Waste Heat Exaust - Legged building?

As I lay sleepless tonight, with thoughts of bills and babies in my head, an interesting idea came to me. I've been thinking hard about the shape and structure of the GaiaShip and came up with something a bit 'different'. Up to now it's been a multi-level, multi-story squat building with extensive/intensive green roof punctuated occasionally by tall statuesque towers.



Issues and pain points I've been trying to address have been internal transit (especially between towers), sunlight penetration to the most living space possible (reducing internal light needs) and air & heat exhaust based purely on the principle of rising air.

I've anticipated that the waste heat needing to be exhausted from the very large building we're constructing here will be significant - major power use will do that. Since it has the natural tendency to cause heated air to rise - how to design the building to allow the heated air to rise without getting in it's way and thus requiring a fan to move it around?


Also, remember that we're moving waste heat to the base of the vortex engine. The engine also requires a source of air. The engines primary design calls for just open air from general ground level... I'm saying use the exhaust air of a facility holding thousands of people.

I suppose that the heated air rising and spiraling away could be piped to the vortex engine via water (ultimate water cooling case mod >.<) but we need to exhaust large quantities of air anyway from the underground vehicle & transit corridor to prevent any toxic fume build-up. Might as well combine the two.
I came up with sloped or vertical shafts leading to the base of the Vortex. Like so... With this configuration though there are the problem of 'pipes' arching through the air overhead - not exactly aesthetic. Then my brain jumped to wiggling the pipes into shapes... Curving them this way and that... thought about pyramids, domes, tipi's and arches... Hrm - stone arches look good and are very strong to the point of being structurally stable based on balancing friction and gravity. They are old tech and evoke classically good reactions to viewers.

Then I made the pipes fatter, added living space and found a synergy with light penetration! So, what about creating the floors in 'blocks' reminiscent of the stone blocks found in classic arch-ways. Soften the lines with decorative walls but the main structure is simply stacked blocks - stair stepping inward. People living in the arch sides.

If necessary using a central support tower leading to a disk of high end retail, office, dining and entertainment spaces suspended in the air. Very Sci-Fi, though possible eminently practical.

Oooh - I've found another synergy based on some half formed thoughts for isolating the impact of earthquakes on the structure. Being in Alaska these last few weeks really drove home the need for the GaiaShip concept to work in all sorts of environments - especially earthquake prone ones. I've let the idea of suspension bridges, hoop skirts & similar systems suspended on strong central towers (with human usable space in them of course) slosh around in my subconscious since I had a conversations with a Smart California Lawyer "David". David's status as an extended family member, fellow Physically oriented tourist, and a couple Alaskan Ambers notwithstanding, we had a fantastic conversation about the GaiaShip concept and it's ability to revolutionize the living arrangements of native and seasonal residents of the Alaskan State with food production and quality of life improvements.

Hoop skirts and suspension bridges need 'cables' or other structures to hold it all 'up'. I'm not saying that the GaiaShip buildings wouldn't touch the ground except for the towers... not at all. I'd think the base needs more typical shock absorption but that some of the structural burden would be held 'up' by the tower to provide some ability to 'sway' like a hoop cage in case of an earthquake.


Ok - back to rising heat through our now thick legs and high disk. If you are having trouble visualizing it - think spider mounted on a entomologists table .



Then I thought... how do I move people inside a curved space like this - with independent elevators able to follow a curved path?

Hrm - Circuses and Six Flags seems to do it regularly and my recent experience on the Juno tramway up to the top of a mountain probably had something to do with the idea of having an elevator on a curved 'track': roller coaster, ski-lift or cable tram style.


OK - so we now have a mechanical means of moving people though the space and a method for heated air to rise unchecked and my brain begins to calm down... perhaps to dream.