Conscience, Environment: how can we not smile

Today was cold. And I loved it. Every chill that penetrated my spine was relieved with a high pitch shriek of noise. Everywhere I look people are screwing their face up in pain – with a wondrous smile – looking each other in the eyes and calling out, “It’s sooooooo cold!” - emotions filling the air. The energy is alive. And really it wasn’t that cold! Consider our friends in Khanty Mansyisk, Siberia. That’s right Khanty Mansyisk. It’s a place where you can get berries. Forests and swamps support rich vegetation, including cranberries, cowberries, blueberries, currants and blackberries, as well as cloudberries, dog rose hips, bird cherry, rowan berries. If I’m beginning to sound like Forest Gump with Shrimp – I understand. The median temperature in Khanty Mansyisk in January is 18 to 24^oC. Winter with average temperatures below freezing last for up to seven months – October to April. Snow covers the region for about 6 months of the year. The warmest time in the area is July, the average daily high in July is 15.7 to 18.4^oC. I think that’s what we experience today. Well Foster + Partners has just released their plans today for the a new ecological tower in Khanty Mansyisk. Piercing the skyline the tower will create an elegant and crystalline landmark, providing crucial new amenities for its locals – a place for living, working and leisure, sheltered from the harsh Siberian climate. The design of the tower is follows strong principles of sustainable design and will be an example for future development. It maximises daylight and solar gain, reducing the reliance on artificial lighting and heating through the cold winter months.