Benjamin Badeau envisions a future where Man, Machine and Nature can Coexist

Futures + brings you a Thesis Project which looks at a possible dystopian future in which mankind has all but depleted earth’s resources.  By utilizing architecture as a vehicle for sustainability and self-sufficiency, Benjamin Badeau (RPI class of 2010) proposes a built scenario in which the urban and natural landscapes are physically separated, yet functionally united.  Breaking far beyond the norm, Ben brings a fresh look into refocusing the design of the cityscape and encompassing green technologies into an array of eye-opening renderings, models, and diagrams.  This 5th year thesis project is the product of yet another recent R.P.I. graduate; his passion for design, theory and vision clearly visible in how they are orchestrated in this thesis.

STUDENT: Ben Badeau
SCHOOL: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
CLASS: 5th Year Final Thesis
PROFESSORS: Chris Perry, Michael Oatman
PROGRAMS USED: V-Ray, Rhino, Adobe CS4

“Post-war Futurism and the Industrial Revolution brought new standards of living/working for humans in the 20th Century.  Constant growth in mechanic efficiency leaves the human population strongly oriented towards the future in pursuit of the “ideal machine,’ providing better results with less energy.  Humans have become dependent on the machine, and as dependence grows, self-sufficiency decreases. 

A group of strategically placed towers could replace entire cities.

With the ever-increasing role of machine in man’s life, stress is being put on our natural world and natural resources, the source of man’s infinite science/technology.  Man’s predicament with overpopulation, energy crisis, and climate change has risen to uncontrollable levels and urban sprawl has amounted in an almost continuous net of human cities.   Through the implementation of clustering mega-structures, urban development, green-energy harvest, and geo-engineering techniques will be applied to man’s future world as a method to battle his current standing on Earth.  Rising infrastructure will take the form of a tripod yielding the image of the trinity, Nature|Man|Machine, sustaining a minimal footprint on earth as an urban-sprawl reduction machine, as well as a stress-reduction machine for Earth.  

Diagram showing the strategy of analyzing site climate data and sustainable energy to create an optimal environment

Diagram Illustrating the relationship of the three forces driving the project.

Illustration of the various "Biomes" and their function

Ben's proposal for distributing and integrating various aspects of the modern city

Standing at 2,500 ft vertically, it harnesses geo-thermal energy, wind energy, hydro-power, and so on, while its large “wings” provide infrastructure for human urban development, and its legs bloom with farming biomes for plant and animal life.  In a continuous circle of life man will utilize the powers of Nature|Man|Machine to reduce stress on his environment and return it to a healthier state.  Man will localize his cities by reducing urban sprawl, while globalizing and harnessing natural energies to not only reach zero-carbon levels, but exceed them.”

Ben's physical model helps illustrate the proposal's footprint to area ratio and the desire to make every surface function as energy collector

     With that we will leave you with some final thoughts from Ben and his venture into blending cinematic media and architecture.

“With the ever-increasing role of machine in man’s life, stress is being put on our natural world and natural resources, the source of man’s infinite science/technology.  Man’s predicament with overpopulation, energy crisis, and climate change has risen to uncontrollable levels and urban sprawl has amounted in an almost continuous net of human cities.  With the inevitable “man-made disaster” looming, isn’t it time?”

You can check out Ben’s new project here: