bridges

by Thomas DeVoss

Last year the ARC wildlife crossing competition got a lot of pixels; it was won byMichael Van Valkenburgh & Associates and there is talk of building it, although it was more of an ideas competition. But they are actually building a wildlife bridge this summer in Ontario, just south of Sudbury. It is not nearly as fancy as the ARC competition entries, but the $ 58.3 million “eco-passage” will save the lives of both animals and the humans who tend to hit them.

by Thomas DeVoss

Colombian firm Jaramillo-Azuero Architects (J-A) have proposed a plan to transform a series of obsolete Italian viaducts into a network of state-of-the-art, sustainable energy education and research centers. The brilliant design was showcased in the “Solar Park South” international competition, which sought solutions that repurpose the viaducts instead of spending 40 million euros to demolish them. The J-A proposal features a wave-powered rail line, community-centered parks and sustainable energy research facilities, but the cornerstone of their proposal is the assertion that the most sustainable form of energy in the world is education.

Read more: Solar Park Transforms Old Viaducts Into Eco Education Centers | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World