Inventare la Natura Urbana Competition

(Via ArchDaily) "The competition is dedicated to the innovation of green in urban areas. Participants can be creative professionals (landscape architects, designers, architects, planners, artists, and associations) as well as students (schools of horticulture, landscape design, architecture, etc.)."


:: image via ArchDaily

"The competition theme is the creation of innovative proposals for the creation of small urban areas, a terrace, a roof, balcony, walls, windows and any other city in the “Garden” theme. Particular attention will be given to projects that will appeal to the jury’s senses (fruits, edible flowers, aromatics, etc..) The maximum area to be developed is 15 m2. The research and the originality to invent new ways to experience nature in the city, merging environment and aesthetics, using lighting and furnishings, and tips for eco-gardener, ideas for recycling, etc. The best project in each category will receive the Innovation Award 2010.

More information:www.jardinsjardin.com."

Subterranean Hotel

This may be better in theory than practice (via Inhabitat): "This five star hotel is going under – underground that is! Designed by ReardonSmith Architects for a proposed development at Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, London, this new subterranean hotel will pay its ultimate respects to London’s Green Belt by placing all 200+ guest rooms underneath it! The entire scheme is covered with a plush green roof that takes its cue from the surrounding countryside."




:: images via Inhabitat

Green Bridge

It's only temporary, but an interesting visual of a temporary green bridge from Budapest Now if only it weren't just grass...? (via Urban Greenery)


:: image via Urban Greenery

Super Sustainable City

...is also the super green city? From Designboom: "super sustainable city is an ongoing project that has been organized by swedish firm kjellgren kaminsky architecture for the city of gothenburg. the development they proposed would house one third of the estimated city growth until 2020, forming a strong connection between the riversides. roofs of residences can be used for leisure, agriculture and solar power. the roofs are terraced to the south so that people, plants and solar panels will have more sun and the apartments will need less heating and lighting."




:: images via Designboom

Wells would be Proud

Via Inhabitat, this earth sheltered house in Vals, Switzerland evokes the spirit of Malcolm Wells in it's form and function. "Designed by the architects of SeArch and Christian Müller, this underground house exemplifies the notion that thoughtfully constructed buildings can live in harmony with their surrounding environs."




:: images via Inhabitat

In Memory: Malcolm Wells

1News clipping from last week - via Philly.com: "Malcolm Wells, the visionary Cherry Hill architect who died Nov. 27 at 83, was considered a crackpot in 1964 when he gave up lucrative commissions for the RCA Corp., and began advocating underground buildings with earth-friendly sod roofs. But he lived long enough to see some of his most radical ideas become standard practice."

Read the obituary written by Wells' posted at his website, which is illustrated and multi-media - much like the process-driven work of the man himself.



As he mentions towards the end, there's still more and the story continues: "But wait: don't cut me off here. I haven't told you about my two years in the Marine Corps - World War II - studying engineering at Georgia Tech and carrying a wooden rifle, of working with the Seneca's, or doing a World's Fair building, or [written in with ink above the typing - (designing)] a quilt, or never having touched a computer or a cell phone, or having done dozens, probably hundreds, of incredible designs and..."

A fruitful, unique, and amazing career - his is definitely one of the original vegitects. Wells' work was definitely ahead of it's time, and his vision will be missed, but somehow I feel is already continuing on in ways Wells may possibly have not imagined. I'm guessing whatever is the next big thing, there's probably a sketch of somewhere in one of his journals, waiting to be rediscovered. Rest in Peace Malcolm.

Architecture Minceur

That's why I kind of laughed out loud a bit when I saw this post from London's Mail Online for the recreation of the city with veggies by artist Carl Warner (see some more of his work here in a L+U post entitled 'Madness/Genius?').


:: image via Mail Online

The origins of the word veg.itecture is derived from an essay from the 1970's by Michael Sorkin... and the concept of vegetable based architecture: architecture minceur. An excerpt of the original post gives :

"We do like to use fresh, natural materials whenever we can but they've gotten so terribly hard to find. Really, do you know any builder nowadays who uses really fresh tomatoes? ... Everybody in the profession says today's tomatoes don't taste anything like they used to, but that if you're planning more than three or four stories you need a really firm veg. and we are going to wind up having to make certain sacrifices in the flavor department."




