UK-based Chetwood Architects just unveiled plans for the Phoenix Towers in Wuhan, China, which will be the world's tallest pair of skyscrapers upon completion. The supertall structures are the centerpiece of the firm's four master plans slated for construction in China. The Phoenix Towers are outfitted with wind turbines, solar panels, thermal chimneys and rainwater harvesting systems and they will act as an "environmental catalyst" to re-invigorate the city of Wuhan. The Phoenix Towers, designed in cooperation between Chetwood Architects and HuaYan Group, are expected to be built on a 47-hectare site on an island within a lake in the city of Wuhan in China. They are expected to reach the height of 1km, catching up with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture-designed Kingdom Tower in Jeddah; they would be the tallest pair of towers in the world. Inspired by the symbol of the Chinese Phoenix, which combines male and female principles in perfect balance, the architects designed two interdependent towers. The "male" one (Feng) feeds the "female" (Huang) with renewable energy and together they act as a beacon of sustainability in the area.

The Shard in London has secured the top prize for the world's most renowned prize for high-rise architecture - the Emporis Skyscraper Award 2013. The Shard, currently Western Europe's tallest building, was selected for first prize from more than 300 skyscraper submissions from around the world. The award, which is now in its 14th year, is issued by Emporis, the international provider of building data. To qualify, skyscrapers had to be completed in 2013 and reach a height of at least 100 meters. London's winning mixed-use skyscraper rises 306 meters and was designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano. The Shard crystallizes the skyline with its sharp, angled glass facade. Second place was awarded to "DC Tower 1" in Vienna, Austria, designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture. According to the architects, the facade's folds give DC Tower 1 a malleability which constantly adapts to the light, a reflection or an event. They said its shimmering undulated facade is a prominent part of the Vienna skyline; it now holds the title of Austria's tallest building at 250 meters. The skyscraper also impressed due to its comprehensive sustainability concept, including photovoltaics to generate energy, local plants with low water requirements in the green areas of the building, and electric car chargers to save on CO2 emissions. China's unconventional Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort by MAD architects took third place. The hotel skyscraper reaches 102 meters and echoes the shape of a giant ring. This enables all rooms to have balconies and views and absorb daylight from all directions. An impressive 19,000 LED lights illuminate the facade at night, imposing reflections on the building of it's Lake Tai location. Last year's top prize went to the curvaceous Absolute World Towers in Canada, while Frank Gehry's stainless steel skyscraper marvel New York by Gehry secured top honor's the year before. In 2010 Prestigious architectural award Emporis Skyscraper Award won the Hotel Porta Fira in Barcelona.

Somewhere between Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona on a desolate stretch of 9.7 million square meters of land, construction was just completed on the world's largest full-operational solar-power plant. Known as Agua Caliente, the renewable energy plant can generate 290 megawatts at peak capacity - which is enough to power 230 thousand homes and is comparable to the energy output of the average coal-fired power plant. The power will be used by the San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and it's just one more step in California's plan to source a third of its power from renewable sources. The project is owned by NRG Energy and MidAmerican Solar and was built by First Solar using their thin solar-panels to convert all of that southwestern sunshine into clean energy. Total investment in this project was US$ 1.8 billion, but it was in part funded by a federal loan guarantee to the tune of US$ 967 million and was named Solar Project of the Year by Renewable Energy World. All told, the Agua Caliente project will help keep 324 thousand tons of CO2 emissions from reaching the atmosphere each year, which is essentially like taking 70 thousand cars off of the road. The project also provided 400 jobs during construction. Work on the project was divided into two phases. The first phase has an installed capacity of 100 megawatts, while the second phase has an installed capacity of 190 megawatts, resulting in a total capacity of 290 megawatts. Construction of phase one started in late 2010 and was completed in early 2012. The first solar PV panels were installed in June 2011. Construction on the second phase of the project was completed in April 2014. The plant is fitted with more than five million advanced thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV modules, which annually produce approximately 626.2 GWh of clean energy. The PV modules generate electricity without releasing any emissions, waste or water, with minimal noise and cause a low visual impact; they will also have the smallest carbon footprint compared to conventional PV technologies. The panels will be recycled after their useful lifespan. NRG owns 9 other solar facilities in three different states, but the massive Agua Caliente is the largest. The company also owns the Ivanpah solar thermal project, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create energy.

Trident International Holdings, a Dubai-based developer, will be restarting work on 516-meter The Pentominium, billed as the world's tallest residential tower, by third quarter. In conjunction with the Dubai Land Department, Trident is actively working on several advanced options towards restarting the construction of this project. The tower, located in Dubai Marina, was scheduled for completion in 2013, but work was suspended in August 2011 following the global financial crisis and customer default. When completed, the residential tower will have 122 floors above ground and house 172 luxury penthouses designed by Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo. In 2009, Arabian Construction Company was awarded a US$ 400 million contract for construction of the tower. Construction commenced on July 26, 2009, and, before construction stopped, at least 30 floors had been completed. When completed, Pentominium will become the second tallest building in Dubai after 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. Dubai already is home to four of the tallest residential towers with the 414-metre Princess Tower in Dubai Marina holding the world record according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.. The 395-meter 23 Marina is in second place, followed by 381-meter Elite Residence and 337-meter The Torch, Council data reveals. Emporis' latest data shows Dubai has 1,882 tall buildings of which 869 exist, 625 are planned, 341 under construction, 46 un-built and one demolished.

Saudi Arabia laid the foundation stone for the King Abdullah International Gardens (KAIG) in Riyadh, with plans for the facility set to include the world's largest botanical gardens. KAIG, one of the largest environment projects in the world, will be spread over a total area of 2.5 million square meters along Riyadh-Jeddah Road. Construction work of KAIG has started after the completion of the first phase of the project, which included leveling the site and fencing works. There will be six main sections at KAIG, including covered and open facilities. They are the Plants Gardens, the Valley Gardens, the Scientific Gardens, the Water Gardens, the International Gardens, and the Nature Gardens. The covered facility, which will be the largest of its kind in the world, would have two giant botanical gardens spread over a total area of 100 thousand square meters. The crescent-shaped facility will be five times bigger than the world's largest geodesic domes at the Eden Project, Cornwall, in Britain (). Its structure and fabric are capable of adaptation to the various environments. The project will focus on local plant life in the Arabian Peninsula and is designed to appeal to families and tourists. KAIG's open facility will have plants growing in the local environment, in addition to an open museum for plants, seeds bank, and rocky garden. There will also be research institutes, office accommodation, shops, restaurants, visitor facilities and a theater. The gardens will use recycled water and alternative energy supplies, exploiting solar and wind power as well as rainfall through collection tanks.