About XTU Architects
The biofacade technology provides natural insulation, absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. XTU Architects proposes algae-covered towers for Hangzhou.
Huangzhou, China, can win another daring architectural project. It is that the French studio XTU Architects developed a project of four twisted glass towers. So far so good. The building is even more curious to have the facade lined with panels with microalgae.
Called French Dream Towers, the buildings must include biofacade technology. The algae layer provides natural insulation and compensates for the building's environmental impact by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
"The culture of microalgae on the facade of building is a process developed by XTU for several years. It allows symbiosis: the biofacade uses the thermal building to regulate the temperature of algae and at the same time these biofacades allow a much better insulation of the buildings", architects said in a statement.
Arup was a pioneer in biofacade technology five years ago, with the world's first algae building in Hamburg, Germany.
Microalgae growing in glass panels can be used to generate renewable energy. According to the publication, XTU Architects suggested that in case of its Hangzhou towers, algae could be harvested for use in medicines or cosmetics.
One of the towers should include restaurants, a panoramic bar, a hotel, a spa and a beauty salon. Another tower would be dedicated to art, with galleries, etc. Already the last tower will be for business, with offices, startups and spaces of coworking.
About XTU Architects
XTU is an award-winning architecture and design firm founded in 2000 by principal architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazieres. Located in Paris, France, XTU specializes primarily in academic and environmental research in addition to residential and cultural buildings.
Convinced that living organisms will be the biotechnology revolution of tomorrow, XTU engages its innovative research on the themes of bio-inspired and photosynthetic architecture. In addition to these innovations, XTU also develops biofacades for cultivating plankton species on the exteriors of buildings and creating new architectural ecosystems.
| architects@x-tu.com | |
| Phone | +33145233710 |
| Website | https://www.xtuarchitects.com |
Links
Biofacade Technology and Microalgae-Covered Buildings by XTU Architects