Veg.itecture

Green Science Oregon features Green Roofs

2010-12-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Episode 1 from Green Science Oregon - showing some local green roofs and research on PV/Solar synergies.

Next Gen Wildlife Crossings

2010-12-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

The competition finalists were announced for the ARC: International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition - which, in short, aimed for: "buildable context-sensitive and compelling design solutions for safe, efficient, cost-effective, and ecologically responsive wildlife crossings."

A rundown of finalist teams here, via Bustler:

Janet Rosenberg & Associations with Blackwell Bowick Partnership,
Dougan & Associates, and Ecokare International

HNTB Engineering with Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associates

with Applied Ecological Services, Inc

The Olin Studio with Explorations Architecture (Paris),
Buro Haphold (London) and Applied Ecological Services

Zwarts & Jansma with OKRA Landscape Architects, IV-infra and Planecologie

Balmori Associates with StudioMDA, Knippers Helbig Inc., David Skelly, CITA,
Bluegreen, John A. Martin & Associates, and David Langdon

The jury comments allude to the innovations within, but at a glance, there's nothing dramatically important to be gleaned from the visuals presented of the winning entries that jumps out as revolutionary. As with most (all?) competitions, the devil is in the details, and the imagery is a small portion of the real underlying genius of the proposals, which require delving into the PDFs of team entries for more information.

For instance Balmori's design includes a specialized modular wood structure and sophisticated monitoring equipment to track data on species crossings. Olin's proposal uses a plastic modular grid of what look like habitat green roof trays with different ingredients of ecosystems - from grassland to forest. Janet Rosenberg's proposal is a new 'species' of bridge, investigating multiple internal pathways to accommodate different travel patterns, with a structure that looks at mitigating sensory stimuli from the roadway (lights, noise, smells) that perhaps has everyone seeing red. MVVA's submission uses condensed parallel habitat bands, using an interesting successional planting scheme over time to populate these with appropriate plantings. The Zwarts & Jansma team really looked at the formal architectural (not so much landscape or habitat) properties in their curving bridge.

Now look back at the images above, and discern any of those ideas from the renderings...

Green Wall - New Street Square (London)

2010-12-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

A very Blanc-esque Green Wall in London...

via Apartment Therapy (thanks Kat!)

TD3 | Modes of Verticality | 11.26.10

2010-11-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

1. Transit Center
Location: Tempe, Arizona

:: image via Jetson Green

2. Edifici Banca Catalana
Location: Barcelona, Spain

:: image via Urban Greenery

3. Unknown Vegetated Wall

(love this one...!)

:: image via Vulgare

TD3 | Immersion | 11.24.10

2010-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

1. Warehouse Building
Location: Yokohama, Japan

:: image via People and Place

2. Building on the Praha Dejvice

Location: Matejksa, Czech Republic

:: image via Vulgare

3. Garden Shed

Location: San Francisco, California US

Designer: Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture

:: image via Inhabitat

TD3 | Transit Caps | 11.23.10

2010-11-23T13:03:00.000-08:00

1. Crossrail Crossrail Canary Wharf Station Green Roof
Location: London, England

:: images via Clean Air through Green Roofs

2. BQE 'Garden Canopy'

Location: New York, New York US

Designer: Starr Whitehouse

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Transbay Terminal

Location: San Francisco, California, US
Designer: Pelli Clarke Pelli

:: images via Inhabitat

TD3 | Flatlands | 11.22.10

2010-11-22T14:11:00.001-08:00

1. Angola Central Highlands University Location: Angola, Africa
Designer: XV Studio

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Desertcreat College
Location: Cookstown, United Kingdom
Designer: Perkins+Will

:: images via WAN

3. Landsbanki Office

Location: Reykavik, Iceland
Designer: WorkAC

:: image via Inhabitat

TD3 | Green Walls | 11.18.10

2010-11-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

1. Green Weaving Club House

Location: Jangsung-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea
Designer: Hyunjoon Yoo Architects

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Childrens Library Living Wall

Location: San Vincente del Raspeig, Spain
Designer: Jose María Chofre

:: images via Urbanarbolismo

3. Maximum Garden House

Location: Singapore
Designer: Formwerkz Architects

:: images via Arch Daily

TD3 | Grass Houses | 11.17.10

2010-11-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

1. Anchorage Visitors Center - Anchorage, Alaska USA

:: image via Urban Greenery

2. Kolarbyn Eco-Hotel - outstide Stockholm, Sweden

:: image via Inhabitat

3. The Longhouse - Kansas, USA
(Rockhill & Associates)

:: images via Inhabitat

TD3 | Tucked Under | 11.16.10

2010-11-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

1. Houses In Rybnik(Jojko+Nawrocki Architekci)

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Pannonhalma Abdij Visitor Centre (Roeleveld Sikkes)

:: images via Arch Daily

3. Pool Pavilion(Peter Gluck + Partners)

:: images via Designboom

TD3 | Translucence | 11.15.10

2010-11-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

1. Venlo Municipal Office
(Kraaijvanger • Urbis)

:: images via World Architecture News

2. Al-Birr Foundation Office Tower

(Perkins + Will)

:: images via e-architect

3. Matrix Gateway Complex(Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture)

:: images via Architect

TD3 | Green Towers | 11.12.10

2010-11-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Ending the week with some dramatic vegetated towers. Enjoy.

1. Antorcha Bicentenario (José Pareja Gómez and Jesús Hernández Martínez)

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Engineered Biotopes
(Anthi Grapsa and Konstantinos Chalaris)

:: images via Arch Daily

3. Yeosu World Exposition Big-O International Idea Competition Winner(G-Lab)

:: images via Arch Daily

TD3 | Wave Forms | 11.11.10

2010-11-11T23:32:00.000-08:00

1. POSTECH Marine Sciences Campus (SmithGroup)

:: images via Arch Daily

2. The Cave (Gonzalo Vaíllo Martínez)

:: images via Dezeen

3. Work of Hundertwasser
The work above seems reminiscent, in a more cleanly representation way, of the work of Hundertwasser - a few examples below:

:: image via EcoSalon

:: image via Plants are Taking Over

The High Cost of Victory

2010-11-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

The new Green Roofs for Healthy Cities award winner have been announced for 2010, and an interesting addition is the ASLA Headquarters Green Roof. While an aesthetically and technically solid project, I have before, and will question again, the rhetoric about this building as a model for green roofs (which an award surely reinforces). given the insane costs for implementation.

:: image via Businesswire

Some quotes: The first from Nancy Somerville: "We are deeply honored by this award,” said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. “We wanted to create a space to push the envelope of green roof design, educate the public on the benefits of green roofs, provide an amenity to our staff and facilitate easy data monitoring – all within a 3,000 square foot footprint. This is a proud day for us.”

And from Steven Peck from GHRC: "“This is a fabulous demonstration project that illustrates the potential of creative design work on green roof projects,” said Steven Peck, GRP, Hon. ASLA, Founder and President of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “There is no question that ASLA’s green roof delivers on its promise as a showcase of multiple benefits.”"

As a card carrying ASLA member, I'm really happy that this project is getting attention as a beautiful addition to rooftop greening, but bemoan a number of much more worthy models in the world that offer greater applicability, transferability, and are actually low-cost, low-maintenance models for the green roof industry. Awards, that's all great - and congrats to all involved - but let's call this what it is... an overpriced example of green roofing adapted to a difficult building that would probably have been axed. Perhaps not on the same scale as other overpriced projects that have been vilified in the media (why not an award for the High Line if we're going there) - but worth a look, and some frank discussions about value and its relationship to 'model' projects.

