Zira Island
Zira Zero Island is a 1,000,000m2 architectural design proposal for a carbon neutral leisure, culture and residential development in the Caspian Sea. The cutting edge sustainable design, from Danish BIG Architects and engineers Ramboll, is proposed for the crescent shaped bay of the capital city Baku in Azerbaijan.
The vision for Zira Island is to create a development that is independent of external resources – in other words, a self-contained, carbon-neutral island. It is also designed to be a showcase to the world, combining high-end living with low-end resource usage.
The buildings on the island will be heated and cooled by heat pumps connecting to the Caspian Sea. Solar heat panels integrated in the architecture create a steady supply of hot water, while photovoltaics on facades and rooftops power daytime functions such as swimming pools and aqua parks.
Waste water and storm water is collected and led to a waste water treatment plant, where it is then cleaned, processed and recycled for irrigation. The solid parts of the wastewater are processed and composted, turned into topsoil to fertilize the island. The constant irrigation and fertilizing of the island is designed to support the lush condition of a tropical island, with a minimal ecological footprint and using minimal resources.
The island will have its own CO2-neutral power supplied by harvesting wind energy via an offshore wind farm. By locating the wind turbines on sea, it transforms the existing offshore oil industry’s platforms and foundations in Baku into a more sustainable future for wind turbine use.
