Chicago-based architecture and design firm- Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) has proposed the design for carbon-absorbing 'urban sequoia' towers at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The suggested high-rises dubbed ‘urban sequoia’ would help eliminate carbon from the atmosphere by capturing it. The team believes that it would be a great solution to the climate crisis. These towers are envisioned to work like trees-absorbing carbon, releasing fresh air and thus helping in the regeneration of the environment. Read more about the sustainable towers below:
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The design team at SOM puts forward natural ecosystems, visualizing ‘forests’ of ‘urban sequoias’ that help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
"Our proposal brings together new design ideas with nature-based solutions, emerging and current carbon absorption technologies and integrates them in ways not done before in the built environment,” said the firm.
Build Using Biomaterials
The project would be constructed using carbon-absorbing biomaterials such as timber and hempcrete. Further, it may use advanced technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The design team estimates that the project could sequester up to 400 percent more carbon over the course of the building's 60-year lifespan than emitted during its construction.
The collected carbon is then sold on for industrial purposes and turned into products helping to create a circular "carbon-removal economy".
“This is a pathway to a more sustainable future that is accessible today. imagine a world where a building helps to heal the planet. we developed our idea so that it could be applied and adapted to meet the needs of any city in the world, with the potential for positive impact at any building scale,” said Kent Jackson, partner at SOM.
Algae and Biomass Integrated Facade
Algae and biomass will be grown on the facade of the towers. They would then be converted into biofuels which further powers heating systems, airplanes, and cars. While the bioprotein can be used in a number of industrial applications.
Also Read: Local Salt, Algae and Sunflowers Wrap The Interiors of Frank Gehrys Arles tower
One Skyscraper Equal To 48,500 Trees
According to the firm, the strategies proposed for the tower can be applied to other types or sizes of buildings as well. This prototype can sequester as much as 1,000 tons of carbon emission per year, which is equivalent to 48,500 trees. Sustainable materials that use less carbon than traditional options and capture carbon over time will be used in the structure design. This advanced building process can reduce construction emissions by almost 95 percent.
Further, in the coming 60 years, the project would absorb around 400 percent more carbon than it could have emitted during construction. This carbon can be used in a variety of industrial applications.
Project Details
Project Name: Urban Sequoia
Architecture Firm: Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Status: Proposal
Source: https://www.som.com/
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