From the unseen, unsung files of design competitions past comes the Envision Green Hotel designed by Richard Moreta Architecture (founded by a partner of GMZ-Design) with interiors by Miami-based MRA Design for Hospitality Design’s Radical Innovation design competition. Part wind tower, part urban eco-resort, and all egg, this “lobular” structure is touted as one of the most recognizable landmarks for the city in which it would ultimately be…laid. Inhabitat leaves it up to you to decide whether this is an egg-cellent idea or something not quite fully hatched.
Operating like a living organism, the Envision literally breathes through its wind and atmospheric conversion systems, which allow natural air into the interior of the building without mechanical intervention. Photovoltaic exterior sheathing provides the building’s energy, while indoor gardens at various levels of the structure act as upward extensions of the earth, creating mini-microclimates that filter the air and act as added insulation. Recycled pools of water around the structure serve as catch basins, water reservoirs, fire barriers, and indispensable decorative aquatic features. Power from the wind turbine heats the boiler and creates steam for the chiller water plant beneath the structure to cool and heat the hotel.
Within the hotel, rooms would be designed on a 4 foot multiple to conform to standard-sized materials and reduce construction waste. A high-efficiency LED system would illuminate the interiors, and non-toxic, non-off-gassing finishes would be employed. Besides the typical water-efficient fixtures, this eco resort would use recovered rainwater for flushing and irrigation. The rooms would also include a mood pad control unit that would allow each guest to control the lighting and choose groovy digital images that would reflect behind glass walls and ceilings.
To help this giant eco-egg blend even more subtly into the surrounding urban context, exterior LED curtain walls would change color throughout the night to indicate the progression of time, making the Envision glow in the night like a giant, moody Fabergé egg.
+ MRA Design
+ GMZ-Design
Images by 3Dog-Imaging
What an amazing concept!
Great concept. Love all the features. But if they could eliminate the huge fans on the side of the building, the giant cap on top of the building, and do something to fix the spacey appearance of the base it would be really beautiful. As of now it looks like something out of a space age comic book rather than a professional structure.
all the concepts are great, but the look of the building is in my opinion, atrocious.
I also like the concept of this building and how it really brings nature indoors. The architecture is rediculous looking: at first glance I thought it was some sort of stereo speaker thing, but looking closer saw that it was a building. I think that instead of using three gigantic fans, maybe use a bunch of smaller ones (unless the size is necessary for the size building). I also think the main entrance seems a little claustrophobic and seems almost an after-thought. Keep the concept, re-think the architecture.
I hope not, but this realy looks like stolen koncept from Jan Kaplicky’s FUTURE SYSTEMS…and it looks horrible when you compare it to that building. Proportions are not nice from my point of wiev…Kaplicky did it much niceier!!!! http://www.future-systems.com/architecture/architecture_19.html
Love the concept and the architecture. I really like all the energy saving ideas and uses. I guess this answers the age old question of “which came first, the hicken or the Egg” , it’s obviously the Egg in his case. I do think the entrance should be more open, rather than “Oops, how do we get in there?” Also, why does practically every hotel design have the bathroom right at the entrance to the room, you would never do that in a home, why do it in a hotel? There has to be another way to layout the plumbing and the room entry that doesn’t require having the bathroom be the first thing the guest sees.
I have to second Dekodex’s comment– first thing that came to mind! And I also agree that FS’ 1995 version is MUCH more interesting.
Hm… Very fine and high-quality render! Сorrectly rotined textures and general level of sun illumination. And great idea from a sketch to visualisation!