1. ArchDaily
  2. BioSkin

BioSkin: The Latest Architecture and News

The City as an Organism

Nature has continually played muse to architects. Colors and forms from the natural world find themselves embedded in artificial edifices. Buildings are also shaped by patterns of the wind and sun, topography, and vegetation. While architecture is informed by the effects of nature, buildings have been proposed as inert objects that remain static in a biologically evolving world. Anthropocentric concrete “jungles” are devoid of life, separating humans from natural environments and causing imbalances that have manifested as pandemics. What would cities look like if there were no boundaries between humans and ecosystems?

The City as an Organism  - Image 1 of 4The City as an Organism  - Image 2 of 4The City as an Organism  - Image 3 of 4The City as an Organism  - Image 4 of 4The City as an Organism  - More Images+ 5

Building Skin Developed That Could Cool Our Cities

Building Skin Developed That Could Cool Our Cities - Featured Image
© Harunori Noda

The urban heat island effect - the hot, overwhelming temperatures that a city's concrete produces - has a huge impact on livability and comfort within the city. Now, an elegant cooling system has been designed that not only reduces energy usage, but - should it be installed on multiple buildings - could even lower the overall temperature of a city itself. Learn more, after the break.