Press Release
Solar Skywalks Energetic Activation of Footbridges by Peter Kuczia Receives the Platinum A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Peter Kuczia recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ Solar Skywalks Energetic Activation of Footbridges by Peter Kuczia, designed for Avancis GmbH, has been granted the Platinum A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Platinum A' Design Award Explained
The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.
About Solar Skywalks Energetic Activation of Footbridges
World's metropolises - like Beijing - have a large number of footbridges traversing busy traffic arteries. They are often unattractive, downgrading the overall urban impression. Designers' idea of cladding the footbridges with aesthetic, power generating PV modules and transforming them into attractive city spots is not only sustainable but creates a sculptural diversity that becomes an eye-catcher in the cityscape. E-car or E-bike charging stations under the footbridges utilize the solar energy directly on site.
About Peter Kuczia
Peter Kuczia is an educator and expert in sustainable constructions with more than twenty years of experience. In 2008 he completed his Ph.D. dissertation on solar architecture in Germany. He is an author of ‘Educating Buildings – Learning Sustainability through Displayed Design’. He has been awarded multiple international prizes, including main International awards. His work has been exhibited and published around the world. He is a jury member in international competitions and initiator and curator of the Design that Educates Awards.
Award Record
With this recognition, Peter Kuczia is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/101746
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/101746
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!101746
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/273924
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.kuczia.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Solar Skywalks Energetic Activation of Footbridges
- Function
- Energetic Activation of Footbridges
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Cornflower Blue, Light Sky Blue, Dark Slate Blue, Steel Blue and Black
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Avancis GmbH
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Peter Kuczia
- Country
- Germany
- Recognition
- Platinum A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2019 - 2020
- Design ID
- #101746
Credits
- Image Credits
- Rendering: nomadd+
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This sustainable concept has been created for existing footbridges in Beijing but it is just as well to apply for any new structures in any site. With only one rectangular shape of PV panel, over 80 specific designs have been created for different urban areas of the city. The electricity harvested from the sun can be used on site for lighting, elevators or escalators. E-car and e-bike charging stations under the foot bridges utilize the locally generated solar energy directly on site.
- Inspiration
- World's metropolises have a large number of pedestrian bridges traversing busy traffic arteries. They are often unattractive, downgrading the overall urban impression. Our idea of cladding the pedestrian bridges with aesthetic, power generating photovoltaic modules and transforming them into attractive city spots is not only sustainable , but creates a sculptural diversity that becomes an eye-catcher in the cityscape.
- Realization and Technology
- The applied thin-film CIGS photovoltaic modules produce electricity under the most unfavorable weather and site conditions. They are lightweight and very resilient. Retrievable, prefabricated mounting systems are aesthetic and easy to assembly
- Operation and Interaction
- The eye-catching structures attract the attention of passers-by and this is to be used to educate about sustainability. The idea of using them as sources of informal education for sustainability is crucial to the project. The implemented display measures will provide passing persons with information about various aspects of the use of solar energy and thus lead to a better understanding and acceptance of solar solutions. This will be beneficial to society and to the environment.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project has been developed in Germany since 2018. Two mockups built in Shanghai and Munich demonstrate the feasibility of the system, which enables the construction of effective and reliable structures even for different climate zones.
- Specifications
- A design of a medium size footbridge with a medium density of panels - like "The Arches" - with its 10 rectangular portals can generate about 18,000 KWh of electricity per year. Since the electricity mix in China is very carbon-intensive, 0.7 kg CO2 per KWh of PV electricity could be saved, a total of 12,600 kg CO2. If the electricity generated in this example would be used to operate charging stations for electric scooters (in China these are rather slow, small scooters that need about 1 kWh for 100 m), the amount of electricity generated would be sufficient for a total distance of 1,800,000 km!
- Keywords
- Solar Energy, BIPV, Photovoltaic, Kuczia, Sustainable Architecture