TD3 | Terraced Green | 11.10.10

2010-11-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

1. Garden City K66 (OFIS arhitekti)

:: images via Arch Daily

2. ITC Corporate Tower (HKS Inc.)

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Culver House (Dirk Denison Architects)

:: images via Arch Daily

Greening, Going, Gone

2010-11-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

This isn't new info, but I thought that as the officially kicked off construction of the Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building - sporting a massive living wall (seen here). As has been reported, the vegetated wall will be replaced with an array of aluminum 'reeds' for a low(er) maintenance way of hiding an ass-ugly building.

:: image via Skyscraper Page

A bit of info, via Free Republic:

"A plan to install what would have been North America’s largest living wall on the west facade of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland has been deemed too risky, and too expensive, by the General Services Administration.

Portland’s SERA Architects and Cutler Anderson Architects of Bainbridge Island, Wash., received international attention for proposing 250-foot-tall vegetated “fins” to shade the federal building’s west side. The building’s energy performance is tied to the amount of shade it receives throughout the day, according to Don Eggleston, president of SERA Architects.because of concerns about high costs of installation and potential maintenance of the vegetated facade, the building’s west side instead will be covered with a series of long, aluminum poles Eggleston calls “reeds.”

“It’s disappointing, but you have to look at the maintenance, operations and risk involved with a new building technology,” Eggleston said. “Once we started looking at the cost benefit of the living wall, we started looking for alternatives. The most cost effective and easiest-to-maintain option is aluminum.”

Reeds, huh? I see. Sigh.

One more from the Zoo

2010-11-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

Another proposal that I really liked from the Vertical Zoo competition was recently shown on Arch Daily - 'Hollow Tower' by the French firm Oglo.

:: image via Arch Daily

From the architect's description: "In opposite of the strong external shape, the inside space is designed by the digging of the rocky mass. This void is moved in levitation above the ground of the ecological reserve, like a vertical receptacle of life, of the fauna and the flora, like a reserve in the reserve. The tower’s cavities receive the different animals species of the zoo, matched in independents ecosystems around the central void."

:: images via Arch Daily

TD3 | Vertical Zoo | 11.09.10

2010-11-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

The competition for a Vertical Zoo in Buenos Aires yielded some great visuals and projects, including the Eco-Cliff (seen here) and the very cool Eden Falls. See a rundown of the winning entries - and images in this post found here on Arquitectum - as images of the winners are kind of slim online (and even these are barely legible - click the images to enlarge somewhat).

1. First Place: Telescope Zoo
(Sang Hyup Kim, Ki Ok Lee)

2. Second Place: Contra Zoo
(Jill Stoner, Eduardo Pintos, Ibone Santiago)

3. Third Place: Into the Wild (Jung Dawoon)

TD3 | Ground to Sky | 11.08.10

2010-11-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

1. Osaka School (Uzu Architects)

:: images via Inhabitat

2. Madrid Residence (A-cero)

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Barclay' Center (SHoP Architects)

:: images via Inhabitat

TD3 | Green Room | 11.05.10

2010-11-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Some interesting small scale interventions using greenery (and cool graphics to boot). Happy Friday.

1. Parc Disponible (Stefan Gzyl)

:: image via Arch Daily

An intriguing project via Arch Daily, a proposal for inserting nature into the city " “Parc Disponible” is a glass box enclosing a mini-park for individual use within the city." Disponible translates to 'available' en Francais - so the simple 'Available Park' offers: "...an extreme solution within the parameters of the competition: a park-for-one, a garden for individual and private relaxation and the momentary break from the urban environment, opening the senses to the intensified stimulation of nature in a simulated ecosystem of 15 square meters."

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Green Room (Casanova+Hernandez)

:: image via World Landscape Architect

Perhaps a more literal interpretation of the above, the 'Green Room' via World Landscape Architect is a temporary installation in Rotterdam that "...experiments with the role of hybrid interventions (mix of landscape+architecture+sculpture) to activate the urban life of our city centres... The intervention transforms an anonymous area of the public space of the city into an open room for the citizens that works as a green island characterized by its domestic character and strong identity."

:: images via World Landscape Architect

3. Villafranca de los Barros (ETB Studio)

:: image via ArchDaily

Via ArchDaily: "The new centre of hospitality in Villafranca de los Barros is a dynamic complex which is more like a town than a building; it is a small, protected, comfortable world, a “barrio blanco” carpeted with thousands of brightly coloured flowers and able to relate with the surrounding countryside, which it is deeply rooted to."

:: images via ArchDaily

Video on Vertical Farming

2010-11-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Via YouTube - from the Vertical Farm Project website

Add Log, Get Habitat

2010-11-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

The great resource of Metropolitan Field Guide should be required reading for anyone even mentioning habitat in terms of urban context. It was with interest that a recent post mentioned habitat green roof, which is a recurring topic of interest - piqued my curiosity, particularly as we are in the midst of some project work along these lines. It was fascinating to see this project in terms of green roof habitat - as the link led to "A green and living roof for wildlife brightens the heart of Soho" on Livingroofs.org - the project built by the "Green Roof Consultancy" a project that seems to belie the philosophy and strategies for designing green roofs offered by many of these leaders in Europe for this concept. The roof from above:

:: image via Livingroofs.org

If all we have to do is add a log to a mat of sedums, then perhaps we're closer to Dusty Gedge's concept of urban green roof habitat than previously thought, and at least have the easy ability to retrofit many of our local roofs. I say this somewhat in jest - as I can see the potential for misinterpretation in what is green roof habitat.

:: image via Livingroofs.org

The post does mention that "In additional to the conventional blanket on 80mm of substrate/growing media a large number of Allium and Muscari bulbs were planted. The sedum finish has also been augmented with both an annual and a wildflower seed mix."

This additional info gives me a little more confidence in the wildlife potential - but the pictures just left me chuckling as I can see this model (at least as shown in the photos) popping up as a new era of habitat roofs... Habitat... Just add log.

:: image via Livingroofs.org

TD3 | More Metaphors | 11.04.10

2010-11-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

The metaphor of nature has long been a part of architecture, either formally, artistically, and technologically. Picking up on some of the last group, a few more concepts along those same lines for today's daily 3.

1. Urban Tree (Geotectura)

:: images via Inhabitat

2. Sighartstein Kindergarten (kadawittfeldarchitektur)
This one reminds me of many of the projects in the book 'Inspired By Nature: Plants' - in fact it might actually be in that book...

:: images via Coolboom

3. Prefabricated Nature (MYCC)
Stunning and simple use of materials...

:: images via Designboom

The panels are perforated into natural forms of trees, which leave a dynamic and interesting pattern...

:: images via Designboom

One accentuated by night and sun filtering through into the interior spaces. Brilliant.

:: images via Designboom

TD3 | Metaphors | 11.03.10

2010-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

A subset of the vegitectural that is always of interest is the use of metaphors of nature in design strategies. Often these tend to be literal interpretations using vegetation, most likely the structural branching aspects of trees - which seem to blend into architectural form well - as a organic or more formal composition. A selection.

1. Open Air Bamboo Restaurant (DSA+s)

:: images via Inhabitat

2. The Tote (Serie Architects)

:: images via Dezeen

3. Qatar Convention Center (Yamasaki Associates)

:: images via Inhabitat

Green Roofs & Heat Island

2010-11-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

The benefits of green roofs are well understood - but one often has to wonder where the data is to validate some of these claims, or more specifically, the availability of local, transferrable data that can aid in good decision-making for designers. Building on the Sustainable Sites initiative, there is a movement to develop a framework of more rigorous study of landscape performance in order to fill these design specific knowledge gaps. The desire for data is being met by a number of studies, including this one, via The Dirt, for a newly published report from Columbia University for evaluating the ability of Con Edison green roofs and cool roofs in the mitigation of urban heat island effects. A summary, via The Dirt:

"A new green roof project organized by Columbia University and New York power company Con Edison adds to a growing body of research that demonstrate green roofs reduce the urban heat island effect. Using Con Edison’s training center in Long Island City, Queens, the researchers found that a layer of roof-friendly soils and plants reduce the rate of heat absorption by 84 percent in the summer, bringing down building cooling energy costs as a result."

