Eco Factor: Exhibition space to bring visitors close to the Great Lakes and encourages them to conserve natural resources.
Industrial designer and architect Michael Burns has shared with us his newest creation which encourages the masses to care more about scarce natural resources, especially the five Great Lakes of North America. The creation is an exhibition space that will focus on the Great Lakes.
The design concept attempts to drive the conservative thinking towards an environmentally integrated, low impact facility that would use the water of Lake Michigan as a matrix for five individual habitats or “aquatic gardens” representing each of the five Great Lakes. Because lake water is essentially common to all of the Great Lakes, it would be possible to avoid energy-sucking water filtration systems.
A semi-permeable membrane would be developed as a way to corral each of the habitat’s flora and fauna while still allowing water to pass through. The membranes could be expanded or contracted to help manage a habitat’s growth. The membranes would also reduce wave activity, thus maximizing visibility into the habitats from an underwater viewing space.
Natural sunlight would do most of the work to light each habitat and upper level. Solar collectors mounted to the top of the pavilion’s walkway would gather energy to illuminate the deck and interior during the evening. The pavilion would be open year-round, embracing seasonal changes (relatively common to all the lakes), allowing visitors to experience the diversity of these lakes within their natural climate.
Thanks: [Michael Burns]
