In his design, Rosenberg, who studied the location’s wind rose data, relies on the mounds of buried waste, along with an added aluminum structure encased in a bamboo shell, to funnel wind in the direction of installed turbines. He tells PLANET that his work relies on the higher elevations created by the landfill, thereby treating the presence of decades’ worth of garbage as an advantage.

Whether any of these plans make it from the page to three-dimensional form in the spot for which they are intended is unclear. The Land Art Generator Initiative’s foremost concern for now is the cultivation of ideas. Still, Mr. Stern of Freshkills Park is optimistic about the possible future development of an energy-producing piece of public artwork.

“Constructability was one of the core criteria used to elevate the wide-range of submissions,” he revealed. “Some proposals really homed in on the nuanced competition parameters, and it’s easy to envision them set in the Freshkills Park landscape.”

The challenge of bringing these designs into reality in the park was underscored just days after the winners were announced. The strong winds that had informed the strategies of so many of the contestants became even stronger. Hurricane Sandy brought powerful gusts and a devastating storm surge to Staten Island’s coast, leaving many of the borough’s residents homeless or in the dark.

The destructiveness of this storm forced some reconsideration of how to fortify any structure in low-lying Freshkills against potential damage. But for architects like Rosenberg, the occurrence of yet another extreme weather event only strengthened the resolve to combat climate-related catastrophes with advancements in sustainable building practices.

“I think we should move forward faster,” Rosenberg said, reflecting the heightened urgency to respond after Sandy. “At some points, architecture becomes quite slow, and it’s a long process to get things built. But I think we should move with greater speed refining these energy solutions, especially for areas that are in such risky situations.”

There are signs that others in positions of influence may be catching on. Following a year that was the warmest in the country’s recorded history, 2013 has already brought an extension of wind energy tax credits and reaffirmation by the president in his inaugural address of the need to respond to the threat of climate change. Possibilities abound, and as the restoration of Freshkills proves, it’s never too late to reverse course. Virtually everything is renewable.

As reflected in the LAGI results, even renewable energy can be reinvigorated. Envisioning an energy source that has none of the black soot of a coal plant or the menacing aura of a nuclear reactor but instead possesses a trace of artistry proves that virtually everything can be beautiful as well.