HARVEST | architecture, green building, competition
We were chosen as one of the prize winners of an international competition focused on solving the Urban Heat Island Effect in Chicago through innovative sustainable technologies.
Harvest takes a progressive approach to a recurring problem – Urban Heat Island Effect. Our concept utilizes the building as a holistic thermal machine, functioning as a battery. The structure is clad in glass with a “veil” of thermobimetal with a photovoltaic coating. This material acts like human skin where heat is captured, stored and then re-distributed for future building energy needs. The coloration and opacity of the screen is determined by the amount of active sun hitting the surface. When the most heat is collected and harvested, the screen is flat – think of the shades being drawn. As seasons change, the metal becomes cooler and we enter into usage mode. The material reacts by lifting in various locations, creating a natural movement and pattern.
To further address programmatic requirements, we designed tiered interior terraces that serve as “green roofs”. Instead of simply greening the roof top, we allowed it to migrate onto each level, maximizing opportunity to provide insulation and lower urban air temperatures. As a fully functioning urban farm, the crops will service the tenants, restaurants and marketplace yielding crops such as tomatoes, lemons, microgreens and hops for the onsite brewery. With this all-inclusive approach, we have created a space that not only “greens” the concrete jungle, it provides a sanctuary for the community, pioneering technologies benefiting the city for years to come.
Competition: AWR Competitions, Chicago: Greening the Concrete Jungle
Location: Chicago, Illinois