London building project could turn polluted air into natural gas

London is one of the largest cities in the world and as such has a large amount of air pollution, mainly due to the high number of cars present in the metropolis.

Architect Chang-Yeob Lee, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, created a conceptual project with a quite different solution to this urban problem.

Named "Synth [e] tech [e] cology", the concept is characterized by a bundle of cables that intertwine at the top of taller buildings and purify the air and produce natural gas in the process. As an example, Lee chose BT Tower, one of London's tallest skyscrapers.

In the concept arts of the proposal, carbon fibers and an irregular steel rigging embrace every top of the building. Because of its bizarre shape, the project is often called a "cobweb" as the top of the building is completely obscured by the structures.

Sustainable Spider Web

To work properly, "Synth [e] tech [e] cology" has to be applied to tall buildings. Steel structures collect soot and other small particles in the city's air, as well as carbon dioxide. The equipment also contains titanium dioxide nanotubes that are capable of transforming carbon dioxide into natural gas through the use of water and exposure to sunlight. Lee's system can also produce methanol in the process; about tons per year.

The project, if it ever comes off paper, can be applied to other buildings around the world. Lee said many tall buildings have no special utility and can be better used. "Pollution can generate another economy, " said the newly graduated student. Other similar proposals have already been created in Chicago and Mexico City, but with more modest structures and without all the functions Lee imagined.

Whether the project "Synth [e] tech [e] cology" can come true or not, we cannot say; but it is one of the most interesting sustainability proposals that can transform our future.

Via TecMundo