:: images via Mail Online

In the time of year where most edible architecture consists of modern gingerbread interpretations of architectural master-works, it's refreshing to see amidst the fruitcake and chocolates - a well balanced architecture minceur for devouring.

Blanc Goes Big

Recently posted on Architecture & Design, uber veg.itect Patrick Blanc is at it again, implementing his tallest living wall in Sydney Australia. Coming in at a mere 33 stories (150 meters) in height this one, albeit newly planted, is going to be stunning.


:: image via Architecture & Design

From the site: "Renowned French botanist, Patrick Blanc, has created his tallest vertical garden at a residential development in Sydney’s inner west. However, the 33-storey north-facing green wall is merely a “practice run” for Blanc’s even bigger installation planned as part of the $2 billion Central Park development at the former Carlton Brewery site on Broadway. The living artwork, currently installed at Frasers Property’s Trio development in Camperdown, uses 4,528 native Australian plants from 69 different species that are fed by a grey-water, dripper-irrigation system."


:: image via Architecture & Design

He also plans to do some more work with Jean Nouvel. Read and see the full article - and be ready to be amazed, here. Thanks to @greenarchitext for the link to this one.

Scandinavian Green Roofs

A resource that was emailed to me from the Scandinavian Green Roof site from the Augustenborg Botanical Roof Garden in Malmö, Sweden. From the site: "This is a place for beauty, inspiration, education and research. On top of industrial and office buildings belonging to City, there is a botanical garden in a place where you wouldn`t have thought there was room for a park! This unique botanical garden is 9500 m² big. It is situated on top of several buildings, joined by foot bridges."


:: overall site plan - image via greenroof.se

A short tour of some of the rooftops that appear at the site including artistic, extensive, and intensive roofs.










:: images via greenroof.se

One of my favorites is the ruderal (brownfield) garden, which offers a industrial variety akin to the brown roofs, featuring rubble and other urban detritus along with minimal plantings.




:: images via greenroof.se

An interesting section for sure is the detailed photos of plants from a number of the rooftops. There is also a good series of links, research, and other items that make the site worthy of exploration. Also check out information on the Scandinavian Green Roof Association (SGRA), an organization. "The objectives of the association are to promote an increased use of green roofs in Scandinavia, to provide evidence for the positive impact of green roofs on urban ecology, and to provide background material for legislation, building standards, instructions, loan regulations and state grants."

Living Wall Air Purification 1 (corrected)

[updated: 12.13.09] Some corrections via an email from Tyler Stout, a PhD student at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute. He pointed out some errors, which i hope to update here. For starters, he mentions: "Firstly, the Active Modular Phytoremediation System (AMP System) is being developed by the Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE) / Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with the architecture firm, Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM)"

Also there was some translation errors that Tyler mentioned that I wanted to add: "...for example, the AMP System does not use a system of small fans to circulate air - rather, it is directly hooked up to the HVAC system and acts as a duct in itself. Perhaps it might be easier for you to directly credit and quote Architect Magazine, as they are the original source of the info and pictures."

Thanks much for the corrections! The original post is intact below:

Original Post: A post on Urbanarbolismo showed a project relating to air purification systems developed by architectural firm SOM: "The center for the science of architecture and ecology... has created a new facade modular plant that increases the efficiency in cleaning the air between 200 and 300%."


:: image via Urbanarbolismo

Some info about the system: "The air moves inside a perforated wall directly on the root system of plants, a series of mini-fans are strategically positioned to improve ventilation. This allows the roots rhizomes digest toxins from the air, absorption by roots is not only more effective but also prevents the plant from becoming toxic."


:: image via Urbanarbolismo

More info: "According to its creators the system can be installed in large commercial interiors, but it works particularly well in small apartments where a façade of four modules can create the same effect as between 800 and 1200 plants."




:: image via Urbanarbolismo

Originally material from Architect Magazine under the the title 'Active Phytoremediation Wall System.'

More Window Farms

More on Window Farms, as they endeavor to raise money via Kickstarter to turn the idea into a non-profit. Read more here for possibly donating to the cause.


:: image via windowfarms

And check out a video from their website (i've also added the link to the sidebar).