Ever heard about Green Architecture? It is a contemporary type of architecture is created around sustainability and nature. Take a look at all these buildings that look as if they were taken out of a fictional novel! we surely hope they represent the cities of the future.
Green architecture, also known as green building or green design is a type of architecture centralized on sustainability. It’s objective is to create ecologically conscious structures that reduce their harmful impact on the environment. This tendency has been getting popular throughout the years and for the benefit of the planet and our own health; fingers crossed its popularity will keep growing. As a matter of fact, The United States has its own Carbon Leadership Forum centralized on propelling knowledge, collaboration and action to radically reduce the embodied carbon in building materials and construction. While The U.S. Green Building Council “is committed to a sustainable, prosperous future through LEED, the leading program for green buildings and communities worldwide.”
Bosco Verticale (or Vertical Forest in english), are a pair of residential buildings located in Milan, Italy. It is home of 800 trees, in total the 3,000 square meters built is equivalent to 30,000 square meters of woodland and undergrowth. The two towers together create a microclimate that is able to regulate humidity, produce oxygen and absorb CO2 and microparticles
Since 2014, Singapore has a policy that “requires that any greenery lost due to development must be replaced with publicly accessible greenery in equal area within the new building”. Robinson Tower is one of the many examples this policy has opened the doors to.
Not all Green Buildings have literal green on them, some like the Pixel Building have no plants hanging from their walls, but its sustainable orientation is meticulously planned. The Pixel, located in Melbourne is Australia’s first carbon neutral office building, generating all its own power and water on site. According to dB(a))), its architecture group, the building uses “rain collection to meet the demands of the buildings non-potable water requirements. Rainwater is collected on the green roof, passes through a rainwater filtration and osmosis treatment plant and supplies the buildings vacuum toilets, basins and showers. Greywater from these units then passes through reed beds that provide passive greywater treatment.”
Liuzhou forest city, located in the north of China is a planned city designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti with the purpose of fighting climate change. It is expected to absorb about 10,000 tons of CO2 and 57 tons of micro-particles every year, producing about 900 tons of oxygen while being almost completely covered in green.
Last but not least, the Amazon Arlington Headquarters, a project under construction expected to be ready by 2025 is a building expected to run on 100% renewable energy. According to Amazon: “Our new buildings are designed to be LEED Platinum, the highest certification for sustainable development issued by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project also includes an all-electric central heating and cooling system that will run on 100% renewable energy(...) will prioritize areas for collaboration, natural light, and a constant interaction with nature”
Bosco Verticale, Robinson Tower, Pixel Building, Liuzhou forest city and Amazon HQ2 are definitely a reflection of what we surly hope will be the cities of the future. Although we as individuals may not be architects with the power of creating such marvelous ecological buildings, we surely can collaborate by being more conscious with our own carbon footprint. Adding plants to our living, working and leisure spaces is definitely a way to go. Have you ever considered adding a Vertical Garden to your spaces?