Future Skyscrapers Will Be 3 Miles High With the Ability to Clean the Air Around It

Miles high and good for the environment, the self-cleaning skyscraper design is thought to be the building of the future.

According to a report from Business Insider, material science company Arconic conceptualized the three-mile high skyscraper using materials that are already in-market or in development. It's part of the company's "The Jetsons" campaign that envisions the different technologies that could be relevant in the future.

One of the projects that the company is currently engaging in is the EcoClean, which is a special coating for buildings. Arconic chief material scientist Sherri McCleary said that EcoClean doesn't just help the structures clean itself, but it also cleans the air around. This is possible as light and water vapor combines with the chemicals in the coating, creating atoms dubbed free radicals that attract and break down smog to be cleaned off building like shedded dead skin cells.

"The functional coating provides aesthetics, it provides maintenance benefits, and it also provides a benefit to the surrounding environment by reducing the content of pollutants around it," McCleary explained.

Another feature that is also being developed in the Arconic laboratories is Bloomframe. It's a special motorized window that could be converted into an all-glass balcony in less than a minute.

3D printing, McCleary explained, offers endless of possibilities. A report from Computer Weekly revealed that even in Southeast Asia, where the technology didn't kick off to the best start, 3D printing is already being embraced as an innovation with great potential in business.

"We're looking at optimizing the materials that can be 3D-printed to give more and more options to designers and architects," McCleary pointed out.

Of course, the Arconic vision is not limited to ultra-advanced eco-friendly buildings. Some of the other designs in the works include flying cars, ultra-lightweight cars and aerodynamic airplane wings.