Designing a flying house in mid-air contributes to combating climate change

Floating like mini-balloons, floating modular buildings can provide high altitude shelter and contribute to combating climate change.

Project Oversky proposes the construction of a series of semi-floating structures that utilize the space between the road surface and the buildings. Based on technology that allows rigid-frame balloons to float, these modular buildings will combine clusters of habitable rooms in mid-air, connecting to adjacent buildings or other permanent structures. Developed by research and design studio Framlab, this project is an attempt to transform space at ground level.

Modular structure of the Oversky project.

Tjeldflaat describes it as an infrastructure system based on proven technology, including the use of self-contained carbon-fiber compartments containing inert and lighter-than-air helium, allowing the modules to maintain structure. sturdy and hovering like a small airship. Combined together to form a complex, they can act as personal rooms, offices or storage in the air. Tjeldflaat explains the suspended walkway will allow the module clusters to connect to the adjacent building.

The design also offers a new tool to combat climate change. One dilemma facing many cities around the world is the urban heat island effect. High density of high-rise buildings and paved pavements absorb and retain more heat than natural land or land in undeveloped areas, causing cities to become hotter, leading to increased demand for air conditioning with emissions.

Oversky's modular structure creates a microclimate that reflects sunlight and radiation back into the atmosphere. Through nanophotonic technology, the modules will use a foam-like material with many microscopic pockets, which can radiate heat back to the atmosphere, providing shade for the ground below. Drawings by Tjeldflaat show that the building can create shade in part of the space between buildings.

Unveiled at an architecture and climate change exhibition at Sweden's Bildmuseet art museum, the project suggests an alternative to polluting air conditioning. A conventional air conditioner emits a large amount of heat as well as refrigerant gas, and at the same time depends on energy from fossil fuels.