There is absolutely nothing to loathe over such a prospect. Instead, what LAVA, or the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, proposes to bring about is a latex obstruction tagged on to a building’s façade that would reduce air pressure, temperature, humidity, air pollution and solar radiation. Resultantly, these external factors will not be causing the least discomfort to the occupants and the internal environment of the edifices. Therefore, the building itself will behave like a cosseted organism or ecosystem.
Proposed sites:
The Sydney-based trio of high-tech architects thinks Barbican in London is a capable testing site. For the meantime, they will try covering the 1960s Broadway Tower at Sydney’s University of Technology with a high-tech wrapper that will glow in the dark, much like a “transparent cocoon.” As Bosse puts it:
… a transparent cocoon … that acts as a high-performance micro-climate, generates energy with photovoltaic cells, collects rain water, improves day lighting and uses available convective energy to power the tower’s natural ventilation.
Furthermore,
The surface tension of this material allows the membrane to stretch around walls and roof elements. This achieves maximum visual impact with minimal material effort. The re-skinning technology could be easily applied to other buildings in need of a facelift, such as the Barbican Centre in London, and abandoned post-industrial buildings across Hong Kong. We can quickly and cheaply enhance their performance and aesthetics through this minimal intervention.
“Intelligent skin” seeks to take it over:
The environmental design with high-tech skins will undeniably be a superficial experience for all. However, as the Water Cube, erected by Chris Bosse and Arup, at the Beijing Olympics had sported a cellulitic façade and we all praised the innovation, none can deny “condom architecture” a chance to prove its worth.
Image Credit: L-A-V-A
Via: The Independent