:: Green and Cool roofs - images via Con Edison

Some additional info from the Con Edison press release:

"The “green roof,” consisting of 21,000 plants, keeps heat in the building during the winter, reducing the need for heating, and keeps heat out during the summer, reducing the need for air conditioning. The energy saving benefits of the white roof occur mainly in the summer, when the roof absorbs less heat than a dark roof, cutting down on air conditioning needs. The green and white roofs perform equally well in preventing a phenomenon scientists call “heat island effect,” according to the study, led by Stuart Gaffin, a research scientist at Columbia’s Center for Climate Systems Research. Conventional dark roofs absorb sunlight during the day and radiate heat back into the atmosphere at night, contributing to warmer urban temperatures."

More info from the press release for Con Edison, with a link to the full report - which I will report back on after a chance to peruse.

TD3 | Got Curves | 11.02.10

2010-11-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

A trio of proposals with great curves. You know there's an over-abundance of visuals when you can't remember posting a project or not... strange.

1. Taipei Pop Music Center
a.asadov architects

I showed another entry to the Taipei competition here, but thought this one, with images and text via Designboom, was equally interesting (although literal interpretations of Chinese dragons is a bit tired).

:: images via Designboom

2. Blok K
NL Architects

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Ocean Imagination
Unsangdong Architects

:: image via Arch Daily

Via Arch Daily: "The pavilion allows visitors to experience the ocean’s ecosystems and different exhibits related to “man-made nature.” An ‘Ocean Gate’ takes the culture of the sea shore and shifts it vertically. This move creates a dynamic visual that is a constant reminder to the viewers of nature’s different environments. “It combines ocean ecosystem and architecture in accordance with the main theme of ‘Ocean & Life,” added the architects. Another part of the proposal, the ‘’Sustainable Ocean void space’, is formed by combining flowing water with the ecological environment."

:: images via Arch Daily

TD3 | On the Roof | 11.01.10

2010-11-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

1. Serpentine StationXmanifold

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Rathaus Terraceacme.ac

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Floating Islands (Maldives)Waterstudio.NL

:: images via Inhabitat

TD3 | Going Vertical | 10.29.10

2010-10-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

1. Green Over Grey

A number of walls, via Living Wall Art, for Vancouver BC company Green Over Grey, which focuses on living walls. A few of their projects:

:: images via Living Wall Art

2. Vertical garden at Natural Mind

A newly planted storefront vertical garden in Silver Lake, spotted via Urban Greenery.

:: image via Urban Greenery

3. Intelligentsia Coffee + Tea

A different approach at this alley courtyard in Venice, California.

:: image via Urban Greenery

TD3 | Skyfarming | 10.28.10

2010-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've shorted the 'Daily Three' into an abbreviated version in order to add to the titling a bit more. In that spirit, the focus today is vertical farming (no shortage of projects out there on that front). Enjoy.

1. FEEDER: Elevated Highway Farm
Studio Gang

:: image via Inhabitat

Some text from Inhabitat: "Transforming the Ohio highway feeder ramp and transforming it into a ramp that feeds. Called FEEDER, the project would populate the underutilized open highway space with urban greenhouses and gardens where the public can grow their own produce and green space for even those with browner thumbs to enjoy."

:: images via Inhabitat

2. "Urban Farm, Urban Epicenter"
Jung Min Nam

An interesting one (along with lots of juicy new content) on the Vertical Farming site. This one courtesy of a link (along with good dialogue on the viability of Vertical Farming in general) from Animal Architecture. Here's the visuals of the Urban Farm, Urban Epicenter project from Jung Min Nam (check out more on the site).

:: images via Vertical Farm Project

3. Farm CityChris Hardewick

Text via Doors of Perception: "Farm City is a proposal for a new kind of architecture that would enable cities to feed themselves. It is a skyscraper for living and farming. We are running out of land outside our cities to feed ourselves. Urban sprawl is consuming valuable agricultural land and agricultural lands are encroaching on sensitive wilderness ecosystems. Farm City is a project that creates agricultural area inside new housing towers." (thanks to mr. holmes for the link)

:: images via Doors of Perception

TD3 | Horticultural Building Systems | 10.27.10

2010-10-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

An email from University of Oregon Landscape Architecture professor Richard Hindle alerted me to an innovative design-build project happening on campus in the vegitectural realm. The studio course 'Horticultural Building Systems' is based on investigations into the potential to 'hybridize landscape, architecture, and product design". For today's Daily Three - a trio of projects from the site, with some supplementary information on the course. One project is a 'Soil Filled Gabion'.

:: image via Horticultural Building Systems

Some additional information from the site: "Horticultural Building Systems find their origin in early European sodden roofs, glasshouses, orangeries, ivy clad facades, espaliers, trellises, and have evolved through time to include modern greenhouses, engineered green roofs, living walls, bio-domes, sculpture, bioreactors, and cryogenic preservation chambers. For the purpose of this studio a horticultural building systems is understood as the instance where vegetation and an architectural system exist in a mutually defined, and intentionally designed relationship, that supports plant growth and an architectonic concept."

Another project involves the implementation of a concrete substrate for a living wall. Developed by Matt Brooke and Walter Cicack, the 'Earth Bank' is an innovative use of the porous nature of the material for creating viable habitat for plantings. The concept of testing new strategies is the genius of the studio - as it allows for a range of possible solutions to be investigated that can move the entire industry forward.

:: images via Horticultural Building Systems

Additional information gives some background on the concept - which asks many of the questions that this site posits: "The rise of horticultural building systems in speculative and built architecture leaves many questions unanswered as each new site becomes a new experiment, with diverse variables from species selection to microclimate, substrates, architectural nuances, project scheduling, and design of horticultural system. A disparity exists between the ubiquity of “green” or vegetative building systems in architectural proposal, and what is actually known about the design, construction, and longevity of these systems. Currently, innovation for horticultural building systems like green roofs and living walls is almost entirely dependent on research and development made by private companies and individuals protected by patent. "

A final project is concept for a simple interior installation 'Growing Curtain' by Eva Peterson, showing a modular installation for growing vegetables in gravity fed assembly. The curtain consists of a " chain that directs water from the upper plant to the lower. Plants grow to meet each other as the curtain evolves. The modular, flexible vessels can be used individually or connected in a rhythmic series."

:: image via Horticultural Building Systems

The Daily Three | 10.26.10

2010-10-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

1. Buenos Aires Vertical Zoo Proposal - Eco-Cliff
Hila Davidpur, Tal Gazit, Eli Gotman, Hofi Harari

Via Arch Daily, a proposal for the birds... (I question the absence of guano) "The “ECO-CLIFF” is a revolutionary tower that will serve as a nesting ground for thousands of migrating birds as well as an ecological habitat for the different animals and species of the “Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve Zoo”.

:: image via Arch Daily

More from Arch Daily: "Eco-Cliff will accommodate a variety of migrating birds which pass the Costanera Sur Reserve each year. The migrating birds nesting areas would accompany the human visitors along their ascending path throughout the varied elements of the tower, including the different animal spaces and the observation decks."

