Everyone remembers the classic Fred Flintstone car; a simple design made from rock, wood, and animal hide that is powered by the feet of those riding within it. Not only does the design solve the whole ‘internal combustion engines haven’t been invented yet’ thing, but it is also a completely sustainable design that provides quite a workout for the passengers.
Well, welcome to the 21st century version of the Flintstones car with the unveiling of a new design for a floating, mobile gym that is powered by, you guessed it, the people exercising within it.
Named the Paris Navigating Gym and designed by Italian architects Carlo Ratti Associati, the 20-meter long vessel can hold up to 45 people and gets its energy through the use of Technogym ARTIS machines. These machines can harness human energy created during a workout and use it for other purposes. When someone hops onto one of the vessel’s ARTIS bikes or cross trainers, they will not just be getting a workout, but they will also be helping to power the gym along the Seine as it makes its way through Paris.
The boat will have augmented reality screens to show users the quantity of energy created by their workout and data about the river’s environmental conditions, tracked and provided in real time thanks to sensors on the boat. A transparent glass cover allows the boat to be used year round and can open to allow fresh air in during the summer.
In addition to Carlo Ratti Associati and Technogym, the Paris Navigating Gym was developed in collaboration with Terreform ONE, a non-profit architecture group, and the urban regeneration institute URBEM.
Rendering courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati
Related Stories
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Roof hatch designed for energy efficiency
The cover features a specially designed EPDM finger-type gasket that ensures a positive seal with the curb to reduce air permeability and ensure energy performance.
| Sep 28, 2011
GBCI announces LEED fellow class of 2011
LEED Fellows represent green building industry's most accomplished professionals.
| Sep 14, 2011
Empire State Building achieves LEED Gold ?
The 2.85 million-sf building is celebrating its 80th anniversary while nearing completion of its renewal and repurposing to meet the needs of 21st Century businesses.
| Sep 12, 2011
Construction waste management
Best practices for an environmentally optimized job site.
| May 25, 2011
Low Impact Development: Managing Stormwater Runoff
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units by studying this article and successfully passing the online exam.
| May 25, 2011
Smithsonian building $45 million green lab
Thanks to a $45 million federal appropriation to the Smithsonian Institution, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., has broken ground on what is expected to be one of the most energy-efficient laboratories in the country. The 69,000-sf lab is targeting LEED Gold and is expected to use 37% less energy and emit 37% less carbon dioxide than a similar building.
| May 20, 2011
Chicago leads the nation in LEED-certified square footage
The U.S. Green Building Council reports that Chicago has the highest number of square feet of LEED-certified green building projects nationally with 71 million square feet.
| May 18, 2011
Eco-friendly San Antonio school combines history and sustainability
The 113,000-sf Rolling Meadows Elementary School in San Antonio is the Judson Independent School District’s first sustainable facility, with green features such as vented roofs for rainwater collection and regionally sourced materials.
| May 16, 2011
USGBC and AIA unveil report for greening K-12 schools
The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects unveiled "Local Leaders in Sustainability: A Special Report from Sundance," which outlines a five-point national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives.