Is an off-the-grid skyscraper feasible? We are developing a design for a wind and solar powered high-rise building to answer this question.

The building may be located on any site with enough solar and wind exposure to provide sufficient "fuel" to satisfy its energy demands. The design is conceived as a mixed use building in the spirit of new urbanism, combining residential, hotel, office and retail uses in one building.

The helical form is the consequence of rotating a simple floor plan five degrees at each successive floor level. An optional dual helix form combines a left-handed and right-handed twist for additional structural stability.

Technologies to wean buildings off of fossil fuels are finally mature enough to be integrated into buildings in an aesthetic manner. Perhaps this design will demonstrate that architecture can in fact delight the eye without creating a carbon footprint.