Vertical Garden Institute

The Vertical Garden Institute is a start-up non-profit organization dedicated to promoting vertical gardens through sales of vertical gardens and related items, research, education, and fostering vertical garden partnerships throughout the world.

The Institute will develop (through creating partnerships and grant applications) a research plan that will result in the covering of all the available walls of its facility in Oregon City with vertical gardens. Covering the walls of the facility is a requirement of the Institute’s lease.

:: images via Vertical Garden Institute

The facility has available over 3,600 square feet (339 square meters) of plantable exterior walls and a natural water source.* In conjunction with NW Hydroponics (a business next door to the VGI grounds), has available 830 square feet (78 square meters) of interior wall space.

During 2010, the VGI will use grants, donated materials and volunteer labor to populate these walls with gardens of various descriptions. The goal of the effort will be to (1) document what works and does not work (what combination of plants, construction materials, and irrigation works best; and for the various combinations, what are the costs in terms of materials, labor (design as well as installation), code compliance, etc; (2) determine strategies that will lower installed costs for the various combinations; (3) beautify the walls at the Institute’s facility; and, (4) create movable vertical gardens for resale.

:: images via Vertical Garden Institute

For more information contact Philip Yates, at phil@singerhill.com, or call him at 503-570-8000.

See more pics of some of Phil's experimental gardens below:






:: images via Vertical Garden Institute

Contact info and to visit the Institute:

Vertical Garden Institute

701 John Adams Street
Oregon City, Oregon 97045
503-570-8000
info@verticalgardeninstitute.org

Vertical Garden Lecture

A presentation from Stephanie Gautama, a grad student in the landscaping department of Cornell University, won the Dreer Award competition, and used the grant to travel the world studying various vertical horticultural building systems. (thanks to Phil Yates at the Vertical Garden Institute for this link!)

Vertical Greening Systems - Stephanie Gautama (Part 1 of 2) from Cornell Horticulture on Vimeo.

Vertical Greening Systems - Stephanie Gautama (Part 2 of 2) from Cornell Horticulture on Vimeo.

Aloni: Dry-Land Vegetative Roofing

A simply stunning example of the variety of green roofs in drier climates comes via Designboom: "Greek firm deca architecture designed 'aloni' a house located on the greek island of antiparos. the design of the house is a dual response to the particular topography of the site and to the rural domestication techniques that in the past shaped the raw ‘cycladic island’ landscape."


:: image via designboom

Some info about the concept: "Two long stone walls bridge the hills allowing the house to nestle in the space within while maintaining the continuity of the landscape which flows over it. this simple strategy blurs the edges of the house and makes its mass imperceptible within the broader skyline of the island."


:: image via designboom

The use of indigenous plant material for more arid regions offers a chance for better survivability along with blending in with the existing landscape. The landscaping is irrigated (perhaps temporarily?) as seen by the drip tubing running through plantings - which may be a necessity as although 'natural', the rooftop does provide a different microclimate for plants (in terms of moisture, exposure, soil depth, and heat) making it more of a hybrid spanning native and ornamental.


:: image via designboom

The balance in arid regions is always a question of whether the benefits of the green roof outweigh the additional irrigation use. As more examples come out for dry-area examples of vegetative roofing, we will find good precedents to expand the reach of green roofing that meets this balance of beauty versus sustainability.

Landsbanki-HQ - Reykjavik

Via Inhabitat a proposal for this green roofed building in the capitol of Iceland: "New York-based WORK Architecture Company has unveiled a design for Landsbanki Bank Headquarters that consists of a series of green-roofed steps rising up from a ground-level city park. ...The shared gardens are protected from the cold northern winds by the exterior of the building, and the green roof acts as an extension of the courtyards and the nearby park."


:: image via Inhabitat

Vertical City by Desitecture

Towards the realm of the ridiculous, I'm not a big fan of the form of this building - but like the inclusion of vegetation throughout the building envelope. Via Arch Daily: "Desitecture, a British Architecture Collective, have recently been shortlisted by the World Architecture Festival in the future project-experimental category for their Vertical City in Venezuela."


:: image via Arch Daily

The main concept of the project is to provide housing to eliminate slums, while providing open space and productive agricultural areas for feeding dense urban populations. The one benefit I see to this isn't necessarily using the structure itself for growing food, but the relatively compact footprint offering a lot of building area but taking up very little land.


:: image via Arch Daily

The microclimatic effects have been included in the greenery placed around the structural ellipses. Via AD: "The internal elliptical areas provide , distinct micro climates , within each cup, they will each acquire their own character in terms of vegetation and aerial wildlife, supported by balcony gardens and green loading elements which will accrue over time."


:: image via Arch Daily

Kyoai Gakuen University

Via Inhabitat, the Kyoai Gakuen University in Japan features a unique structure to create varied soil depths for a variety of plant types. The goal is to replace open space displaced through construction.


:: image via Inhabitat

More from the article: "Rather than replace the open space with a standard building, Japanese firm Bakoko worked with architect Hikaru Hattori to design an elevated green roof that keeps the open space while providing spectator seating for a nearby playing field. Daylighting, natural ventilation, and the insulating benefits of the green roof make the project a beautiful example of energy-efficient architecture."


:: image via Inhabitat

SOMs Living Tower

Via Inhabitat: "Architectural powerhouse SOM recently revealed a new landmark tower designed by their resident architect Mustafa Abadan for the city of Seoul, Korea. ...Located in the heart of Seoul’s Digital Media City, the new namesake tower will also feature an incredible 'living' atrium that will provide both light and air to the inhabitants within."

:: image via Inhabitat


Definitely a pertinent example of bioclimatic architecture and biophilic design, the dual concept of which are powerful in moving the concept of living walls from the aesthetic and beginning to fully integrate functional and beautiful vegetation into the architecture. A short excerpt of the concept from Inhabitat:

"Inspired by the filtration exhibited by a marine sponge, the new tower finds its ‘living’ core within the interior atria, which acts as the lungs for the tower, maximizing both air circulation and filtration through active phytoremediation walls — these walls are able to both temper and refresh the quality of interior air throughout the building. While the void is meant to capitalize on stacked air flow, and in turn drive the wind turbines sited at the top of the spire, the open space actually allows for an incredible infusion and refraction of natural daylight, dramatically reducing any dependency on mechanical systems for lighting."

:: image via Inhabitat

The active integration, in this case referred to as 'Active Phyto-Remediation' becomes a part of the HVAC systems to purify building air and help control interior microclimates as this air moves (and is moved) through the building. The effects of this process have precedents (here, here, and more broadly, through the work of Ken Yeang here for instance) - but full integration into building is rare, and I'm excited to see what is learned through this bioclimatic approach to building and skyscraper implementation.