:: images via Arch Daily

2. Spiral Garden
Benet and Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert and Carmen Vilar

Via Inhabitat: "Called Spiral Garden, the winding green space... [a] lacy mesh structure is a place for neighbors to socialize, garden and harvest, and even serves as a spot to store bikes between errands." More text and images at Designboom.

Images via Inhabitat:

3. Greenside Out
Joubert Architecture

Via Inhabitat: "a condominium project in Tirana, Albania would help break the cycle of monotony and bland architecture in the expanding city. What was countryside beyond the city center only ten years ago has now become a series of box factories, warehouses, stores and apartment complexes stretching along a highway. The Netherlands-based firm proposes to revitalize the strip of land with a new condominium complex featuring terraced gardens on innovative interior cutouts."

:: images via Inhabitat

The Daily Three | 10.25.10

2010-10-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

1. Lord of the Rings Hobbit Houses
Peter Jackson

This post from Inhabitat shows the village of Hobbiton, home of the Baggins clan in the Lord of the Rings series of movies (or if you prefer, the JRR Tolkien books). Built as a stage set with minimal depth, the houses have now been given over to the local sheep population for shelter.

:: images via Inhabitat

2. Underground Skyscraper
Matthew Fromboluti

A different type of earth-sheltered design (again from Inhabitat), this proposal for reclamation of open pit mine sites takes us deep underground. I gotta say, it looks pretty bleak on the surface and underground - although the light wells are an interesting touch.

:: image via Inhabitat

More info: "As we deplete our natural resources, we are left with huge gaping holes in the ground - scars from our open-pit mining exploits. Matthew Fromboluti of Washington University in St. Louis has a plan to heal those scars with an underground skyscraper that fills the hole and creates a self-sustaining community in its place. His proposal, Above Below, is proposed to infill the 900-foot deep and nearly 300-acre wide crater left by the former Lavender Pit Mine outside of Bisbee, Arizona."

:: images via Inhabitat

3. Stone Creek Camp
Andersson - Wise

A bit more traditional as a residential project, the idea of blending in to the landscape can take many forms. This project offers a great use of materials, including a mass planting of grasses that fits nicely into the overall composition. Check out the log-siding as well - delicious.

:: images via Arch Daily

The Daily Three | 10.22.10

2010-10-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

A sinuous new development, via ArchDaily, in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, by STL is for a Maritime Culture & Popular Music Center Competition.

:: image via ArchDaily

It features folded planes of park space atop accessory structures surrounding the waterfront - punctuated by a pair of dynamic buildings at each end. The doubling up of space allows for a vibrant promenade for access to the water: "The promenade along the park will become a new vibrant part of the city, energized by recreational and commercial activities around the bay. Whether drawn to the immaculate views offered by the observatory in the landmark tower; or the cultural attractions within the museum; or just for a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, the park area provides a multitude of activities to accommodate visitors during any time of the day and year."

:: images via ArchDaily

In a similar vein, from Treehugger, the "Paik Nam June Media Bridge in Korea is proposed to be "sculptural, futuristic, and eco-friendly." offering some vegetectual flourishes in the form - pockets of vegetation sloping up terraces of structure.

:: images via Treehugger

A cutaway section shows the profile - essentially a green slab inserted strategically at places along the structure to complement the pedestrian flows. The question with inhabited bridges is always, are the a means from point A to B, or are they places to linger?

:: images via Treehugger

Final of the three is a departure from the organic forms of the previous two examples, via Inhabitat: "A winning design for a new art and culture center in SeongDong-gu, Korea features an urban forest located within the building that creates a lush and inspiring environment for cultural programs. Seoul-based Unsangdong Architects created the winning proposal, "Culture Forest", which boasts sustainable architecture, lots of trees and vegetation, and is powered by the sun. A circulating set of walkways within the building form an undulating landscape that creates an inviting atmosphere and a rich cultural program."

:: images via Inhabitat

It's interesting to see the softening of a relatively rigid form through the combination of greenery and textured panels - slicing the cube into 'frames' for particular uses, and providing a positive influence on the outward aesthetic of the facade.

:: images via Inhabitat

The Daily Three | 10.21.10

2010-10-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about a new way to get exposure to the massive amounts of projects out there in the realm of vegitecture. I thought a reasonable way to deal with the backlog was to give a daily trifecta of projects. Here's the first edition.

A great new project just presented was the Los Angeles Holocaust Museum, by Belzberg Architects - featuring multiple vegetated planes.

:: image via Arch Daily

Interesting to see the visuals of this in concept, which show a much more uniform vegetated coverage of the renderings, in sharp constrast,belying the sparseness (and much more interesting) reality.

:: image via lamoth

Another project worth checking out is the SAP America Headquarters by FXFOWLE - featuring green roof as part of the overall building microclimate strategy (via Inhabitat). "A large green roof covers the entire building, providing insulation and reducing heat gain, while rainwater collectors trap rainwater for storage in a 50,000-gallon cistern that supplies water for landscape irrigation and the flushing of toilets in some of the building’s bathrooms. Native and regional vegetation are used in the landscaping."

:: images via Inhabitat

Finally, the simple green roof from the Lighthouse Stadium in Belfort, France - featuring a green roof to complement a glowing facade.

:: image via Inhabitat

International Skyrise Greenery Conference

2010-10-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

A roundabout pathway to the IFLA site led me to the annoucement of the International Skyrise Greenery Conference happening in Singapore from November 1-3, 2010. The focus will be on rooftop gardens, green roofs, and vertical green walls... sounds lovely.

The keynotes are a veritable who's who of Vegitecture: "ISGC will feature multiple award-winning experts such as Emilio Ambasz from the US, hailed as “The Messiah” of green architecture; Patrick Blanc from France, the inventor of the vertical greenery concept; and Dr. Ken Yeang from the UK, one of the foremost designers and a recognised authority on ecologically-responsive architecture and planning"

Lots of other great presentations and research. Wish I would have heard about his earlier - because Singapore sounds lovely this time of year.

Nouvel's Floating Trees

2010-10-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

A cool photo from A Daily Dose of Architecture, showing a glimpse of the 100 Eleventh Avenue project by vegitect Jean Nouvel - and gives a link to a transcript on, get this, CBS Sunday Morning - transcript | video.

:: image via Archidose

The original vision of this site - via L+U from Feb. 2009. Doesn't disappoint.

:: image via Urban Greenery

Stay Grounded

2010-10-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Via Arch Daily, a project by Materica Studio for a subterranean project that still allows for individual units of private space: “STAY GROUNDED” is a project for a house which won’t steal the ground, won’t bite away another little piece of earth. It’s a proposal for a house lowered into the ground, and with a green roof. "

:: image via Arch Daily

More: "All the square meters used to build the inner spaces of the house are given back to nature in form of buried perimetral walls and green roof and garden. This way the temperature of the house is mantained at a constant level because of the partial burying of it."

:: images via Arch Daily

Container Green Roof

2010-10-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Via the Guardian: "To heighten the profile of green roofs as a wildlife space, [Dusty] Gedge [from Livingroofs.org] has teamed up with John Little of Grassroofcompany.co.uk and Dan Monck and Duncan Kramer – all green-roof campaigners – to design a new rooftop vegetation system that can be grown on top of disused shipping containers. A carefully developed substrate mix, utilising building waste mixed with sedum plants, is custom planted with native wild flowers and plants, along with nesting and bat boxes. The container space can be used for storage or converted into a bike shelter, outdoor classroom or even a bird hide. Two are already in situ, one in London at Barnes Wetland Centre and one in Liverpool. Because the roof is custom planted it can, as Gedge puts it, "meet almost any local biodiversity action plan requirements for habitats and species"

:: image via The Guardian

Cool concept indeed, but not sure what the invention is with this 'system', as pretty much any green roofing technology could be adapted for shipping containers and these are customized - so not very systematic nor modular? Is it the mobility aspect that is laudable, in being able to insert 'habitat modules' where they may be needed... while retaining usable space below? Or is it that we have too many shipping containers and need to find ever more irrelevant uses for them? Either way, as I've spoken with literally dozens of people interested in doing things and greening shipping containers - it seems a great possibility indeed.

