Elon Musk teases plans for a solar roof that will be 'beautiful and sustainable'
by Kim Megson | 16 Aug 2016
Elon Musk wants to 'accelerate the advent of sustainable energy' / Heisenberg Media
Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has teased his latest innovation: a customisable roof with integrated solar panels.
Two of the billionaire’s companies – electric motor company Tesla and green energy provider SolarCity – are currently undergoing a merger, and the solar roof would be developed by the united firm.
Speaking about this move on an earnings call for SolarCity, Musk elaborated on his plans for the release.
"It's a solar roof as opposed to a module on a roof," he said. "I think this is really a fundamental part of achieving differentiated product strategy, where you have a beautiful roof. It's not a thing on the roof. It is the roof, which is a quite difficult engineering challenge and not something that is available anywhere else."
Musk revealed that solar power capabilities will be built into the roof, with energy stored using an integrated battery unit similar to Tesla’s rechargeable lithium-ion Powerwall product. More details are set to be released by the end of the year if the merger is completed as planned.
While most of the conversation around Musk’s solar roof has focused on its implications for creating sustainable homes, the technology also has repercussions for architects working in the leisure sector.
Musk said the equipment will be scalable and customers will be given custom preferences. The kit will then be sent directly to site for installation. As such, the technology could one day be used for almost any building; from museums to hotels, stadiums and sports centres. It could see developers shifting away from the current trend of placing individual solar panels on top of a pre-existing roof structure.
Last month Musk published an updated masterplan for Tesla on the company’s website in which he outlined his intention to “accelerate the advent of sustainable energy, so that we can imagine far into the future and life is still good.”
“We must at some point achieve a sustainable energy economy or we will run out of fossil fuels to burn and civilization will collapse,” he said. “Given that we must get off fossil fuels anyway and that virtually all scientists agree that dramatically increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon levels is insane, the faster we achieve sustainability, the better.”
Musk is also known for his engineering proposals, such as for super-fast transport system called Hyperloop. Recently Hyperloop One, one of several companies developing the technology, signed a deal with Arup, AECOM and Bjarke Ingels Group to realise the concept.
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Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has teased his latest innovation: a customisable roof with integrated solar panels. Two of the billionaire’s companies – electric motor company Tesla and green energy provider SolarCity – are currently undergoing a merger, and the solar roof would be developed by the united firm. Speaking about this move on an earnings call for SolarCity, Musk elaborated on his plans for the release. "It's a
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Foster + Partners designs Dorchester Collection's first hotel in Middle East
by Megan Whitby | 06 Jan 2022
Hotel group Dorchester Collection and real estate development group Omniyat have joined forces to create a new luxury hotel named The Lana. The 225-room destination will open in Q4 2022 in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa district inside a 30-storey tower designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners. Situated next to the Dubai Creek and Marasi Marina, The Lana will mark the Dorchester Collection’s debut location in the Middle East. Parisian interior
Neil Jacobs reveals Six Senses Places concept for major cities
by Megan Whitby | 04 Jan 2022
Global hotel and spa operator Six Senses is incubating the launch of a new global wellness concept called Six Senses Place. CEO Neil Jacobs and his team have indicated that new ‘clubs’ could potentially open at urban Six Senses properties in New York – where the company is busy on a property designed by Bjarke Ingels Group – as well as London, Bangkok, Shanghai, the Loire Valley, Istanbul, Rome and Lisbon.
Orient Express returns to Italy after 46 years with six trains designed by Dimorestudio and new Rome hotel
by Tom Walker | 22 Dec 2021
The iconic Orient Express luxury train is set to return to Italy following a hiatus of 46 years. The new Orient Express La Dolce Vita service will welcome passengers from 2023, with six trains embarking through itineraries across 14 regions – including three international journeys from Rome to Paris, Istanbul and Split (Croatia). Orient Express – which is owned by French hotel giant Accor Group – will work in partnership
400-year-old mineral spring will power Preidlhof’s €2m medicinal bath experience
by Megan Whitby | 10 Dec 2021
Destination spa and health resort Preidlhof in Naturno, South Tyrol, will open a new medicinal bathing facility later this month, following a five-year development programme. Costing €2m (US$2.26m, £1.7m), the new hydrotherapy experience will include an 80sq m indoor pool and a number of private whirlpool baths. The main pool is a retrofit of an existing swimming pool tank, which has been excavated and rebuilt to accommodate the specialist pipework
Universal Beijing Resort reveals expansion plans for second phase
by Tom Walker | 10 Dec 2021
Universal Beijing Resort in China is preparing to embark on the second phase of its construction programme. The project will add around 2.2sq km to the total park area and will include up to five new hotels. This means the second phase will more than double the current size of the 1.8sq km park. The announcement comes less than three months after the park opened its doors to the public,
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by Tom Walker | 30 Nov 2021
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Playfulness will inspire Serenbe’s new wellness community, Spela
by Megan Whitby | 29 Nov 2021
Georgia-based wellness community, Serenbe, is getting a new wellness community dedicated to play, co-founder Steve Nygren, has told CLAD. Named Spela – which means play in Swedish – the new community will open in 2023 and become Serenbe's fifth hamlet. With groundwork in the early stages, Nygren reveals that plans include a four-acre park designed with both kids and adults in mind. The park will sit on a steep hillside
John McAslan + Partners-designed M7 cultural hub and museum opens in Doha
by Tom Walker | 23 Nov 2021
A new creative hub in Doha looks to position itself as the new heart of Qatar’s fashion and design industry – as well as a public showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The M7 Design and Cultural Hub, designed by John McAslan + Partners, is the architectural anchor of the 31-hectare Msheireb mixed-use development. Established by Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin
