As cities continually expand and change, the need for space and versatility are at an all time high. Moving away from the decades long practices of building up, the urban design process has shifted its focus to sustainability. Leading this charge is Juliette Allegra, an innovator at Archer Aviation in Mountain View, California, the lead CMF designer who is in charge of the colors, material, and finishes (CMF). She not only champions the use of circular design, but creates products that eliminate waste and promote the continual use of resources.
Archer Aviation is at the forefront of the sustainability movement. The firm is known for their cutting-edge eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles that will help to drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but also are a platform for urban aviation. It is difficult enough to create a new form of transportation that is better for the environment, but even more difficult to make it accessible. This is the goal of Archer, to redefine the way aviation is thought of.
At the heart of city planning is the need for easy and convenient travel, whether through a public transportation system, or an airport, people must have access to move around. For most cities, their airports have been around for years, prior to the city expanding, taking up necessary space for the growing urban sprawl. Juliette Allegra has been a crucial designer in helping Archer create vertiports to support their eVTOL aircrafts, with the hope to facilitate more flexible intercity travel without the space requirements of a conventional airport.
Modular Vertiports tailored to each cities needs
While leading the CMF design at Archer, Allegra has created modular vertiports that can be scaled and adapted to the different cities' needs. Helping to create avenues for transportation to make it easy and more flexible. By incorporating the vertiports into the underutilized waterways of cities, Allegra hopes to make travel more accessible, no longer needing to commute outside the city limits to reach your airport and drastically reducing overall travel times. Creating transportation hubs between major cities through easy to access eVTOL vehicles making such journeys more convenient to the public.
Oyster Point
Allegra's commitment to sustainability is evident in her innovative use of materials. Remarkably, Archer Design repurposes waste materials from its aircraft manufacturing processes to construct vertiports. This practice not only reduces waste but also minimizes the environmental impact of building new infrastructure.
By transforming aerospace waste into building materials, Archer is pioneering a circular economy approach. This method aligns with broader sustainability goals, reducing the carbon footprint of both their aircraft and infrastructure projects. This forward-thinking strategy is a testament to Archer's dedication to creating a more sustainable future for urban mobility.
Allegra’s design process focuses on incorporating elements that can easily be repurposed and recycled, adding to the flexibility and sustainability of the vertiports. She creates structures that can easily be disassembled and adapted to the changing needs of the urban community. These modular vertiports are designed to be set up regardless of how densely populated a city is. Allegra has designed them in a way to seamlessly blend in with the urban landscape while providing an escape from that very same place.
Vertiports developed with sustainability in mind incorporating greenery into the design
At Archer, Allegra plans on making city to city commute an easier and more desirable experience. By creating a network of vertiports that can quickly and efficiently transport you from one city to the next, it will make travel much less complicated. Taking time on a train journey or driving to the airport to fly to your destination will be a thing of the past. Linking cities and communities through fast-acting eVTOL vehicles will help to reduce the reliance on fossil fuel technology.
Beyond the vertiports, Allegra is vital in the design of the aircrafts themselves. Remaining true to the circular design model used for their transportation hubs, the eVTOL vehicles use upcycled materials to make them eco-friendly, and ultimately recyclable. But, Allegra strives for more than just sustainability, she looks to make aesthetically pleasing aircrafts that cater to the passengers and lead to a comfortable and unforgettable experience.
Her role in designing the aircrafts, such as Midnight, Archer’s signature vehicle, is to find the balance between performance and comfort. Choosing the right colors so that they react well at different altitudes, but also appeal for market value, designing seats that are comfortable but don’t cause undue weight issues are just a couple of Allegra's responsibilities.
Allegra understands that in order to change the aviation industry one must make an appealing as well as functional product. “The goal is to strike the right balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal, ensuring that the aircraft is both efficient and visually compelling to boost market success,” she says
Allegra’s role in shaping the future of not only Archer, but the cities we live in cannot be understated. She is a pioneer in the world in CMF design, showing constant innovation and attention to every detail. Allegra’s dedication to sustainable practices and circular design are a testament to her understanding of where we are as a society. Her hope is to continue to design products that move the world forward into greener, more eco-friendly pastures.