Urban Habitat? Oh, you mean People?

2010-10-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

A link in the previous post alerted me to a strangely monikered organization with a very cool focus - integrating urban habitat with tall buildings. From their site: "The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat studies and reports on all aspects of the planning, design, construction and operation of tall buildings. Also of a major concern is the role and impact of tall buildings on the urban environment. Our membership—uniquely interdisciplinary—includes some of the world's top authorities in their specific profession."

A video tells more about CTBUH:

Further investigations led me to understand this trend-setting vegitectural organization has been around since 1969: "Founded in 1969, the Council’s mission is to disseminate multi-disciplinary information on tall buildings and sustainable urban environments, to maximize the international interaction of professionals involved in creating the built environment, and to make the latest knowledge available to professionals in a useful form."

That is, of course, before I realized that by 'urban habitat' they meant people and not ecological systems of flora and fauna. What a strange way of describing city-dwellers - habitat? :) I shall do a bit of digging to see if there is in fact any resources on the literal greening of tall buildings, and will report back with findings.

Vegitecturally Vertical Cemetery

2010-10-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

The sprawling expanses of cemeteries may be a thing of the past - at least as a land use - with ever increasing urban density. While cremation and vertical columbaria offers higher density examples, the idea of vertical cemeteries are an interesting twist. Inhabitat shows off one such example: the Moksha Tower in Mumbai.

:: image via Inhabitat

The project, by Yalin Fu & Ihsuan Lin, is "...a majestic skyscraper would cater to the burial needs of the four major cultures/religions represented in the community (Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Parsi), while freeing up much needed ground space and introducing new areas of greenery into the city to help absorb CO2."

:: images via Inhabitat

Check out more info and pics at the original post.

Resource: Greenroof.tv

2010-10-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

A great series of videos recapping recent green roof info is found at Greenroofs.tv - an offshoot of the always great Greenroofs.com. Specific projects, as well as the 'week in review' will get you up to date on what's happening in green roofs and walls.

So grab some popcorn and check out the array of 20 videos on their YouTube page - you'll find a wealth of information. Also, they are asking for contributions of videos from viewers. Details are found on the site.

New Largest Living Wall

2010-10-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Announcement of the 'largest' of anything seems to come with skepticism - as in don't tell me it's the biggest, tell me it will work - particularly when discussing living walls. From Inhabitat, this project, at the e Longwood Garden’s new East Conservatory Plaza with an impressive 4,000+ s.f.f. of wall surface, was designed by Kim Wilkie using G-Sky vegetated panels.

:: image via Inhabitat

More from the Inhabitat post: "The majority of the astonishing 47,000 plants are ferns, which are embedded in a non-soil growth medium. Remote operated drip line irrigation and an array of sensors maintain the plants to help ensure quality control and longevity of the plants. The wall essentially acts like a filter and lung for the complex. An estimated 15,500 lbs of dust and toxins will be removed from the air each year, and the more visitors, the more CO2 for the plants to metabolize and exchange for O2."

:: image via Inhabitat

A curious quote building on the 'array of sensors' in the previous quote: "...it was designed by GSky to be fully automated so that maintenance is reduced." I'd love to hear more about this 'automation' - is this something significant, or a standard system of moisture sensors and controls? As maintenance is a major issue (particularly in irrigation systems for living walls) such reduction of maintenance. How much is it reduced. If it is significant, this fact may be more impressive than this project being the largest in North America, which is at best a fleeting accomplishment. Lower maintenance is a panacea.

The Vertical Farm

2010-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, Sting is on board - it must be viable. Despommier's The Vertical City is now available, with an oh-so-modest subtitle 'Feeding the World in the 21st Century'. Can't wait to read it - for a sneak peek check out some info on CityFarmer.

:: image via CityFarmer

Floating Orange Tree

2010-09-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Via myurbanist: "Artist/environmental sculptor Ran Morin’s “Floating Orange Tree” in Jaffa, Israel." Looks as if it is emerging from the worlds biggest avocado pit.

:: image via myurbanist

Seed to Plate - Film on Rooftop Ag

2010-09-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

The rooftop food garden in Portland, OR is the topic of this short film, one of the finalists in Amstel Light's One Dam Good Town Contest. A description of the film by Riley Hooper, via the site: "Portland, Oregon--home to bike riding, book reading, flannel wearing, farmer's market shopping, local coffee drinking, forward-thinking, eco-conscious citizens. The folks at Noble Rot are just an example of the many Portlanders who are taking a different approach in order to preserve the beautiful place they call home--their city and also the Earth. This unique edible rooftop garden is sowing seeds of sustainability by reaping the ecological benefits of reclaiming green spaces in urban areas and a harvest of fresh food right where it’s needed."

Seed to Plate: A Garden Story from Riley Hooper on Vimeo.

Vertical Garden Institute

2010-08-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Kaza Hana Green Wall

2010-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

This vegetal explosion, via Inhabitat, is Kaza Hana - a cafe, bar, florist and garden design company in Aoyama, Japan - proving that a space can be an expression of the business within.

:: images via Inhabitat

Hong Kong Boundary Crossing

2010-08-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Continuing the concept of vegitectural crossings, Arch Daily shares work from Architect Adrian Lo for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Boundary Crossing Facilities Competition - part of a multi-modal infrastructure hub connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao in the form of a land bridge.

:: image via Arch Daily © Adrian Lo

The goal of the sweeping forms is: "To Increase the desired green ration, supporting facilities buildings are built to merge with the green land, i.e. the roofs are now part of the landscape, on one hand it creates biotopes and on the other hand it acts as a natural insulation keeping the interior cool and comfortable."

:: images via Arch Daily © Adrian Lo

Pier 62 Carousel Green Roof

2010-08-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

An example of a visible green roof typologies, via Archidose: "The Pier 62 Carousel is by CRSTUDIO, who "grafted a faceted thin shed roof over the carousel, unifying it with the shard-like planting forms that co-inhabit the pier... The enclosure is basically five trusses, columns, and a planted roof. The last is visible from the north and the east, but I wish it was even more overt, like a canted billboard for green roofs."

:: image via Archidose

Phyto Universe

2010-08-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Via Archidose: "Phyto Universe stands out because behind the signage sits a green wall, one designed by the maestro of vegetative walls, Patrick Blanc... Completed in 2006, the third-floor spa was designed by Truisi Suk Design Group. The green wall surrounds the spa-goers, removing them from the hustle bustle of the city below, or as Phyto Universe describes themselves, "a sanctuary nestled in the vibrant epicenter of Manhattan." For those without one hour and $150 to spend, the green wall is best seen at night, when it takes on more prominence."

By Day:

:: image via Archidose

By Night:

:: image via Archidose

Earth House | BCHO Architects

2010-08-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

Via Arch Daily: "Earth House is a house of the sky. It is a house built in honor of Yoon Dong-joo, a Korean poet, who wrote beautiful poems about the sky, the Earth, and the stars.It is a house which focuses on the primal relationship between nature and humans. It is built with careful consideration of constructional efficiency and our somatic senses."

