2020 is really not that far away, but are we prepared to experiment with what Philips has conjured up for our housing options of the future? They are proposing that we harness the energies of the elements to sustain our living quarters by entrapping the renewable resources on-site, using some membrane-type of contraption! Shifting the focus from eco-friendly building materials, Off the Grid Sustainable Habitat 2020 will do-away with “inert outer surfaces” that merely protect out exteriors by making them intelligent.
Apparently the exteriors will feature functional and responsive ‘skins’ that react to the ever changing environment. The exteriors are thus built that they can capture the rainwater (recycled for domestic use and filtered for drinking), trap the sunlight (for electricity and solar power), harness the winds (for air cooling) and channelize daylight (for illumination).
The proposal sounds interesting, but the only area its gets too far fetched, is when Philips suggests, that the ‘intelligent membrane’ of the exterior could mean that the building would no longer need to be connected to traditional energy and water supply systems.
I don’t see this happening anytime soon, at least not in 2020.
Designer: Philips Design
Sustainable Air
Sustainable Water
Sustainable Light
Sustainable Waste
