Cool Retreats
In light of global warming, Cool Retreats were designed for use by anyone, however a primary focus was placed on providing cool temporary shelters for those who have no shelter at all or can’t afford to cool the shelters they do have.
The Solar Ceiling Fan Pavilion was designed as a public pavilion that would be used primarily in a hot climate. When the sun is shinning, the solar cells convert sunlight into electricity, which is used to power the ceiling fans, cooling the space below. Of course the pavilion can be increased in size and it could be used for various public gatherings. When the ambient air temperatures are low, the fans stop, and the electricity is sent into the local power grid.
The Solar Breeze Oasis Pavilion is a design proposal for public, prefabricated, modular, octagon shaped steel structures that can be installed as a single unit, and/or as a cluster of structures joined together in order to form many different site-specific shapes and sizes. Each pavilion is equipped with a large array of solar cells mounted onto the roof, and places under the roof to sit, lie, and/or work at a desk. Mounted to the ceiling of the pavilions at the center are large solar powered circular lights, and five large solar powered ceiling fans. There are also solar powered outlets where people can charge their electrical devices.
The purpose of the Solar Breeze Oasis pavilions is to provide a comfortable cool public place where people can go during very hot times of the day. The ideal place for the installation of these structures would be in public parks. They can be thought of as kind of public umbrellas that provide shade, a cool breeze from the solar powered ceiling fans, places to relax, do some work, or even take a nap. Rainwater can also be gathered from the roofs of the pavilions and stored in containers for use in the park.
Cool Spots are solar powered, public, cylindrical shaped pavilions, designed to provide a cool place in which to retreat from the heat of the day. They were designed as prefabricated recyclable steel modules that can be placed almost anywhere. Each module has a large array of solar cells mounted onto the roof that make electricity from the sun to power a large ceiling fan (mounted at the center) along with night-lights, and power ports for electronic devices. The solar electricity can be used to power the ceiling fan, lights, and power ports directly through batteries, and/or the solar electricity can be sent into the local power grid, which in turn powers the Cool Spots. Each Cool Spot module is fitted with four large benches mounted around a circular table at the base of each structure and is mounted onto a circular concrete base.
The Cooling Cone is another Cool Retreat designed in the shape of a cone with a large solar array mounted on the top. The solar array powers a large ceiling fan mounted on the ceiling below along with a light mounted above the fan. Various seating arrangements are built into the floor.
As the global climate changes and the planet continues to heat up, I feel that I have an obligation as a designer to try and help those in need by creating public facilities like these pavilions. Many millions of people around the world are suffering greatly today from the rising air temperatures due to global warming. Many of these people cannot afford to adequately cool the places in which they live. My hope is that many public facilities like the Solar Ceiling Fan Pavilion, the Solar Breeze Oasis Pavilion, Cool Spots, and the Cooling Cone will be built especially in cities, to help ease some of the pain of global climate change.
Status: Unbuilt
