My project, titled Frog's Dream, has been chosen as one of the finalists in ReBurbia Design Competition, a contest to generate ideas that transform the declining North American suburbia. Online voting and viewing starts on August 10 and closes the following Monday. Please vote for me and take a look at the projects of all 20 finalists. There are really some great ideas: http://www.re-burbia.com/finalists/
Here's the statement of my project:
What to do about all those abandoned McMansions? Turn them into wetlands and natural water filtration systems for urban centers.
According to many scientists and climatologists, we are fighting a losing battle against climate change, loss of rain forests and wetlands and extinction of species. Historians who study Maya and Angkor have warned of an inevitable collapse to civilization when natural resources are overused in non-sustainable ways. Many real estate analysts have also predicted that a change of lifestyle, shrink of household size and a rise of energy prices will seal the final downfall of suburbia.
What would be the future of suburbia when McMansions are abandoned?
In response to the anticipated future, the Frog’s Dream project attempts to re-establish a sustainable relationship between city and suburbia. It proposes to transform the vacant McMansions, at the periphery of cities, into eco-water treatment machines, commercially known as Living Machines, in which a micro-ecosystem of plants, algae, bacteria, fish and clams are present to purify the water. A micro-wetland ecosystem will be formed around these mansions to sustain larger wetland animals and plants. The project also involves transforming the highway system into a multi-functional infrastructure that transports cars, trains and bikes, as well as forming a network to facilitate water transport between a city and its surrounding suburban wetlands.
The Frog Dream presents the idea of a highly concentrated city and its ring of suburban wetlands will hold the key to a green future.