:: images via Arch Daily © Wooseop Hwang

Solar Planter

2010-08-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Via Treehugger: "Designer Kevin Cheng has come up with an idea that could be the envy of any geek gardener, or anyone who loves plants but can't keep a cactus alive. The Solar Planter is a simple window garden box that utilizes the power of the sun to do more than photosynthesize. It creates an entire watering system, collecting water vapor from the air, so that you never have to water your geraniums or kitchen herbs again."

:: image via Treehugger

The Plant Room

2010-07-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the silliest matter-of-fact comments via Grist: "If the Earth's population is going to keep skyrocketing as fast as cities are popping up skyscrapers, I suppose we'll be needing mini-parks that attach to the sides of apartment buildings."

Uh, yeah... it's obviously the next logical iteration of thinking. Population growth, skyscrapers, parasitic parklands... of course. A cool project though from some New Zealand design students.

:: image via The Plant Room

And a video for your viewing pleasure.

Elements of Nature

2010-07-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Based on the post related to prismatic green roofs, a reader (thanks Julia!) alerted me to this cool student project entry in the Australian Design Awards entitled 'Elements of Nature' by Hamit Kuralkan from Monash University that incorporates fractal geometry to provide filtration using plants.

:: image via Australian Design Awards

From the description:

"Elements of Nature is an air purification system designed to work with an indoor plant (ivy). It`s mesh surface allows ivy to grow over itself naturally make every product unique for its user. It is a customizable system that can provide for the needs of specific users. Elements of Nature combines the power of nature with manmade technologies to achieve the best results possible. it is a functional solution that is also environmentally aware. Its water based filtering mechanism avoids use of disposable metal and carbon based filters. Elements of nature is a better way to clean your air"

:: image via Australian Design Awards

Milano Stadt Krone 2030

2010-07-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Studio Shift’s Stadt Krone proposal is one of twelve that offers a conceptual solution for the densification of Milano. The result is striking on the surface, but also comes with some inspiring methodology in terms of blending people with productive agricultural space.

:: image via Arch Daily

Aside from being aesthetically dynamic, the proposal aims to augment food production lands displaced due to urbanization (via Arch Daily):

"As the population increases, the Italian regions responsible for the country’s food production will be met with increasing demands, yet, the amount of arable land will decrease. Studio Shift has created a raised and angled agricultural surface that will provide the necessary farm land, while also allowing the new residential components to slip under this plane."

:: image via Arch Daily

The practicality of proposals of this sort leave more questions than answers, particularly the overall productivity, along with maintenance to be able to 'farm' the surface.

:: image via Arch Daily

A lot of attention has been paid in the proposal, which relies on innovative mechanization for service (via Arch Daily):

"Agricultural wise, this “arable façade” will promote growth for different plant species. Crops that flourish in drier soil conditions are located higher on the façade while those that require more moist conditions are found in the lower region. An integrated mechanical movement system allows workers to traverse the agriculturally laden facade/farm in carts that travel along a network of rails and facilitate the harvesting of crops."

:: image via Arch Daily

Again, time will tell if this is practical, but it's heartening to see more attention paid to some, if not all, of the specific life-cycle elements beyond the visuals.

Prismatic Green Faces

2010-07-28T14:53:00.001-07:00

An idea that has aesthetic merit is the integration of faces along a facade, creating a prismatic representation on the surface through edging or fractal geometry on the building cladding. Building on the inherent difficulties of maintenance for steep and vertical applications, these become more interesting the more integrated in the structure they become.

In it's simplest form, a monolithic . Via Clean Air through Green Roofs this 19,000 m2 roof from Malmo, Sweden is 'broken' by these faces - hopefully to add some interest from the massive size and flat nature of the roof.

:: image via Clean Air through Green Roofs

More dramatic examples (in representation at least) offer a much more building-integrated approach. Inhabitat brings us Magic Mountains: "...meant to resemble the natural skyline of Chongqing, except that they are composed of glass and steel. The peaks will hold the high density centers, while the lower areas will look more like traditional Chinese neighborhoods. The valleys will be open green spaces where the “living machine” – a wastewater treatment and renewable energy generation system – will be housed."

:: images via Inhabitat

A final version via Designboom (and further 'out there') is the proposal for the taipei pop music center by Italian firm mario bellini architects: "...a single body wrapped in a plastic 'mantle plant' . the hill like structure is connected through glass passage ways, allowing guests numerous views of the landscape and standing out as an iconic landmark for the city."

:: images via Designboom

'Central Park' Green Wall

2010-07-28T14:44:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite firms Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis - has come up with one of the most inventive living walls delineating Central Park, for a project for a space houses the offices of the open planning project (topp) – a nonprofit founded by mark gorton, which develops tech tools for mapping and geospacial applications.

:: images via Design*Sponge

Via Design*Sponge: " LTL Architects developed the brilliant idea of a wall that is the street grid of Manhattan with a green wall for Central Park. Parker Interior Plantscapes chose plantings that reflect the landscape of Central Park, with low dense plantings for the meadows and taller tree-like plantings for the wooded areas."

:: images via Design*Sponge

8 Tallet

2010-07-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Via Inhabitat: " 8 Tallet (or 8 House), a progressive apartment complex that is a small neighborhood in itself. The idea is that localizing services for residences — something large, dense cities take for granted — can be incorporated in new developments from the start. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the complex features a gorgeous green roof, is oriented to make the most of available daylight..."

:: images via Inhabitat

I'm struck by the steepness of these vegetated roofs, yet wonder why the other flat roofs don't have green roofs as well. It seems mostly an aesthetic gesture towards to surrounding community, as there isn't really much visual connection between the complex and the green roof.

:: images via Inhabitat

A closer look reveals some sub-surface baffles to hold the soil and plants on the slope, in essence dividing the large spaces into smaller modules. It's definitely extensive sedum coverage as well, which is also bursting red (due to heat/low-water) and patchy in places. Will be interesting to see how this one holds up long-term.

:: images via Inhabitat

Future of Landscape/Architecture?

2010-07-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tom Turner at Gardenvisit posits the question in relation to this very vegetal competition entry from Forrest Fulton Architecture.

:: images via Forrest Fulton Architecture

Via Gardenvisit:

"Should one call this architecture or landscape architecture or neither or both? It is a competition entry for 2010 Competition Entry for International Business Center with an Intercontinental Hotel in Yerevan. The designer explains: ‘Instead of a towering Iconic image, disconnected from historic, horizontal Yerevan, Lace Hill stitches the adjacent city and landscape together to support a holistic, ultra-green lifestyle, somewhere between rural hillside living and dense cultured urbanity’. The images are good but, if I were one of the judges, I would want to see some cross-sections and floor plans before awarding a prize."

:: images via Forrest Fulton Architecture

I'd call it vegitecture...

We're Back!

2010-07-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, by we, ... I mean me... although I'm hoping some fledgling bloggers with a strong interested in vegitecture wants to join me as a contributor or two. And, by back, I mean actively blogging using the Vegitecture banner. After a bit of time off, I realized that I still had a need to post about the latest in vegetated architecture, if only for my own desire to capture what's out there and sort out the wheat from the chaff... or at least the viable from the photoshopped.

:: 'caohejing hi tech park' by massimo roj of progetto CMR - images via Designboom

So there isn't a discreet agenda or ideology - just more of a digital note-taking for collection of imagery related to the vegitectural.

:: 'caohejing hi tech park' by massimo roj of progetto CMR - images via Designboom

Permanent? Hiatus

2010-03-10T01:30:00.000-08:00

Due to a number of factors, Veg.itecture will be on hiatus (perhaps temporarily, perhaps not?) until further notice - as I concentrate on many other projects and the launch of my new firm.

