The conceptual 'Skyscraper City of Tiankeng' is a molecularly-inspired habitat that would work to support the herb industry, while also providing a comfortable place for residents to live.
The habitat consists of several spheres that each contain their own microclimate, which is meant to help with the growing of particular herbs. The herbs would, after harvesting, be researched, processed and marketed accordingly, which would all take place within the sphere. The architectural style of the spherical system would be a sight to behold in its cavernous location and fit in more elegantly with the landscape than conventional buildings.
The conceptual is the design work of Shuzhan Liu, Siang Duan, Yimin Gao, Jingyi Li, Shiliang Wang and Daxu Wei who described the project saying, "By turning the city into a cluster of interconnected biodomes, Tiankeng presents a new agricultural model of the “herbal industry” that integrates research, production, processing, and marketing, all within each individual dome."
What's Driving This Trend
- Sphere-shaped Architecture
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for architects to explore new forms and functional spaces with sustainable and eco-friendly features.
- Microclimate Farming
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for agribusinesses to optimize crop yields with controlled environments and customized microclimates.
- Integrated Biodomes
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for sustainable urban development to merge agriculture, research, production, processing, and marketing in a single ecosystem.
Who This Affects Most
- Architecture
- Architects can explore and develop sustainable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically-pleasing sphere-shaped buildings that blend in with the landscape and offer functional microclimates for various purposes.
- Agribusiness
- Agribusinesses can leverage microclimate farming techniques and controlled environments to grow high-value herbs and other crops that require specific growing conditions, resulting in better yields and higher profits.
- Urban Development
- Urban developers can adopt integrated biodome systems to create self-sufficient and eco-friendly communities that offer seamless integration of agriculture, research, production, processing, and marketing, leading to a sustainable and innovative way of urban living.
