Zero-energy Tower Could Rise in Guangdong, China

A 300-meter tower requiring no net energy to operate could be erected in Guangdong, China. Designed by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), what is informally known as the Zero Energy Tower is one of three finalists for Guangdong Tobacco Company’s new headquarters, according to Architectural Record. SOM’s hi-tech design would be a revolutionary take on wind power. Integrated wind turbines would be housed on two separate mechanical floors and a sweeping southern façade would sport integrated louvers, calibrated to automatically adjust to the sun’s angle and intensity. "We felt this was an ideal opportunity to showcase how a large building could be designed to utilize energy harvested from the local environment," says SOM associate partner Gordon Gill, who worked on the proposal. ::Architectural Record