Architects and Engineers from Rockville, MD Design Team are Shortlisted for LAGI 2018
Rockville, MD, July 23, 2018/ — The NIKA Creative Lab’s “Sol Tower” was named as one of the one of the top 25 shortlisted designs for the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) 2018 design competition. This year’s competition brief required teams to design a renewable energy infrastructure “woven into the fabric” of the St. Kilda Triangle in Melbourne, Australia.
Architects and engineers, led by NIKA Creative Lab’s Tae Jung, developed a creative approach that stood out among approximately 300 entries from around the world. Featuring a beautiful solar updraft tower at its center, NIKA’s design embodied the idea of art with a purpose, harvesting energy from natural, renewable sources with a net-zero effect. In keeping with the spirit of this popular tourist area, the tower would feature a vertical drop ride where fun seekers cheer as they drop down through the 36-meter-high shaft overlooking the vista of St. Kilda. The bridge would connect various parts of the St. Kilda Triangle, adding an element of connectivity and mobility.
According to the LAGI website: “The goal of the Land Art Generator is to accelerate the transition to post-carbon economies by providing models of renewable energy infrastructure that add value to public space, inspire, and educate—while providing equitable power to thousands of homes around the world.”
In addition to the solar updraft tower, the NIKA Creative Lab design featured bladeless wind oscillators and photovoltaic panels. These technologies would combine to not only generate enough energy to fuel its own ride, but also to feed energy back into the grid.
NIKA’s design will be prominently featured in the LAGI exhibition, the HIRMER publication, and will be noted in LAGI’s media communications. The exhibition will open on October 11th at Fed Square in Melbourne, at which time the winning entries will be announced.
ABOUT THE NIKA CREATIVE LAB
The NIKA Creative Lab is a unique architectural research and design studio working to solve real-world problems through innovation. Our creative team understands that architecture is about more than just aesthetics. Rather, our approach puts people first, focusing on the impact of the physical structure on its inhabitants. Different from the conventional A+E work studio, the NIKA Creative Lab is an incubator for out-of-the-box ideas and fresh perspectives that will enrich our world. Our team works to develop a strong understanding of the needs of our evolving society, and then fields a wide variety of ideas and concepts that are nurtured, tested, and refined. This dynamic and flexible process fuels innovation, ultimately leading to design that has the power to transform lives. The NIKA Creative Lab is continuously reimagining architecture to push the boundaries of what is possible.
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