The original point was to fill a void in the coverage of vegetated architecture proposals and projects - which have literally exploded in recent times. The scope is frankly overwhelming in sheer number, scale, quality, conflict, hyperbole, idiocy, brilliance and to pardon the pun - overall growth.

What is needed is a more robust dialogue and commentary on these projects - something that would require a very large amount of time to provide a contribution to the oeuvre - time of which I do not possess.

I will most likely include a post of two in this bent occasionally on Landscape+Urbanism, but rather than make Veg.itecture yet another parade of the latest/greatest items of note without any substantive content, displayed in a cursory fashion (which can be found on countless other blogs) - I thought it prudent to focus attention elsewhere.

Veg.itecture has arrived and will live on. This blog, well... who knows.

Hillside Terraced Green Roofs

2010-03-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

Via Inhabitat: "Austrian architects Tobias Weiss and Gernot Reisenhofer have designed a beautiful series of terraced hillside homes that save energy by blending into their environment. Nestled against the surrounding hills, each green-roofed apartment takes advantage of passive solar design, rainwater recycling, and photovoltaic sunshades."

:: images via Inhabitat

More images and text at Inhabitat: "The community’s terraced layout ensures that each apartment has a beautiful view, complete with a stretch of green space out front that doubles as an insulating green roof for the unit below. The roofs are populated with local plants and feature rainwater recycling systems that help water the plants and provide greywater for use in the apartments. A series of pedestrian walkways winds between these rooftop parks, encouraging the use of sustainable transportation and creating a tightly knit community."

:: images via Inhabitat

Lincoln Center Atrium Green Wall

2010-03-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

The previous post referenced the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts living wall in the David Rubenstein Atrium (by Plant Wall Design along with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects) as an inspiration for exterior applications, so I thought it apt to post a few pics of this interior vertical installation. "The Atrium also features two vertical gardens; a floor-to-ceiling fountain; a media wall with performance information, which also serves as a canvas for video presentations; an art installation by Dutch textile artisan Claudy Jongstra; and 16 “occuli” lighting fixtures that bring natural light and state-of-the-art illumination into the Atrium's interior."

:: image via Lincoln Center

:: imagevia Salvini Architect

:: image via NY Eater

:: image via Inside Urban Green

The Sustainable Neighborhood

2010-03-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Architect Andrea Salvini offers a project in Caserta, Italy called The Sustainable Neighborhood, which features some interesting veg.itectural amenities: "In collaboration with Italian architect Barbara Berni, this mixed-use residential project was conceived as a large-scale, green building development on nearly 12 acres in the province of Caserta in southern Italy.

:: images via Salvini Architect

"The design and site plan, reflecting a direct response to the needs of this tightly knit community in which environmental regulations are becoming increasingly strict, is intended to be sustainable and improve its inhabitants’ comfort and standard of living."

:: image via Salvini Architect

Some info on the inspirations for the exterior green walls: "The vertical gardens follow the example of other architectural applications of this living, green façade, such as French botanist Patrick Blanc’s designs, Jean Nouvel’s Musée du Quai Branly in Paris and the recent indoor application in the Harmony Atrium at Lincoln Center in New York, where its purpose is cited as a “theatrical garden,” featuring 20-foot-high walls of plants and cascades of falling water. Another goal for this project is to integrate and extend the existing greenspace, making sure to give back twofold in green where the built space has been claimed. Contemporary architecture is evolving more and more to minimize its footprint on existing landscapes, where possible. In this sense, even the aforementioned vertical gardens would act as an extension, albeit abstract, to the existing landscape."

:: images via Salvini Architect

Thanks to David Savage of NYC for the heads up on this project!

Veg.itectural Crossings

2010-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

The announcement of a competition for wildlife crossings via The Metropolitan Field Guide coordinated by the ARC sounds pretty fascinating as a sub-genre melding rooftop greening, infrastructure and habitat.

"ARC will engage the best and most innovative international, interdisciplinary design teams—comprised of landscape architects, architects, engineers, ecologists, and other experts—to create the next generation of wildlife crossing structures for North America’s roadways. This competition seeks specifically from its entries, innovation in feasible, buildable context-sensitive and compelling design solutions for safe, efficient, cost-effective, and ecologically responsive wildlife crossings. In doing so, it hopes to raise international awareness of a need to better reconcile the construction and maintenance of road networks with wildlife movement."

:: I-90 Bridge Crossing - image via The Metropolitan Field Guide

This made me think of a number of projects in the files I had saved to discuss the concept of 'Crossings' as a veg.itectural typology. There are plenty of interesting examples that fold greenery atop transportation corridors - somewhat different from the related typology that tucked building program under rooftop space. The idea of over/under vegetated separation isn't new, but has some interesting precedents:

:: image via makdreams

Via urbanism, a proposal in which: "Greenwich Street would be the “spine” of a more accessible neighborhood the Downtown Alliance calls Greenwich South. A vision of the future for an area would include green rooftops meant to be wildlife habitats."

This one reminded me of the never-realized but interesting (in terms of urbanism, if not design) version in Portland for capping the I-405 freeway:

:: image via mindspring

And the newest additions to the local versions of this including the Vancouver Land Bridge by Jones and Jones...

:: image via Jones & Jones

And the recent competition, won by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol + Allied Works for spanning Interstate 5 in Vancouver, Washington (more on this one later). While not the winning entry, the below image from Olin, Mayer/Reed, and Holst offer a better image of the spanning indicative of the project goals connecting west to east.

:: images via OregonLive

More recent examples come from Chicago and Los Angeles. The first by Perkins + Will offer a strategy for bridging over existing roadways in Chicago's downtown core. Via WAN: "This project serves as an example of how bridging over an existing highway can provide areas for new open space in downtown Chicago and serve as an urban catalyst for future growth. A series of inhabitable park bridges link either side of the expressway at mid-block to avoid disruption of existing entry ramps. Functions located within the bridges can provide new public or private facilities and link up with developable parcels on either side of the expressway."

:: images via WAN

Another recent project (via Designboom) that could provide some inspiration for these solutions are focused more on spanning highways for people and park-space in Los Angeles by Paris firm odile decq and benoit cornette architects.

:: images via Designboom

There are many examples of these shown on Vegitecture previously, which amounts to a full-fledged typology of form... sounds like another chapter is in order. The most visible versions of this include the new... the High Line (seen in a before pic here)...

:: image via Urban Greenery

...and the old... Halprin's Freeway Park in Seattle.

:: image via Great Buildings

Plus another subset of recent proposals such as the 'greenwrapped' Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, which aims to reclaim a section of elevated roadway for use as open space green corridors.

:: image via Treehugger

And for a more expansive idea - check out BLDGBLOG's post on 'Bypass Urbanism'.

Lewis Katz Building Green Roof

2010-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

Dubbed 'Snake in the Glass' by World Architecture Network, a great aerial view of this sinuous green roof for the Lewis Katz Building at Penn State by Polshek Partnership Architects.

:: image via WAN

Parkour - Kjellgren Kaminsky Architects

2010-02-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Via designboom: "swedish firm kjellgren kaminsky architecture's 'parkour' is a proposal of a redesign of an old mental hospital in gothenburg. here apartments will be connected by large common areas cutting through the old building and creating social and physical links. the structure and depth of the existing building challenged the architect's to consider the unexpected. could people's needs and requirements for housing quality be maintained and exceeded within the challenging framework? ... then the second part is built up of super-flexible functional zones that grow, shrink, disappear and come back due to daily needs and desires."

:: images via designboom

"By sharing functions and products the otherwise individual resources are saved. the house is fitted with solar cells, solar panels and small wind turbines to harvest renewable energy sources. local food production on the roof reduces needs for transportation and eutrophication. rainwater is collected to be reused for the irrigation of the greenhouses and for flushing toilets."

