Hometown Hero

You've probably already admired the work of Bremerton born, UW graduated New York-based architect Steven Holl. He built the urban refuge that is the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University, one of the dopest modernist buildings around. The shit is so fresh that the scale model of the chapel is part of the permanent collection at NY MOMA. And Steven Holl Architects also built the Bellevue Art Museum. Sweet!

Anyways, the kid is back at it with this amazing Chinese housing plan, The Beijing Looped Hybrid. There is a sky loop and a base loop filled with services for the 2500 inhabitants of the community. The eight towers are linked at the twentieth floor by a ring (the sky loop) of cafes and services and the complex will feature one of the world's largest geothermal cooling and heating systems. This system will regulate the temperature within the eight buildings all while dual pipes pump water from 100 meters below ground, circulating the liquid between the buildings' concrete floors. The water-circulation system will serve as a giant radiator in the winter and cooling system in the summer. It has no boilers to supply heat, no electric air conditioners to supply cool.

The engineering feats are not unparalleled by the beauty at this place. The undersides of the cantilevered portions of the buildings are colored membranes that display a glow at night. And misting fountains from the water retention basin activate the night light in colorful clouds, while the floating Cineplex centerpiece has partial images of its ongoing films projected on its undersides and reflected in the water. Principles of Feng Shui are followed throughout the complex. Word.