EcoArk
BuildingWithPlasticBottles
Whatcouldyoudowithoneandahalfmillionplasticbottles?ArthurHuangbuiltanine-storybuildingwiththem!HecalledittheEcoArk.It’saspecialnameforaspecialbuildinginTaiwan, Asia.
TheEcoArkissleekandmodern.Itreallycatchestheeye.Youmightthinkit’smadeofglass,withapatternofwhitedotsalongtheouterwalls.Nowlookclosely.Thosedotsareactuallybottlecapsfromtheplasticbottlesthatmakeupthe walls.
ThewallsoftheEcoArkarenotmadeofordinaryplasticbottles,however.TheyarecalledPolli-Bricks.Theyaremadeofrecycledplastic.Theplasticwaschoppedupandmelteddown.Huangandhisteaminventedawaytoreshapeandstrengthenthemeltedplastic.Hemadeanewtypeofbuildingblockshapedlikea bottle.
ThePolli-Brickshavegrooves.Theyfittogethertightlyandlockinplace.Theyarebuiltintopanelsaboutthesizeoflargewindows.Acoatinghelpsprotectthemagainstfireandweather.Thepanelsweighone-fifthasmuchasglasspanels.Yet,theyareincrediblystrong.Thisisduetothehoneycombpatternoftheinterlocking bottles.
ThegroovedPolli-Brickslocktogethertoform panels.
Thesesafetyfeaturesareessential.Why?TheEcoArkis inapartoftheworldthatexperiencesextremenaturalforces.Taiwan,anislandoffthecoastofChina,isrockedeveryyearbyearthquakes.Violentstorms,calledtyphoons,batterTaiwaneachsummer.EcoArkbravesitallwithno damage.
ThePolli-Brickpanelsarelightweightbutstrong.Huangprovesthisbyjumpingupanddownon them.
Eco-Friendly
HuangdesignedtheEcoArktobeeco-friendly, inotherwords,tonotharmtheenvironment.ThePolli-Brickwallsuseplastictrashthatwouldotherwiseendupinlandfillsorinthe ocean.
ThePolli-Bricksareeco-friendlyinotherways,too.Thebottlesarefilledwithair.Heatdoesn’tpassthroughaireasily,sothebottleshelpkeepheatfromenteringthebuilding.That’skeyinTaiwanwithitslong,hot summers.
Huang'sPolli-Bricksaremadeoutofplastic bottles.
Mostbuildingsuseelectricityforairconditioning.Thiscomesfromburningoil,coal,ornaturalgasatapowerplant.Burningthesefossilfuelsaddscarbondioxidetothe air.
Thegasestrapenergyfromthesun.Thiskeepsourplanetwarm.That’sthegreenhouseeffect.Butburningtoomuchfossilfuelshasincreasedthegreenhouseeffect.Airtemperatureshavewarmedinmanyplaces.Huangdidn’twanttoaddtothat problem.