:: image via designboom

Evergreen La Florida

2010-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

Via Arch Daily: "ROW Studio designed a new luxury apartment complex in a heavily wooded area in southern Mexico City. The buildings are placed around the existing trees and all facades are covered with plants to conceal the structures. This strategy gives the interiors “the sensation of living in the treetops”. Parking and service areas are located below the buildings to maximize the porosity of the soil and to avoid any visual obstruction on the ground level. There is a visual continuous garden, from the entry of the complex to the back of the site, as greenery flows from the ground level, up the facades of the buildings and into the surroundings. The ground level apartments are protected with a “land fold” of bushes for privacy which also screen their private patio. Wooden rooftop decks provide great areas for gatherings, meals, parties or to just simply enjoy garden views."

:: images via Arch Daily

City Hills/Eco-quartier

2010-02-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

A project via World Architecture News by OVA Studio for a competition in Geneva, Switzerland, falls into the typology of creating surface area by folding building program underneath new landscape surfaces: "City Hills, which generates residential hill-like mounds with green roofs and sides, attempting to integrate the design within its natural surroundings... Our hills containing the various activities (residential, school, warehouses, artist workshops) try to soften the idea of a building, blending them in the landscape that you access easily from the streets. Walls become roofs, roofs become gardens...” said Ouahes. “This is the purpose of our work: Create intelligent, emotional and innovative solutions... For people.”

:: images via WAN

Green Cube

2010-02-23T17:55:00.001-08:00

A proposal for the upcoming Ecobuild offers a vegitectural flair to (via Building) "Capita Symonds has unveiled plans for a “living building” at Ecobuild, designed jointly by the group's landplanning division Capita Lovejoy and Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner Patrick Collins. The 10m x 10m x 8m “green cube” structure has been designed to highlight the importance of green infrastructure in the built environment."

:: image via Building

"It is the first time a “living structure” of this scale has been attempted at the show and the first time that the various “living wall” technologies have been combined in a single project. The project will feature more than 50 species of plants, including indigenous and ornamental evergreen perennials, grasses and ferns."

GRiT - Green Roof Info Think-tank

2010-02-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

A new resource for folks in Portland and beyond is the Green Roof Info Think-tank (GRiT) which is a forum for sharing and discussing green roof issues, information, and opportunities in Portland and the Pacific Northwest. The group meets monthly to provide face to face interaction, and also has recently launched an online presence to continue the conversation beyond these once-monthly opportunities.

Started up by an interdisciplinary group of professionals from design, construction, supply and government, the aim is to provide a non-proprietary platform to get together and discuss a range of topics. Participation has been great, with an average of 20 or so folks coming to monthly meetings from a range of companies and groups including public agencies, non-profits, universities, general contractors, roofers, landscape contractors, designers, architects, landscape architects, and a few residential homeowners.

The new group-site is modeled after the successful east-coast version for Capitol Greenroofs, which has over 1250 members and a number of lively and interesting discussions. If you are interesting in participating, or just listening in, come to the next meeting on March 31st (info will be published on the site) or join the site, and the conversations, today!

Herstal City Hall

2010-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Via Arch Daily: "Frédéric Haesevoets, a Belgian architect, recently won a competition for his design of a new city hall for Herstal. The international competition asked participants to design a new city hall to accommodate office spaces for central administration, archives and mixed use areas. .... The geometric form offers a break from the surrounding structures, emphasizing the importance of this communal structure. The faceted facade fuses the natural and the synthetic as sections of greenery are scattered among sections of glass. Inside, bright warm colors greet workers, a drastic change from the typical office color palette."

:: images via Arch Daily

Lakefront Station

2010-02-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

Via Arch Daily, a vibrant proposal for a sinuosly sprawling new transportation linkage in Cleveland by Cerver Design Studio that shows off "... the design of a new transportation hub in Cleveland that will cohesively integrate pedestrians, cyclists, and automobiles. ...the state-of-the-art trains and station facilities, a new park space will float above the rail station to connect Cleveland Convention Center to the Lake Front Station. ”The new hub will re-activate the flow of the entire Lake Front area and create a cohesive link to this dynamic site,” explained the architect."

:: images via Arch Daily

Floating Green 2

2010-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

A new proposal via Dezeen: "Dutch architect Anne Holtrop has collaborated with green technology firm Studio Noach and botanist Patrick Blanc to propose an artificial floating island containing gardens and a spa... The floating gardens / Spa Wellness Amsterdam project would contain baths and treatment rooms on the inside while the outside would be covered with hydroponic greenery."

:: images via Dezeen

As mentioned in the text, the structural armature can be relatively light, as Blancs form of greening using hydroponic techniques (soil-less) that require minimal structural capacity. From Dezeen: "Patrick Blanc who designs his Living Walls all over the world explains: “Do plants really need soil? No, … Earth is no more than a tool. Just water containing minerals and nutrients, along with common daylight and carbon dioxide are necessary for plants to make photosynthesis possible. ”"

:: images via Dezeen

Read and see more at the great full post over at Dezeen.

Green the Void

2010-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

An interesting exhibition had a number of proposals that ventured into the Veg.itectural. Via Archidose, the: "...Contemplating the Void exhibition opening at the Guggenheim Museum. Curators Nancy Spector and David van der Leer asked nearly 200 artists and architects (a roughly 50/50 split between them) to create something that would fill the void in Frank Lloyd Wright's famous rotunda."

:: The Rotunda - image via IgoUgo

As mentioned: "Not surprisingly, a number of contributors envisioned a rotunda filled with trees and/or other vegetation, in some cases a commentary on a dire future and in others an alternative potential for the large skylit space." Check out some of these proposals (all images via Archidose)

[Above L: SeARCH R: Saunders Architecture ]

[Above L: N55 R: Itami Jun Architects]

Another that I thought worth mentioning were the whimsical proposals that enveloped more of the museum interior with a range of solultions. "In the case of the[se] two ...the museum becomes a factory for pull-candy and a water park."

[L: Ball-Nogues Studio R: Work Architecture Company]

Oregon Field Guide - Ecoroofs

2010-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

The recent episode of OPB's Oregon Field Guide features a segment on ecoroofs with a good overview of some of the local drivers and projects, along with the ubiquitous Tom Liptan and his pioneering garage roof. Check out the segment here.

:: screen capture of video via OFG

Also check out a companion blog post from Vince Patton, exploring the math of stormwater management '37 inches = 86 billion gallons' : "Portland gets about 37 inches of rain each year. That adds up to 86 billion gallons of water falling on our heads, grass, driveways, parking lots, roofs and trees. The city’s big headache is that we’ve paved over so much of metropolitan Portland that most of that water is running down into the storm sewers."

Negative/Positive

2010-02-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

An interesting earth-sheltered concept, the Bolton eco-house in the UK, by Make Architects, provides a metaphorical flower-shape: The "...proposed four bedroom, single storey property will be deliberately embedded into a Pennine hillside so as to minimise the impact on the surrounding views. A roof of meadow grasses and flora will flow seamlessly over the property and into the surrounding landscape."

:: images via WAN

Growth Rendering Device

2010-02-14T15:28:00.001-08:00

Love this installation for the Growth Rendering Device by David Bowen: "...a kinetic sculpture that is draws images of a small plant based on its growth patterns. ...the sculpture provides light and food to a small plant being grown hydroponicly inside a vase. as the plant grows, the system reacts by producing rasterized inkjet drawings of it every twenty four hours. each time a drawing is complete the roll of paper moves forward to make room for the next drawing.'" (via Designboom - click for more info and pics)

:: images via Designboom