Gearfuse

Even more architecture that resembles the “arcologies” of Sim City 2000 are sprouting up, this time in Singapore. Here, eco-minded architecture firm TR Hamzah & Yeang is designing this skyscraper it’s calling the EDITT (Ecological Design In The Tropics) Tower. This 26-story skyscraper will be constructed using various recycled and recyclable materials. Not only that, but the tower will include the most eco-friendly technologies ever to be incorporated into a high-rise building.

You name it, this thing’s got it. Besides the immense amount of solar panels that’ll generate 40% of the tower’s energy demands, this skyscraper will include an energy plant that will convert human sewage into biofuel, a rain water harvesting system and the ability to remove and add walls and floors just in case vegetation is growing out of hand. That’s every possible way to save our planet jam packed into one skyscraper. You’ll have to deal with a major case of bed bugs, but it’s a small price to pay for saving the planet.

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Dubai is a cool city and all, but have you ever gotten the feeling that it’s just flaunting its endless wealth? That’s because it is. Dubai is rich, filthy rich and they aren’t afraid of letting the world know it by dropping billions of dollars on over-elaborate fountains and animated skyscrapers.

Now, Dubai is “WOWing” the world once again by having the UAE development company, Tameer Holding, develop the world’s largest LED screen to be embedded on an intended commercial tower in the Majan district of Dubailand. That’s 33 stories of advertising. It might seem a little excessive, but this is Dubai. It’s got money and it’s not afraid to flaunt it.

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Two new buildings are being built in Tinajin, China that are sure to rival the Dubai tower in design. The 1175-foot Sinosteel International Plaza and the 288-foot hotel next to it may not be as tall as the Ultima tower, but they’ve got something to prove with the hexagonal windows installed in them. The windows are placed in such a way that will take the most advantage of the sun and wind that it possibly can, allowing the structure to use as little energy as possible from conventional energy sources.

The Chinese architects, MAD Ltd, came up with this innovative honeycomb design for their windows not only for energy efficiency but also for stability and space. I’m hoping they’re shatter-proof in the event that someone throws a wild mud wrestling party in one of the hotel rooms.
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A revolutionary skyscraper by Italian architect Dr. David Fisher is planned for Dubai. The unnamed tower will be 80-stories high with revolving floors that alter the shape and form of the building. With the aid of an immobile cement core, spinning floors rotate around the core while staying connected to it. This will give guests of the building a constantly changing view of the city and surroundings. Wind turbines are installed between every floor, which generates enough electricity to power the entire building, making it self-sufficient.

That’s not all. A building is also planned for Moscow in 2010. The Moscow tower, though only in its design phase, will contain 70 floors and be 1,310 feet tall. With all these shape-shifting towers, you’d think they would’ve thrown the U.S. a bone and built one here, considering we’ve lossed two of our best buildings. No worries, we still have the greatest rotating tower of all: the Seattle Space Needle.
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I’m pretty sure anyone who hates LEGOs is a commie bastard. The classic colored bricks have been a staple of everyone’s childhood and that love continues into adulthood. Case in point is the world’s largest LEGO tower, which contains 500,000 LEGO bricks and is 100 feet tall.

Built in Windsor, UK, the huge structure commemorates LEGO’s 50th anniversary. Personally, I haven’t bought a set in a few years, but I will never forget the early-’90s spaceship sets. Those were king. Either way, neither the tower nor those spaceship sets compare to the LEGO Camaro.

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Every other week we read about some kook who has devised a blueprint for the world’s new tallest building. Blah, blah. Whatever. It’s old news that buildings are getting bigger. The Ultima Tower, on the other hand, goes well beyond just slightly edging out the next tallest building, but totally blows it away.

The Ultima Tower proposal is a two-mile high behemoth, which has a concept which is based around the growth of trees, will also contribute to the constructs energy footprint, while the building itself will be made to be a eco-metropolis. — Andrew Dobrow

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Are you worried that one day your PC is going to get so hot from all of that WoW you play that it will just burst into flames? This PC mod encases your computer in cooling heat sinks, surrounding the bad boy with heat exhaustion.

This PC mod pretty much cuts out the middle man, evacuating all of the generated heat right through the case, effectively cooling your PC and heating your home at the same time. — Andrew Dobrow

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