Eco-conscious architect and designer Michael Jantzen has conceptualized a sustainable library that will be powered entirely by renewable wind energy. Dubbed as the Winds of Change Library, the proposal seeks the development of a multi-level structure that will incorporate a large garden with trees, plants and grass covering the entire two-level roof. The roof garden would help to keep the library cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It would also function as a safe and comfortable place for the visitors to read outdoors. The roof garden is also designed to capture and store rainwater for use in and around the library.
The majority of the Winds of Change Library would be made from a single repeated structural element fabricated from various earth friendly concrete composite materials. The shape of these structural elements is derived from the profile of the five vertical axis wind turbines (made of lightweight metal) which are custom designed and integrated into the top of the library. In this way, five pieces of the structure appear to be rotating when the wind blows, instead of five stuck on conventional wind turbines. These wind turbines would be designed to power the entire structure.
In addition emphasis has been placed on the most appropriate window placement in order to provide the maximum benefits from natural lighting and ventilation. Many solar light tubes are mounted into the roof so that natural sun light can be channeled into every part of the interior not illuminated by the windows. The design of the Winds of Change Library explores ways in which to fully integrate alternative energy gathering and storage systems into the structure so that these systems can become a major part of the creation of an unexpected and exciting architectural aesthetic. Due to the modular components that form the majority of the structure, it would be easy to logically grow the size and shape of the library in time to accommodate changing needs.
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