The Pro-sumer

Project Description
Awarded 2nd Prize in the Buildner Skyhive Skyscraper Challenge! Edition #6, the Pro-Sumer Tower envisions a new model of self-sufficient vertical living—a structure that both produces and consumes resources within a closed ecological loop. Designed for Ho Chi Minh City, a region defined by tropical humidity, intense sunlight, and tidal fluctuations, the project responds directly to environmental and climatic forces while integrating them into its architectural expression.
The programmatic distribution is vertically stratified to enhance accessibility and interaction. The lower podium levels accommodate public and cultural functions such as auditoriums, cafés, and a museum dedicated to water and flood resilience, fostering a vibrant civic realm. The upper floors host flexible office spaces, greenhouses, research laboratories, and communal areas that promote collaboration and productivity. At the heart of the tower, a conical humidifier collects and recycles both rainwater and atmospheric moisture, channeling it to an integrated treatment system in the basement—ensuring a continuous, self-sustaining water cycle.
The architectural composition of Pro-Sumer is guided by principles of adaptation, modularity, and ecological balance. Its facade system, inspired by origami geometry, responds to solar orientation through shading, vegetation, and photovoltaic integration. The elevated base maintains a permeable ground plane, allowing natural water flow and filtration, while the roofscape transforms into a biodiverse garden hosting indigenous flora and fauna.
By merging technology, nature, and human activity into a single vertical ecosystem, the Pro-Sumer Tower becomes not just a building, but a living organism—a prototype for future urban resilience.

Project name: Pro-sumer
Project subtitle: A living tower that produces, consumes, and regenerates within its own natural ecosystem.
Typology: Skyscraper
Gross Built Area: 10.000m2
Competition organizer: Buildner Skyhive Skyscraper Challenge! Edition #6
Website: https://architecturecompetitions.com/timberskyscraper/
Prize: 2nd Prize
Project location: Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam
Tools used: Rhino, Grasshoper, GhPython, VRay, Photoshop, Illustrator
Design year: 2023
Design team: Sophia Michopoulou
Instagram accounts: @sofaki19426
Linkedin Account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-michopoulou-42457b123/