LPO Architects and GrecoDeco create vast subterranean wellness retreat for Oslo
by Megan Whitby | 19 Nov 2021
Nordic Hotels & Resorts is creating an urban wellness retreat in Norway’s capital city of Oslo as part of its 231-room hotel project. Owned by Norwegian hotelier Petter Stordalen, the luxury destination will be named Sommerro and welcome guests in the city’s Frogner neighbourhood as of September 2022. Sommerro will be housed in a restored 1930s building – formerly the headquarters of the city’s original electrical company – and encompass
Herzog and de Meuron’s M+ museum of visual culture distils essence of Hong Kong
by Tom Walker | 17 Nov 2021
M+, described as Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture, has opened in Hong Kong. Located in the city state's West Kowloon Cultural District, the museum features six thematic exhibitions housing more than 1,000 works. Designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, M+ will act as a cultural centre for 20th and 21st-century art, design, architecture, and the moving image. As well as the 33 exhibition galleries, the complex
Ennismore takes its lifestyle hotel brand Tribe to South East Asia
by Tom Walker | 11 Nov 2021
Ennismore, the hotel company behind brands such as The Hoxton, Delano and Mondrian has announced plans to roll out its Tribe lifestyle hotel brand across Southeast Asia, targeting countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. Launched in 2019, Tribe is marketed as an "alternative lifestyle brand" and features properties which have been designed to focus on common areas to create multifunctional spaces that encourage connection between guests.
Therme Group announces plans to expand North American footprint
by Megan Whitby | 08 Nov 2021
Thermal wellbeing organisation Therme Group has outlined plans to introduce urban wellbeing centres to five US cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The organisation has appointed Robert Hammond as president and chief strategy officer for its Therme North America branch to manage its US expansion plans. Hammond will be responsible for overseeing the development of the Therme product and programming for the wellbeing company’s US expansion. Hammond
Design trends: Soneva Fushi reveals fine-dining zipline experience
by Tom Walker | 05 Nov 2021
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Grimshaw partners with Eden Project for pavilion at COP26
by Tom Walker | 01 Nov 2021
Grimshaw has partnered with The Eden Project to create a special pavilion at the COP 26 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Located in the Blue Zone in the Scottish Exhibition Campus, the Eden Project Pavilion has been designed by Grimshaw as a showcase of – and call to arms for – the actions needed to regenerate the planet. It harnesses the geodesic design reminiscent of the Eden
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by Megan Whitby | 29 Oct 2021
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by Megan Whitby | 28 Oct 2021
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will open a luxury resort in Los Angeles in 2025. The foundation of the development – a property formerly known as The Retreat – will be upgraded and expanded with the addition of new structures, all built to LEED Platinum standards. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, less than five miles from Rodeo Drive, the property is surrounded by 33 acres of hillside parkland, with striking views.
WilkinsonEyre-designed Compton and Edrich stands revealed at Lord's Cricket Ground
by Tom Walker | 20 Oct 2021
Work has been completed on two new spectator stands at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, UK, adding 2,600 seats to the total capacity of "the home of cricket". The Compton and Edrich stands, designed by WilkinsonEyre, form an integral part of the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) plans to future-proof the historic venue. The two new stands, designed in partnership with structural engineers Buro Happold, deliver improved sightlines and an enhanced
V&A renames childhood museum as part of £13m redevelopment
by Tom Walker | 13 Oct 2021
Construction work has begun on a £13m redevelopment project which will look to transform the V&A Museum of Childhood into the UK’s "premier national museum" entirely dedicated to children. Designed by De Matos Ryan and AOC Architecture, the revamp of the iconic Grade II* listed site in Bethnal Green, London, UK will provide the museum with an entirely new visitor experience. Plans include three new galleries – called Play, Imagine
Red Sea Development unveils plans for Oppenheim-designed desert mountain resort
by Megan Whitby | 01 Oct 2021
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the ambitious regenerative tourism project The Red Sea Project (TRSP) in Western Saudi Arabia, has revealed plans for the destination’s new mountain resort named Desert Rock. Created by architectural design firm Oppenheim Architecture, Desert Rock is being designed to protect and preserve the environment and will allow guests to connect with the nature and local culture of the region. The 60-key
noa* sensitively transforms 17th-century monastic garden into wellness haven
by Megan Whitby | 30 Sep 2021
Architecture and interior design firm Network of Architecture (noa*) has breathed new life into the former Monastery Serve di Maria Addolorata in Trentino, situated at the northern tip of the iconic Lake Garda in Italy. Noa*’s vision was to restore the building’s spiritual dimension and make its most distinctive elements the main features of a charming hotel, named Monastero Arx Vivendi. The 40-room complex and its extensive garden are encompassed
Wellness real estate market nearly doubles between 2017-2020, finds new GWI research
by Megan Whitby | 28 Sep 2021
From 2017-2020, the global wellness real estate market expanded from US$148bn (€126bn,£109bn) to US$275bn (€235bn, £203bn). These figures were released today (28 September) in the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) new study, called Wellness Real Estate: Looking Beyond COVID-19. The GWI defines wellness real estate as the construction of residential and commercial/institutional properties that incorporate intentional wellness elements into their design, materials and building, as well as their amenities, services and/or
Canyon Ranch’s first urban wellness club to debut in Texas in 2023
by Megan Whitby | 23 Sep 2021
US wellness lifestyle brand Canyon Ranch is curating a members-only urban wellness club concept to help its guests lead healthier happier lives. The 26,000sq ft spa and fitness location will open within the US$250m (€213.4m, £183m) mixed-use development Crescent Fort Worth Development in Fort Worth, Texas. Crescent Fort Worth is being developed by Crescent Real Estate, a company owned by John Goff – the chair and owner of Canyon Ranch.
