Since I was a child, I have loved imagining a beautiful future for us all. My mind naturally goes to what life on this planet could look like. One aspect of that is what’s possible architecturally.  I’m a homebody so I love thinking about what a healthy, beautiful, eco-intelligent home might look like… and also community. In my searches, I came across an amazing ecological architect named Vincent Callebaut. Originally from Belgium and based in Paris, he was voted in the top 50 of the Green Planet Architects. He is an eco-visionary with a mission to address the world's environmental and social challenges. His innovative, sustainable building and community designs are created with the purpose of helping to create a better future for us all. He says "To make society evolve is the most difficult thing to do in this world...but it is possible step by step.” I agree and believe that all transformations, whether in our personal lives or collective lives, happen with one small step at a time. 

What sets Callebaut apart from other architects is his blending of architecture with biology and information & communication technologies—creating very sophisticated designs that involve the highest caliber eco-innovations. Plus, all his designs are created with the highest ideals in mind for humanity.  He is passionate about "transforming cities into ecosystems, neighborhoods into forests, and buildings into trees.”  His designs integrate our living, working and community spaces with an abundance of nature, which I believe is critical to our well-being. Below are some of his designs and highlights about them.

SOPREMA: Green Flex Office for
Nomad Co-Workers, France. 

This gorgeous creation brings nature into the workplace and includes meeting rooms and offices, plus free space that allows employees to work anywhere. Callebaut's plan involves bringing 10,000 plants and shrubs into the space, includes greenhouses that produce fruits and veggies, and has apple and pears trees built into the landscaping. In also utilizes eco innovations including solar panels on the roof that produce electricity and hot water, 20 wind turbines, greywater recycling, biomass generators (independent power source), geothermal heating system (which utilizes the earth's underground hot spots to pump heat into the space in winter and out of the space in summer). One of his goals is a negative carbon footprint.

PHYSALIA: Amphibious garden cleaning pollution of European waterways. 

(Physalis has Greek origins and means “water bubble”)

Born from Callebaut’s belief that everyone should have access to clean drinking water, this floating water purification system was designed to travel the rivers of Europe and make dirty waters drinkable. It also has a laboratory for researchers to study the ecosystems it traverses, and tourists can visit some exhibits and enjoy an elegant lounge. This half aquatic and half earthly vessel is not only aesthetically beautiful with an futuristic design, it:

1. neutralizes pollution by absorbing ultraviolet rays that set off a chemical reaction that neutralize toxins, 

2. creates energy from underwater turbines that utilize the movement of the water, 

3. creates energy from a rooftop photovoltaic cells that harness the sun’s energy, 

4. has a hydraulic network that enables it to filter water via a lush garden on the roof that contains specific plants that naturally filter dirty water,

5. uses sophisticated biotechnology to navigate the rivers of Europe, and

6. produces more energy than it consumes.

NAUTILUS: Zero-Emission, Zero-Waste, Zero-Poverty, eco-resort envisioned for the Philippines.

This eco-resort is a dream for the conscious traveler. An abundance of plants and shapes inspired by nature are at the heart of this project because Callebaut recognizes that “man has an innate need to be constantly connected to Nature.” This is the biggest thing we are missing in current architecture which more often than not disconnects us from nature. This eco-complex was designed with heart to fully care for the surrounding environment as well as the well-being of the locals, with the help of tourists. It seeks to engage locals and tourists with engineers, scientists and ecologists so that they may work together to protect and revitalize the environment. The structures include towers housing tourists that rotate to follow the sun, sea snail-shaped buildings with educational exhibits that explain environmental challenges and concerns, and a large mountain shaped building at center. This mountain-shaped building would include an elementary school, a children’s home, sports activities for local youth and tourists, as well as scientific laboratories. It also features a roof covered with vegetable gardens and organic orchards. This eco-resort: 

1. uses underwater turbines and solar panels to produce more energy than it needs, with the excess going to nearby communities

2. practices zero-waste which means it turns all of its own waste into resources

3. is completely self sufficient in both energy and food

4. would directly support local economic development in the form of jobs and income. 

In all of his designs, Callebaut merges existing technologies with stunningly beautiful design elements to create a world you might only imagine as a dream. I admire anyone pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to help create a world that is healthy for us all as well as for our environment. We desperately need as many people as possible to start envisioning, living and creating in ways that will improve our future, our collective lives, and honor our precious earth and its resources. To learn more about the ceiling-shattering work of Vincent Callebaut, visit  http://vincent.callebaut.org

What here resonates with you? Please head to the comments below and let me know. And if you know someone that might enjoy this blog post, please share it with them.