The i-rise manifests an ecological approach that is far removed from the romantic attitude of the common single family house. The i-rise is an experiment of both practical and theoretical level transforming the single family house from its traditional horizontal land wasting state into a vertical state which is much more economical and ecological.

The footprint of the new residential structure is only 5 meters by 7.5 meters. The re-configuration of the house holds great potential in reducing existing social, economical and technological gaps. The construction of the i-rise is significantly cheaper and faster, due to industrial prefabrication of the structure, easy transportation options, and a quick building process. People will be able to inhabit the i-rise in several weeks.

The process of “planting” the building in the foundations is very similar to the process of planting a tree, and does not require extended infrastructure preparations. It is just as easy to uproot the construction in order to recycle it or to move it into a new location.

The Brain Unit functions as a heat isolated hanging roof and contain other systems such as a simple solar system, utilizing 3-D pyramidal panels that expand the active surface area of the unit, thus achieving maximum exposure to the sun. Energy utilization through simple and easily-sustainable technologies on the one hand, and energy saving through built-in recycling systems on the other hand are all basic necessities in the sustainable era and should not be luxuries and expensive elements.

By bringing the ecological awareness to the majority of the people we will be able to make a positive impact on our planet. Frederick Kiesler once said that:

“The answer is not in the comforts of technology… The answer lies beyond the idea of function. As we can see around us, the whole idea of function is in constant evolution, and I think it is the duty of the architect to foresee, to plan, to forefeel his way toward the future in order to be planning properly for today.”

Designer Name:
Joseph Cory + Eyal Malka . Geotectura
Links:
www.geotectura.com

Awards:

• 3rd prize in the International Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition, Japan, 2005
• 1st prize in the Project of the Year Award (Conceptual projects category), Israel, 2006
• Runner-up in the Metropolis Next Generation Award, USA, 2007

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Art, Sustainable Development, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.