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San Francisco, 8:04 AM
Wed Dec 2
29 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of LittleDragon LittleDragon
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    Just imagine the role this building would have had in World War Z.
     Reply
    LittleDragon was starred LittleDragon was unstarred
    Image of ManchuCandidate ManchuCandidate
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    Based on the financial problems surrounding commercial construction, it seems to me more Dubai in the Sky.
     Reply
    Edited by ManchuCandidate at 12/01/09 5:48 PM ManchuCandidate was starred ManchuCandidate was unstarred
    Image of LittleDragon LittleDragon
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    Yes, yes. Its very nice....NOW GIVE ME MY SKY CITY ALREADY.
     Reply
    LittleDragon was starred LittleDragon was unstarred
    Image of Starlionblue Starlionblue
    12/01/09

    @LittleDragon: Been to Hong Kong? ;)
     Reply
    LittleDragon promoted this comment Starlionblue was starred Starlionblue was unstarred
    Image of LittleDragon LittleDragon
    12/01/09

    @Starlionblue: Not yet. I won't go until they build my Sky City and give me an all expenses paid trip there.
     Reply
    LittleDragon was starred LittleDragon was unstarred
    Image of atrus123 atrus123
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    I'd live there... but not about the 10th floor.
     Reply
    atrus123 was starred atrus123 was unstarred
    Image of MonkeyT MonkeyT
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    I'm sorry, it looks like stacked dirty dishes. If you look at the partially exposed level on the bottom of pic 1, you can actually see a fork behind the broccoli along with some leftover peas.
     Reply
    MonkeyT was starred MonkeyT was unstarred
    Image of TotalFanGirl TotalFanGirl
    12/01/09

    @MonkeyT: Honest to goodness, the first thing I thought was "Plates of broccoli? WTF?"
     Reply
    TotalFanGirl was starred TotalFanGirl was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    Definitely a nice place to visit. Not sure if I'd want to live there though..
     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of acrobatic rabbit acrobatic rabbit
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    is it earthquake proof?
     Reply
    acrobatic rabbit was starred acrobatic rabbit was unstarred
    Image of EdificeComplex EdificeComplex
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    It's interesting in terms of theoretical concept. But I question wether any building code (at least in the U.S.) would let you build anything like this. Issues with with wind forces not withstanding, a 36 in glass railing doesn't seem adequate when you're a several hundred feet in the air.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex was starred EdificeComplex was unstarred
    Image of NerD: Blattella NerD: Blattella
    12/01/09

    In reply to A Forest-Filled Jenga Tower Grows in China
    I'm not an architect, but I dont' think you can have an open air structure that tall.
     Reply
    NerD: Blattella was starred NerD: Blattella was unstarred
    Image of ThisDudeRufus ThisDudeRufus
    12/01/09

    @NerD: Blattella: It looks to be that it's mostly enclosed, but most floors have balconies for days when the wind shear isn't too harsh. Still, you'd need some tough trees to stand up to it all.
     Reply
    ThisDudeRufus was starred ThisDudeRufus was unstarred
    Image of psychiccheese psychiccheese
    12/01/09

    @ThisDudeRufus: I don't think being open-air would affect the structural integrity of the building. It would be next to impossible to stand up in any sort of wind, but the building would be fine.
     Reply
    psychiccheese was starred psychiccheese was unstarred
    Image of The Curse of Millhaven The Curse of Millhaven
    11/26/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    I have visited Arcosanti about 12 times over 25 years. Basically it is pretty, and a nice show-and-tell item where one may talk about arcologies. What it is not, and never has been, is a serious attempt to build an arcology. It is the world's largest build-your-own-house project combined with a community garden and, well, lots of pot.
     Reply
    The Curse of Millhaven was starred The Curse of Millhaven was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/26/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    Lets hope it turns out well.

    Most of these "forward-thinking" government architectural projects wind up being objects of contempt twenty years down the road. A lot of public housing projects were built on similar ideals, for example.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of thatblackgirl thatblackgirl
    11/27/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: I agree. Once it fails and the homeless and squatters take over, it'll be a nightmare. Then the city will have to waste a bunch of time in court to get permission to demolish it.
     Reply
    thatblackgirl was starred thatblackgirl was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/26/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    "Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?"

