Aeris

Windmill Unit

Aeris is a human-scale vertical axis wind turbine that powers bridge lights at night, turning renewable energy into a visible, interactive experience. It invites the public to engage with clean power and spark conversations about our sustainable future.

Designed on Solidworks. Rendered using KeyShot.

01 Process

Background

Van Leesten Memorial Bridge was built with the responsibility to unify the East and West Park spaces into an integrated public environment synthesizing both urban and natural conditions.

Research

First hand research carried out at the Pedestrian Bridge was instrumental in landing on a design intervention for the people of Providence.

78%
of participants say they want more
Community Engagement

47%
of people want events that make them
stay at the bridge

53%
of people spend more time on the green
spaces near

02 Ideation

How might we increase interaction with the bridge with a focus on green spaces?

Wind Energy

Every 24 hours wind produces enough kinetic energy to generate roughly 35 times more electricity than humanity uses every day.

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines have been optimized to be as efficient as possible and produce immense amounts of energy when planted in offshore farms.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines is a better option for commercial human scale implementation for wind energy as they pick up wind from all directions allowing them to work at lower altitudes in comparison to offshore horizontal wind turbines.

Helical wind turbines are notable for being comparatively quieter than other types of wind turbines. They can start turning and producing energy even if there is only a very slight presence of wind and the wind speed is quite low.

The Idea

Currently underutilized for environmental engagement, the bridge could serve as a platform to foster awareness, and action toward sustainable practices among local residents and visitors when they use the bridge.

The solution for green energy and increase in community engagement would be to harness wind energy in such a way that it would create a space for conversation and discuss around the importance of green and renewable energy sources.

03 Final Design

Chahek Bansal