With China’s urban population growing, there is an inevitable increase in energy consumption and, thus, in environmental concern. Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, who is known for his ideas of re-framing urbanity in a useful and creative way, has developed a concept to bring natural ecosystems into cities with his design for Farmscrapers (eco-friendly alternatives to skyscrapers.) Vincent’s project seeks to restructure China’s urban environments, starting with the city of Shenzhen, by placing his innovative vertical farming towers as a positive response to the impending environmental issues. The towers combine rural and urban environments both in design and function. Each level shaped like a pebble, serves a separate purpose. From concert hall spaces and shopping centers to gardens and agricultural sites, which in turn implements the problem of air pollution in cities with high population density. Fully equipped with wind turbines, solar cells, and a means of growing organic vegetation, the primary purpose of Vincent’s project is to provide positive energy and lessen the human race’s carbon footprint. The project states: “The challenge is to create a fertile urbanisation with zero carbon emission and with positive energy, this means producing more energy than it consumes, in order to conciliate the economical development with the protection of the planet.”
