Trashy Skyscraper Grows Over Time

Yup, you read that headline correctly.

Smallman Construction and Electric report on a new type of architecture that might just been the weirdest type of building I've ever heard of, and its actually being built in London! Dubbed the "Organic Skyscraper", the materials that create this tower are all made from recycled and compressed plastic and paper that are generated within the building.

The Growing Skyscraper, credit

French designer Chartier-Corbasson Architects state that this skyscraper will be equipped with a recycling center so that all the wastes needed to create the panels for new construction can be produced on site--talk about zero waste in a closed loop system!

The in-house recycling system, credit

But wait, did I mention that that new construction will be happening on top of the old building at an "as needed" basis? Chartier-Corbasson took their inspiration from bamboo that grows upwards section by section; as business grows and new space is needed, the waste of the past is converted into new material to be put on top. The scaffolding structure of this skyscraper is also interlaced with a network of poles, much like asian bamboo scaffolding.

According to Smallman, "The Paris-based firm believe that in a year a single office worker uses 80 plastic bottles and 75 kg of paper, which can be recycled into one and two insulated panels respectively." That means that the occupants of the proposed tower produce enough waste to build the facade in one year.

Since the initial price of a full-grown tower is so expensive, it does make more economic sense to start small and add on as the opportunity grows. As the tower gets larger, its occupants will be able to supply building materials more quickly, make it grow faster, or lend materials to new organic towers, more quickly as well.

Could organic skyscrapers be the new norm as waste removal and sprawl take their toll? Can there be any downside to living in old trash?

While undoubtedly an awesome and very green idea, the tower's test run in London will let us know how it really works.