Green Architecture Takes Big Leap With Milan’s “Vertical Forest”

[petrus4]

http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/71460/green-architects-takes-big-leap-with-milans-vertical-forest/

The world's first vertical forest (trademark?) is rising in Milan. The Bosco Verticale, the project's official title, will be completed later this year, marking a significant step in development of green architecture. The plan consists of two apartment towers festooned with a series of concrete decks, staggered and offset from each other to give the structures their Jenga-like appearance. Once completed, nearly 2.5 acres of "forest" will have been planted in these balconies, helping to absorb dust—a major problem in Milan—and C02, while shading and cooling the residents within.

This is extremely positive.  I'd like to see structures like this built in cities all over the world.  The interesting thing is, that depending on how they are designed, they might even be more efficient at cleaning the environment than trees in conventional growth patterns, due to the higher density.

[ArMaP]

Interesting idea, but I wonder if they thought of all the consequences of having all that vegetation in a concrete building.

[petrus4]

Interesting idea, but I wonder if they thought of all the consequences of having all that vegetation in a concrete building.

What do you mean, Armap?

[ArMaP]

What I mean is that trees, for example, affect the surrounding area.

I have a tree in front of the building where I live (it reaches up to the fourth floor), and when the weather is more humid we can see how the ground under the tree is more humid than the rest and how, even when the sun appears, that area takes longer to dry.

What I am thinking is that a tree, even a small one, will block (somewhat) what is under it from sunlight and rain, but it will also make it harder for that are to dry. My next door neighbour, who worked in a construction company (the company that built the building where I live) once said, about the fact that the building leaned a little to one side in the first years after being built, that concrete buildings take seven years until the concrete is completely dry, so it's natural for them to give way a little while drying. A building covered with vegetation will take much longer to dry.

Also, I think it's natural that the vegetation will grow faster on some sides and slower in other sides of the building, leading to a different weight distribution and uneven drying and humidity distribution.

But I'm not an architect or an engineer, so I may be wrong, and even if I'm not, they probably thought of that.

[petrus4]

http://inhabitat.com/bosco-verticale-the-worlds-first-vertical-forest-nears-completion-in-milan-new-photos/bosco-verticale-marco-garofalo-photo-peri-gmbh-2-2/?extend=1

Some more news on this.  Apparently the project is nearing completion!

[Amaterasu]

What I mean is that trees, for example, affect the surrounding area.

I have a tree in front of the building where I live (it reaches up to the fourth floor), and when the weather is more humid we can see how the ground under the tree is more humid than the rest and how, even when the sun appears, that area takes longer to dry.

What I am thinking is that a tree, even a small one, will block (somewhat) what is under it from sunlight and rain, but it will also make it harder for that are to dry. My next door neighbour, who worked in a construction company (the company that built the building where I live) once said, about the fact that the building leaned a little to one side in the first years after being built, that concrete buildings take seven years until the concrete is completely dry, so it's natural for them to give way a little while drying. A building covered with vegetation will take much longer to dry.

Also, I think it's natural that the vegetation will grow faster on some sides and slower in other sides of the building, leading to a different weight distribution and uneven drying and humidity distribution.

But I'm not an architect or an engineer, so I may be wrong, and even if I'm not, they probably thought of that.

I do know concrete is wetted to facilitate a more rapid/harder hardening...  Not sure how that would affect things...