The Re: Vision Dallas competition brought out some of the most imaginative and innovative designs the sustainability world has ever seen. Inhabitat recently ran an article about the Los Angeles based firm Standard’swork titled the Co-Op, which received honorable mention.Inspired by ancient Anasazi Indian structures, the Co-op features cliff side housing which surrounds a communal canyon.In the spirit of the Anasazi tribe, who were known for their connection to the earth through agriculture, the Co-Op includes spaces for community gardens and kitchens.The emphasis on creating a true community among the 1000 residents is where this design shines.Inhabitat does a phenomenal job of summarizing the entry and is well worth the read.Though, the Co-op was not among the 3 finalist, the design will serve to inspire other designers in the future.
*What became of the Anasazi Indians?Some say a massive drought; some say a war with a rival tribe wiped them out.I prefer the more logical and entertaining option.Aliens.
Ancient Anasazi structures inspired Standard’s design.
Urban Re:Vision’s Re: Vision Dallas design competition is currently being featured on Treehugger, an online information hub dedicated to bringing sustainability to the mainstream. Jesse Fox, writing in the “Design & Architecture” section, showcases the 3 winners of the competition and hints that similar areas in Dallas may be next for a revision of their own. Thanks Jesse and Treehugger for helping us spread the word about Dallas’s sustainable urban block!
Soon, a single block will be transformed into a place that creates economies, supports community, facilitates relationships and generates resources.
The winners of Re:Vision Dallas have created plans that challenged us, engaged us and inspired us.
And their ideas, from local materials and vegetated screens to integrated greenways, will shape how people will live and work here in the future. Take a look at this visionary thinking. And watch how ideas become reality in the months ahead.
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Entry 193: Forwarding Dallas
Firm: Atelier Data & MOOV
Lisbon, Portugal
Authors: António Louro (MOOV), Filipe Vogt (Atelier Data), Marta Frazão (Atelier Data)
Collaborators: André Almeida (Atelier Data), Carolina Pombo (Atelier Data), Inês Vicente (Atelier Data), José Niza (MOOV), João Calhau (MOOV)
Landscape architecture: Susana Rodrigues
Energy efficiency and resources: Maria João Rodrigues, João Parente
Concept communication: João Rato
Forwarding Dallas is modeled after one of the most diverse system in nature, the hillside. This site is a series of valleys and hilltops that contain native vegetation to Dallas and become more hearty and resistant with altitude. The hills function to maximize the harvest of solar thermal, photovoltaic, and wind energy. This design intends to efficiently and effectively collect resources for residential and commercial consumption. Water will be collected on the rooftop, recycled and stored underground for grey water usage and irrigation. Construction of Forwarding Dallas will make the best use of natural lighting and ventilation based on the location of the building.
Among the design components are:
Open green spaces including wooded paths and interior courtyards as well as a green roof and orchard
100% prefabricated construction system integrating building materials from local sources
Housing options from studio apartments to three bedroom flats fit to accommodate 854 residents
Combination of photovoltaic and wind power providing 100% of the energy needed for residents
The Southwest façade for the solar gain in a Venetian Blind concept which adjusts according to the season
The Northeast façade is made entirely from thick, high thermal mass straw bales which provides added insulation
Water permeable paved areas to prevent pooling and flooding
Firm: David Baker and Partners Architects and Fletcher Studio
San Francisco, CA
Mark Hogan, Amit Price Patel, Ian Dunn, Amanda Loper
From Fletcher Studio: David Fletcher, Sarah Donato
Rendering assistance from Mike Brown and Megan Morris of Medized.
Greenways Xero Energy aims to build sustainability and profitability in the community setting. Community gardens, vertical farming, and water capture are at the basis of the community unit. This design best captures Dallas’ solar exposure and rainfall. The vegetation will be placed in balconies and on the ground level to improve air quality and provide a basis of economy through communal farming. Solar energy will fuel the hot water heaters on top of the building and produce electricity during the day. Greenways Xero Energy hopes to springboard future development in a growing sustainable city and focus on making connections with surrounding neighborhoods. By nature of its concept, Greenways Xero Energy allows for easy integration of surrounding areas into the block each ‘district’ with a unique identity. Pedestrian-friendly “greenways” serve as the public space infrastructure and multi-modal transit center that decreases necessity of cars. The facility is powered using photovoltaic arrays and solar hot water panels. Shading on the south side of the building reduces cooling loads significantly and geothermal tubes help to mediate temperature swings.
Among the design components are:
Ground-level and balcony gardens to provide shade and improve air quality
Emphasis on urban agriculture creates a platform for self-sustainability through practices such as vertical farming and slow food restaurants
Domestic solar hot water system
Photovoltaic panels in a grid-tied system on south end produces electricity during daylight hours
Team Members:
Bradley Bartholomew, Ashley Spink, Stacy Franz, Kevin Franz, Kumar Karadi, Don Breemes, Coby Watts, Chad Lukenbaugh, Jason Bizzaro, Ryan Davis, Philippe Bouyer, Bo Sun
The Entangled Bank is a mixed use development combines residence and retail, making each sustainable through the integration of education and green technology. On top of the Entangled Bank is a green roof with vegetation and a sky pasture to sustain ‘Dexter’ livestock that require less dietary consumption and can thrive on pastures where other cattle would starve. The sky pasture is also available for each tenant in the community to grown produce for their own consumption or resale in the market. The power utility system outfitted with vertical axis wind turbine that produces 50% more electricity than conventional turbines. This is best suited to the Dallas median wind needed to generate the turbines. A grey water treatment will be redistributed for irrigation. This plan is designed to incorporate education with sustainable profitability through the Organic Farming Institute and a Slow Food Restaurant. Food will be grown on site for the organic grocery store and host produce from many local organic farmers.
Among the design components are:
Intensive green roof system providing the base structure for an elevated park
Grain field providing seasonal vegetation for livestock grazing in the sky pasture
A vertical farm which climbs the side of the building for tenant use
Photovoltaic panels are attached to the exterior providing up to 100% of the power required on each of the 500 units
Vertical axis wind turbine will provide power for core needs including common lighting, retail space and parking level ventilation
Glass ponds on the elevated park level captures runoff from rooftop vegetation
The City of Dallas and Urban Re:Vision present Re:Vision DALLAS in partnership with Central Dallas CDC and BC Workshop. For full details and contest entry guidelines, visit Re:Vision’s site.
What if everything we knew and believed about design needed to change? What if we need to change along with it? It’s a provocative idea, but one Re:Vision has been delving into for the past two years.
Dwell blog writer Aaron Britt brings us this feature on the recent Re:Vision Dallas design charrette.
On Friday of last week I attended the Re:Vision Dallas design charrette, one that hopes to remake a blighted city block of downtown Dallas into a haven of sustainable design and a catalyst for urban revitalization.
Having procured a 2.5-acre city block just next to Dallas’ IM Pei–designed City Hall that currently hosts a surface parking lot, Re:Vision Dallas invited dozens of architects, engineers, designers, and city planners to City Hall to discuss the design brief. Before opening it up to a competition amongst the wider design community, the Re:Vision team sought the group’s advice and critical eyes. Though most came from and worked in Texas, many for the City of Dallas itself, participants traveled from as far away as Montana and hailed from all corners of the globe. Eric Cory Freed and Brent Brown were amongst the leaders of the day’s events.
