J2D3

Skyscraper / Windmill?

Ecogeek.com is reporting that an architect named David Fisher has designed a skyscraper that he claims could power itself and ten other similar sized buildings by capturing the wind energy with individual rotating floors.

“While the technical details of the wind-power system are sketchy at best, the architect, David Fisher, claims that the tower could power itself and ten other similar sized buildings. Frankly, the claim seems somewhat outlandish, but even if it produces just it’s own energy, it would be a significant achievement.”

The tone of the article doesn’t really help to convince me that this is not just some hyped up fantasy. Still, perhaps I’m just gullible but I’ve thought up similarly “outlandish” ideas for self powered architecture and I think this guy is on to something. It makes perfect sense to me. The idea I thought of (for an architecture project in school) was to fix a building / barge in a tidal area (westside of Manhattan was my site - near Chelsea Piers.) Then you install turbines in the sides of the hull of the barge/building that allow water to pour in as the tide rises turning the turbines. Then, as the tide falls again the water would rush back out and again spin the turbines. You don’t of course have to build structures up on top of this - barge thing - but you may as well. It would be fixed into the bottom of the riverbed. You could build such a system and just leave the top open - but - why? May as well use the platform for the base of a building that is powered by these turbines. I would draw you a sketch of this but I’m busy.