    If so, it will only be because nobody actually wants to live in an arcology. It's been decades, and the place is nowhere near "mega". I expect the first one will go up a lot faster. Heck, the Burj Dubai is a better choice for the first arcology.

    "The idea of a sprawl-free city seems attractive and smarter for our long-term survival."

    How's that, exactly? I'll give you "attractive", but the latter seems hard to support logically.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/26/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: @Klebert L. Hall: reduction of sprawl actually fits logically into the current sustainable development paradigms for urban planning that are a result of the brundtland report. it ties into the notion of "compact city" which features high density, mixed-use, and pedestrian proximity. the notion stems from the traditional European city. this concept of city is intended to reduce carbon footprint as well as use of cars and thus be sustainable. my two cents.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall promoted this comment nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/27/09

    @nexialist:
    Sure, compact cities are efficient.

    Making the leap to the idea that they improve the likelihood of our long-term survival as a species is fanciful, at best.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/28/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: that always depends on our modes of production. if we find an economy based on resources that are not limited, then we're fine.
     Reply
    nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/28/09

    @nexialist:
    I also strongly doubt that the collapse of civilization=human extinction. Resource crises might cause the former, but they are unlikely to cause the latter.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of nexialist nexialist
    11/28/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: in a biological sense i would agree with that. in the context of the original question, "The idea of a sprawl-free city seems attractive and smarter for our long-term survival," i can only speak in relation to the city in the European and North American context; the Chinese city e.g. is already something different in the way how spaces are allocated to cultural use. what i refer to is less a biological, more a cultural context of urbanism.
     Reply
    nexialist was starred nexialist was unstarred
    Image of Bootknife-Jackson Bootknife-Jackson
    11/26/09

    In reply to Is This The Beginnings Of The First Megacity?
    is it taking it too far when a fan builds not his favorite character's costume, not his favorite fictional vehicle, but his favorite Mega City #1 ?
     Reply
    Bootknife-Jackson was starred Bootknife-Jackson was unstarred
    Image of Chuck Chuck
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    It may be "architecture that's quickly realized and doesn't break the bank", but if it's in downtown Dallas, the land it's on certainly will do the bank-breaking all on its own.

    Putting a sustainable community downtown is a lot like dropping a fire extinguisher in the middle of a forest fire.
     Reply
    Chuck was starred Chuck was unstarred
    Image of sjct sjct
    11/25/09

    In reply to Dallas' Eco-Community Could Be the Future of Urban Housing
    You'd have to be a moutain goat to seed, weed and harvest those slopes! This design is beyond ridiculous.
     Reply
    EdificeComplex promoted this comment sjct was starred sjct was unstarred
    Image of EdificeComplex EdificeComplex
    11/25/09

    @sjct: It looks like there are 3-4 vegetation terraces per floor level. I would imagine that each of them is accessible from the interior apartments. Not to mention the catwalk type ladders that are on each side of the exterior in picture 3.

    Edit: Even if you can't access the terraces from the interior they could be made wide enough to allow someone to walk along them. Basically an oversized balcony that runs the full length of each tower.
     Reply
    Edited by EdificeComplex at 11/25/09 6:57 PM EdificeComplex was starred EdificeComplex was unstarred
    Image of sjct sjct
    11/26/09

    @EdificeComplex: I agree that the terraces *could* be made wide enough but in the illustrations they are not. In picture 2, the human figure near the top of one of these slopes clearly shows that the terrace is no wider than the steps going up the sides.

    Now if, as you speculate, these stepped terraces are actually more like window boxes that can be accessed from inside then, this design becomes slightly more practical. I much prefer the idea of having access to a garden balcony but that wouldn't create these dramatic building shapes.

    The point of my comment was not to oppose the concept but to point out the lack of consideration for practical gardening requirements.
     Reply
    sjct was starred sjct was unstarred
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