Dubai is known for its sandstorms, which often make daily life in the city difficult. To solve the problem, Kalbod Design Studio created the project Absorbent Sandstorm Skyscraper, which consists of a series of skyscrapers capable of capturing dust and neutralizing it, improving the air.
How do dust-eating skyscrapers work?
The design of the buildings is inspired by their functionality: the main structure consists of two deep cavities, which absorb dust particles thanks to electric magnetism, neutralizing them. As the sand particles enter the hollows, they are attached to the smart particles inside the holes, which open based on the intensity of the storm. The dust particles are neutralized and their electric charge is absorbed in two different phases. The lower cavity of the skyscraper has a larger opening because the sand particles have a different flow and diameter depending on the height.
How will they be employed?
The project involves the construction of an entire row of 25 skyscrapers along Dubai's main road. The "tactical deployment" of these buildings is designed to create an intelligent filter and barrier to capture and neutralize airborne dust. Not only that: the design team has foreseen the installation of "sand" batteries (like the one in we wrote here) in the rooms of the towers. They will make it possible to store energy for several months and also to use it in other buildings in the region.
In summary
Thanks to the Absorbent Sandstorm Skyscraper project, Kalbod Design Studio may have found a truly innovative and economically (for them) sustainable solution to combat the sandstorms plaguing Dubai. The skyscrapers will form a multifunctional area dedicated to scientific research: each skyscraper will be dedicated to a specific research field, including physics, aerospace, technology, biology and medicine.
Not to mention the millions of selfies that tourists will want to take: I imagine behind every skyscraper, that in front there is dust.
