CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

They don't call it the Windy City for nothing. Chicagoans routinely brave tropical-storm-force winds. So why is all that energy is only used to knock over pedestrians and scatter detritus when it could be used to power the city!

Well, the "Clean Technology Tower" will finally be exploiting Chicago's wind with dozens of wind turbines tucked into its body. These aren't your average, everyday building integrated turbines either. AS+GG Architecture has actually done the math, and they've determined the best way to harness the wind as it flows around the tower. Depressions in the face of the tower channel wind into the turbines. As the tower reaches higher (and wind speeds increase) the turbines are more tightly spaced.

The result is more than perfect for capturing power, it's also a much more organic and pleasing design than we've seen with a lot of wind-capturing buildings.

The tower will have more than two million square feet of hotel, retail and office space. The wind will be used both to power the building and create negative pressure for natural ventilation. And, as if this wasn't enough clean technology, the domed roof will be covered in photovoltaic panels!

I haven't heard any time-scales for this thing tossed around, but hopefully sooner rather than later. AS+GG is plenty busy with amazing green building projects, like the Masdar Headquarters, but hopefully they'll put this one on the fast track as well.