Design Studio Air RONG CHEN
Precedent: LOOP 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative Entry Artist Team: AMIR KRIPPER, MICHAEL GROGAN, CHRISTOPHER LI, KRISTEN BARROW, ALENA PARUNINA Artist Location: Boston, USA
This project proposal is designed for the Freshkills Park, which aims to dissolve the traditional boundaries between landscape, architecture, public art and renewable energy infrastructure. This building can be treated as a design for the future, as it generates renewable energy by mounting a system of flexible solar panels on construction. In fact, this installation can generate around 1.20 MW of power which can provide electricity to more than 1,200 homes annually. Aesthetically and functionally design a sustainable architecture where installation corresponds to the unique topography of the site, rather than a single landmark. Furthermore, as every built construction has impacts on environment, Loop uniquely designed the circular planters that are able to collect the rain water which filtered and returned to the creek, significantly mitigate the effects of water runoff.
Loop is an excellent example of design which integrate sustainability, nature, and design into a whole one. Visitors not only enjoy the leisure time in the park, but also inspired after discovering the installation and engaging with the amazing views, the journey becomes a transformative experience for visitors. Moreover, this proposal established as a learning facility which provides visitors great opportunities to interact with state of the art technology and renewable energy while discovering a new built environment. They can be educated about the process of clean energy, and be conscious of benefits of sustainability. Overall, the Loop is a unique sustainable, athletic, functional and educational design, engaging the public in the reinvented FreshKills Park in an unprecedented way.
PIEZOELECTRIC GENERATORS
“Convert mechanical
strain into electrical energy. They can be inserted
Piezoelectric generator is one of the kinetic energy harvesting. The mechanical strain harvested by this technology, which comes from human motion, lowfrequency seismic vibrations, and acoustic noise,
into shoes or in walkway
can be converted into electric current or voltage.
pavers to harvest the en-
However, the amount of produced power is small,
ergy of walking or jumping
�
ideally supply for low-energy electronics, such as pedestrian lighting, way-finding solutions and advertising signage or be stored in a battery.
As an emerging technology, the use of piezoelectric materials to harvest power has already become popular. Piezo elements are being embedded in walkways to recover the “people energy� of footsteps, and one of the great examples is the Pavegen systems paved in a London sidewalk. The energy harvested by the Pavegen tile can immediately power off-grid applications, and have ability to send wireless data using the energy from footsteps and can be interred with API as a key technology for smart cities. Recyclable materials are used for majority of the flooring unit, 100% recycled rubber utilized for the top layer, and slab base is constructed from over 80% recycled materials. It has ability to withstand harsh outdoor locations with high footfall, and waterproof to efficiently operate in both interior and exterior. The technology is interactive as it offers the tangible way for people to engage with renewable energy generation and to provide live data on footfall wherever tiles are. Even piezoelectric generator has limitations on energy production, and requires certain amount of movement, it greater benefits for the nature as environmental friendly technology, and sustainable for future generations.