EcoArk
BuildingWithPlasticBottles
Whatcouldyoudowithoneandahalfmillionplasticbottles?ArthurHuangconstructedanine-storybuildingwiththem!HecalledittheEcoArk.It’saspecialnameforaspecialbuildinginTaiwan, Asia.
TheEcoArkisasleek,modernstructurethatreallycatchestheeye.Fromadistance,youmightthinkit’smadeofglass,withwhitedotsdecoratingtheouterwallsinarepeatingpattern.Butupclose,youseethatthosedotsareactuallybottlecaps!Theycapsomeoftheplasticbottlesthatmakeupthewalls.Thereisno glass.
ThebottlesthatmakeupthewallsoftheEcoArkarenotyourordinaryplasticbottles.TheyarecalledPolli-Bricks.They aremadeofrecycledplasticfromwaterbottles,softdrinkbottles,andotherplasticcontainersthatwerethrownaway.Theplastictrashwaschoppedupandmelteddown.Huangandhisteaminventedawaytoreshapeandstrengthenthemeltedplasticintoanewtypeofbuildingblocksthatareshapedlike bottles.
ThePolli-Brickshavegroovessothattheyfittogethertightlyandlockinplace.Theyareassembledintopanelsaboutthesizeoflargewindows.Acoatingonthepanelshelpsprotectagainstfireandtheweather.Thepanelsweighone-fifthasmuchaspanelsmadeofglassorothermaterials,yettheyareincrediblystrong.Thestrengthcomesfromthehoneycombpatternmadebytheinterlocking bottles.
ThegroovedPolli-Brickslocktogethertoform panels.
ThesekindsofsafetyfeaturesareamustfortheEcoArk.That’sbecauseitwasbuiltinapartoftheworldthatexperiencessomeofnature’smostextremeforces.It’slocatedinHuang’shomelandofTaiwan.ThisislandoffthecoastofmainlandChinaisrockedeveryyearbydozensofearthquakesstrongenoughtoshakebuildings.Inaddition,severalviolentstorms,calledtyphoons,batterTaiwanduringthesummermonths.Huang’sstructurestandsuptoearthquakesthatcrumbleotherbuildings.TheEcoArkbravesthehowlingwindsandpoundingrainsoftyphoonswithno damage.
ThePolli-Brickpanelsarelightweightbutstrong.Huangdemonstratesbyjumpingupanddownon them.
Eco-Friendly
HuangdesignedtheEcoArktobeeco-friendly—inotherwords,tonotharmtheenvironment.ThePolli-Brickwallsuseplastictrashthatwouldotherwiseendupinlandfillsoraslitterontheground,inrivers,orinthe ocean.
ThePolli-BrickskeeptheEcoArkeco-friendlyinotherways,too.Thebottlesarefilledwithair.Heatdoesn’tpassthroughaireasily,sothebottleshelpkeepheatfromenteringthebuilding.That’simportantinaplacelikeTaiwanthathaslong,sweltering summers.
Huang'sPolli-Bricksaremadeoutofplastic bottles.
Mostbuildingsusealotofelectricityforairconditioning,andthatelectricityusuallycomesfromburningoil,coal,ornaturalgasatapowerplant.Burningthesefossilfuelsaddscarbondioxideandothergasestothe air.
Thegasestrapenergyfromthesun,whichkeepsourplanetwarmenoughtosupportlife.It’scalledthegreenhouseeffect.Buttoomuchofagoodthingcanbeabadthing.Burningfossilfuelshasaddedalotofheat-trappinggasestotheair,increasingthegreenhouseeffect.ThatincreasehaswarmedEarth’sairtemperaturesinmanyplaces.Asaresult,someclimatesaroundtheworldhavebeguntochange.Huangdidn’twanttocontributetothatproblemwiththis building.