Bjarke Ingels and Marc Lore reveal plans for Telosa, 'world's most sustainable city'
by Tom Walker | 22 Sep 2021
Plans have been revealed for a US$400bn city which could be the home for up to 5 million people in the US. Billionaire investor Marc Lore and architect Bjarke Ingels have teamed up for the ambitious Telosa project, which is being touted as a sustainable metropolis in the desert. Lore – a serial entrepreneur who also served as president and CEO of Walmart US eCommerce until January 2021 – has
Pierre-Yves Rochon creates The Woodward, a new five-star hotel for the Oetker Collection in Geneva
by Megan Whitby | 13 Sep 2021
After five years’ construction, Oetker Collection has unveiled its first Swiss hotel, named The Woodward, in the heart of Geneva, complete with views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva. The hotel was born after a renovation of the existing building – formerly a hotel and bank – by architect Pierre-Yves Rochon – with spacious apartment-style suites in a refined, contemporary style. The design is enhanced by decorative elements including Lalique
Global Wellness Institute to hold inaugural Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium
by Megan Whitby | 10 Sep 2021
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is preparing to host a Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium on 28 September 2021. The conference will take a deep dive into the fast-growing market and gather top executives, developers, investors, architects, designers, analysts, policymakers and media to examine the future of the market. The hybrid event is being hosted both online and in-person in New York City at etc.venues 601 Lexington. Hosted between
World's first Blue Zones Centre will open in Miami
by Megan Whitby | 09 Sep 2021
The team behind downtown Miami’s upcoming mixed-use development, Legacy Hotel & Residences, has signed a joint venture deal called Blue Legacy Ventures (JV) with faith-based nonprofit integrated health system Adventist Health. Together the JV will lease and operate a first-of-its-kind 120,000sq ft health and wellbeing facility called Blue Zone Centre. The location is Adventist Health's first flagship centre for wellbeing. Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live longer,
New champagne visitor attraction by Casson Mann and Atelier Phileas takes visitors on a journey 'from the earth to the bubble'
by Tom Walker | 31 Aug 2021
A new visitor attraction and cultural destination, located at the foot of the historic slopes of Aÿ-Champagne commune, is taking a fresh approach to exploring the history of champagne. Pressoria – designed by Casson Mann and Atelier Phileas Architecture – blends original heritage architecture and contemporary interiors with sensory and digital installations and event spaces to present the culture of the appellation. Described as a sensory experience that blends elements
Plesner Architects creates Six Senses desert wellness sanctuary in Israel's Negev desert
by Megan Whitby | 16 Aug 2021
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has launched its brand new desert retreat called Six Senses Shaharut in Israel. With its secluded setting laid into a dramatic cliff with panoramic views of the Negev Desert, the resort is home to a 1,900sq m spa realised by Tel Aviv-based Plesner Architects. The facility is designed to offer a contemporary interpretation of nomadic structures, reminiscent of the Nabataean community which occupied the area
24-hour gym features in new £40m build-to-rent development
by Tom Walker | 10 Aug 2021
A new £40m build-to-rent development with a focus on wellbeing has opened to residents in Leeds city centre in the UK. Located on the historic site of the former Yorkshire Post building, the property features a 24-hour health club and wellness studio, kitted by Technogym, alongside a range of other amenities within its 5,300ft of shared social space. Other facilities include a large co-working space, residents’ lounge and games room.
Therme Group to expand global footprint with waterfront development in Toronto
by Megan Whitby | 02 Aug 2021
Global wellbeing organisation, Therme Group, has today announced plans for a CAN$350m (€236.3m, £201.8m, US$280.8m) waterfront wellbeing resort in Toronto, Canada, at Ontario Place. Working with the Government of Ontario and City of Toronto, the group will contribute to the revitalisation of Ontario Place, to further Therme Group’s vision of bringing wellbeing to all. Therme Canada Ontario Place will be a family-friendly experience with indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and
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