Conceptual futurism lover Vincent Callebaut has dreamed up another idea of monumental green architecture - Dragonfly Vertical Farm - so called because the structure is conceived in a similar manner to dragonfly wings.
What it is is the latest idea to try and bring high-rise urban farming back into vogue by creating a structure that allows widespread exploitation of agriculture whilst occupying the smallest footprint possible in an area with scarce space.
height of 600 metres, 132 floors and the ability to produce 28 different types of farming from wheat to dairy. Although this is intended to be a low carbon project, one flaw of this is that farm animals are massive contributors to greehouse gases, even when the farming is green and organic although the intention here is to make it fully sustainable with the warm air circulated around the structure during the winter and natural ventilation cooling it in the summer.
The southern side of the tower, the prow, will have solar panels fitted on it to provide it with much of the energy that is required to power the project whilst on the northern side will be three wind turbines to catch the prevailing winds. Rainwater will be filtered through the vertical green walls that will line parts of the project.
Sadly, as with most of Callebaut's ideas this is simply that - an idea that is too ambitious and too anti-commercial to exploit. Although techinically feasible, investors simply don't like putting their money in such risks, preferring more conventional tall buildings. Perhaps one day the wind will change but until it does such ideas seem doomed to remain on a drawing board.
Prom Dresspetzlife