Piezo-: combining form from the Greek word piezein meaning “to press.”
-Scape: 1) combining form denoting a scene or view. 2) A leafless stalk in plants that arises from a rosette of leaves and bears one or more flowers.
This proposal for the Fresh Kills landscape engages visitors and the environment into generating energy using piezoelectricity, which is the conversion of mechanical movement into electricity. Energy from wind, sound vibration, and human movement can collectively be harvested from the same generating source of naturally-occurring, renewable or recycled piezoelectric materials that can be mechanically deformed by the movement of walkable surfaces and bendable wind-capturing stalks and streamers.
Working with the vision of Fresh Kills Park as a destination for large-scale events as well as for more individual recreational activities, we developed a set of systems that would be combined to form a series of spaces to support a range of activity (and energy generating) intensities and frequencies. Areas are differentiated as to their use and the type of energy source being harvested. These systems are anticipated to generate enough energy to power all proposed onsite facilities. Excess energy can be stored in the Energy Bank for distribution to local power distribution centers.