Innovation

foster + partners and virgin hyperloop one announce shipping loop collaboration foster + partners has teamed up with virgin hyperloop one and DP world to launch a vision of an ambitious future. if all goes according to plan, the trio will develop the world’s first continental shipping hyperloop, which could connect asia with dubai and europe. all images and video courtesy foster + partners   foster + partners’ role in the project is to work on the human interface and architectural design for virgin hyperloop one and DP world. the recently released video hints at the project’s potential aesthetic, depicted here as...

SOM unveils two-tower proposal for former chicago spire site plans have been presented for a two-tower development, which, if approved, would occupy the former chicago spire site. titled ‘400 lake shore drive’, the project has been designed by architect david childs with skidmore owings & merrill (SOM). located on the last waterfront site where lake michigan meets the chicago river, the towers include a mix of luxury apartment and condominium residences as well as a boutique hotel. meanwhile, an adjacent riverwalk will provide pedestrian access to the lakefront from downtown. all images by nöe & associates/the boundary, courtesy of related...

Sky pod the alternative elevator technology in the world of design and technology, professionals are all discussing how people of the future will get from point A to B. there is plenty of talk about autonomous cars and hyperloops, but not quite as much on vertical infrastructure. excitingly, london based firm PLP has been examining how we navigate our environment on all scales. they question how skyscrapers, and the technology that defines them, can be improved to facilitate change and efficiency. PLP architecture’s in-house think tank has proposed a novel way of traveling up a skyscraper and perhaps left and right too,...

Masdar City - Eco-city on the Persian Gulf   The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ambitious aims when it comes to developing technologies for renewable energy and climate protection: Located 17 kilometers from the capital Abu Dhabi, Masdar City will be a showcase for sustainable urban development. The buildings completed so far are already using 100% renewable energy. Masdar is the Arabic word for “source” or “origin”. The pioneering project Masdar City is in fact a large-scale experiment: It embodies the vision of a city that is nearly carbon neutral and barely produces any waste. Masdar City also serves as...

The Man Who Built His House Out of Stuff He Bought on eBay Frank Alsema describes himself as a “city maker.” The TV producer lives in north Amsterdam, where his house has become a lab for more sustainable urban lifestyle. The community there and throughout the Netherlands aspire to what they call a “circular economy.” That means recycling and reusing everything, including energy. That’s why Frank’s house is built out of stuff he bought on eBay. I recently visited Frank at his house in Amsterdam, where he took a Gizmodo crew and me on a tour of the curious castle...