be cultivated to produce food or water are cleared to make way for housing and businesses and the situation is
summed up by Carmella Sopranos cousin. “Buy land because God isn't making any more of it.”
Eventually the rate of expansion will have to be reigned in if we are to continue to live comfortably, but one day a man had a brilliant idea that
could change that: if we can't grow out, how about we grow up? And so the Arcology was born.
The idea is simple but grand in it's vision. The late architect
Paolo Soleri imagined a city that
was explicitly designed to reduce waste and energy usage. The city would be also remove long commutes and could integrate agriculture within it's
boundaries. It was a great vision of an urban ecosystem and the term 'arcology' is directly attributed to Soleri himself. In fact there are a few
arcologies in construction as we speak.
In Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is a planned city, designed by Foster + Partners. It's called Masdar City, and will rely solely on solar and
other renewable energy sources, with a principle of zero-carbon, zero-waste.
Six square kilometres have been set aside for the development, which will provide homes to 45,000 to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses, including the
International Renewable Energy Agency and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Cars will be banned, with transport instead provided by mass
transit and personal rapid transit systems.
Power will be provided by a solar plant, wind farms, and geothermal energy, and the community also will house what's planned to be the world's largest
power plant. A solar-powered desalination plant will provide water, and 80 percent of the water used will be recycled, with wastewater reused "as many
times as possible" for the purposes of crop irrigation. Biological waste will be turned into fertiliser and used as a power source, and industrial
waste will be recycled or repurposed.
Wired
Since Soleri's light bulb moment, the idea has evolved even further. Science Fiction writers has envisioned towering spires that compresses Soleri's
vision into one building. These buildings are even more ambitious than the original arcology; They could house, feed and provide employment for tens
of thousands of inhabitants.
How would that work? The key could be in the design itself. Crops could be positioned on certain levels, and the excess water from irrigation could
funnel down and irrigate crops on a lower level, and the excess waste water from sinks and toilets could be recycled on site to be used again. Fresh
water could be extracted from the higher levels in the form of condensation or rainfall which could provide drinking water. But What about employment?
Well a job could be a elevator away, Tending a crop could earn a wage, the grocers who sell the produce could earn a wage, not to mention the other
trades such as electricians, plumbers, or even nurses- specialized care could only be an elevator away as well. The Basic necessities of life could be
under the one roof.
But what happens if you enjoy the finer things in life? Don't worry, the arcology across the road could be dedicated to producing electronics and
electricity-a short commute if you happen to work there, and the Arcology next door might have a brewery that could provide your local bar with a beer
or a scotch in the rocks after a hard days work.
(continued in the next post)edit on 21-3-2015 by Thecakeisalie because: (no reason given)
edit on 21-3-2015 by
Thecakeisalie because: (no reason given)