The I rise
Vertical Dwelling State of Mind
Designed in collaboration with arch Joseph Cory.
The i-rise is a vertical, multi-story residential unit, with an integrated infrastructure for generating renewable energy, collecting rainwater and treat water and solid waste based on zero-environmental impact technologies.
The i-rise is autonomous and self-sustainable in terms of energy: it generates its own renewable energy through integrated solar panels and a wind turbine. The Brain Unit functions as simple solar system, utilizing pyramidal panels that expand the active surface area of the unit, thus achieving maximum sun exposure.
The i-rise model would provide for basic, clean and eco-sustainable housing with enough flexibility for varying budgets and vernacular adaptations based on locally available construction techniques and materials.
Because of its multi-story layout, the i-rise model is an effective tool in addressing the density problem in denset cities: it provides these communities with more living surface, while ‘taking up less of the city‘. This addresses the socially unjust distribution of living surface where increasingly more people have to do with increasingly less surface per unit. With an average of 4 stories, plus an open garden and installation level, The i-rise will decrease the pressure on urban areas by a factor 4, based on a technology that would not require (big)contractors, large budgets and large scale infrastructure, but could be realized from within the communities themselves. The development, planning, construction and maintenance of the i-rises is an in-community business opportunity.
The i-rise was awarded within the 2005, International Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition/Action for Sustainability in conjunction with the 2005 World Sustainable Building Conference, Tokyo Japan. This year, the i-rise was a finalist at the 4th International Bauhaus Award, Dessau Germany and won the first prize as the project of the Year in Israel (under Conceptual Projects category
The i-rise iconic figure would contribute to environmental awareness, would disseminate knowledge, skill, know how and expertise in the field of environmental technologies where it most counts, and is generally hardest to implement: the poor urban areas of the less developed world. Rather then simply an awareness campaign, the awareness created through implementing the i-rise in these realms, a lasting awareness would be created, whereas the economic advantages, when well orchestrated, could secure that awareness’ continuity and expansion.
The target communities will largely be found in countries, regions and cities governments and local authorities are not able, capable or willing to provide these communities the infrastructure for renewable energy, clean water and ecologically sustainable water & waste treatment. The implications of the project are such that it is likely that the authorities would be in support of its implementation, since it offers solutions to the problems they cannot/ do not deal with themselves.
