3 innovative building designs that should make headway in 2016

There are currently a number of proposals in the works that defy aesthetic conventions, push the boundaries of sustainable architecture, and take vertical engineering to new heights. Below, we’ve rounded up three innovative building designs that we’d like to see make headway in 2016.

1) Mark Foster Gage’s Game of Thrones-inspired skyscraper

Via mfga.com

Architect Mark Foster Gage was commissioned to design a 102-storey tower in New York City. Unlike his contemporaries who typically design sleek glass towers, Gage’s design rejects these “boring” skyscrapers in favour of gothic design and gargoyles. Gage and his team have started calling the visually arresting tower “The Khaleesi” after a Game of Thrones character that is known for owning dragons.

The ornate tower is proposed for Manhattan, at 41st West and 57th Street, and will give residents views of Central Park and the city’s iconic skyline. According to Gage, each unit has its own unique carved facade and balconies that “frame particular features of the surrounding urban and natural landscape.” The 1,492-foot tall tower would have 91 residential units, balconies, a two-storey ballroom, a four-star restaurant, and a sky lobby.

Most importantly, Gage’s tower will be an aesthetic departure from the conventional glass towers that punctuate Manhattan’s skyline.

2) Paul Lukez Architects’ self-sustaining coastal neighbourhood

Via Inhabitat.com

The global sea level is rising and coastal cities are becoming more vulnerable with the changing natural environment. Some waterfront homes are now under threat of flooding during storms, and architects need to consider new approaches to city infrastructure and the complex challenges posed by neighbourhoods surrounded by water.

Paul Lukez Architects is tackling the issue with their design, HydroUrbanism, a self-sustaining community that harnesses the energy from rising tides, turning rising sea levels into valuable renewable energy.

The project focuses on Boston’s Columbia Point neighbourhood, a vulnerable community surrounded by water on three sides. The concept allows the neighbourhood to draw clean energy through hydroelectric systems that generate energy from tidal changes. The design also integrates solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass systems that help the neighbourhood to achieve greater independence from the grid.

We hope that this holistic solution will come to life in Boston, and serve as a prototype for future coastal communities around the world.

3) AMBS Architects’ Bride

via Dezeen.com

Since the Burj Khalifa claimed the title as the world’s tallest tower, a number of proposals have appeared for projects that will surpass Dubai’s landmark skyscraper. AMBS Architects have proposed a 1,152-meter-tall tower for Iraq’s Bara Province. The tower would surpass Jeddah’s Kingdom Tower (currently under construction in Saudi Arabia), and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, making it the world’s tallest tower.

Iraq’s 230-storey tower would actually be four stacked towers topped by an 188 meter antenna. Designed to house offices, hotels, residential units, commercial centres, parks, gardens, and its own rail network, the tower will be “the first vertical city in the world.”

The design also features a glazed canopy on the south facade, known as the “veil.” This architectural feature is designed to offer shade to the tower’s low-rise buildings and public areas, and has earned the tower it’s name, “The Bride.” The project’s name also comes from the local area, a rapidly growing business center known as the Bride of the Gulf.

The tower will not only push the boundaries of vertical engineering and transportation, but will also be a “net zero” structure, producing as much energy as it consumes. As builders continue to reach new heights, we hope to see more proposals that also incorporate environmentally sustainable features.