High-density housing has long been touted as a solution for preserving green space while allowing cities to expand.
But what if the high-rise itself were the green space? That seems to be the idea behind Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) by Boeri Studio, a project designed to contribute to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without expanding the city’s physical footprint.
According to Greenlaunches, the two residential Vertical Forest towers planned for Milan, Italy, stand 110 and 76 meters (360 and 249 feet) respectively and will be home to more than 900 trees, as well as shrubs and floral plants.
Comprising 10,000 square meters (32,000 square feet) of green area, these “twin towers” will help to produce humidity, absorb greenhouse gases and dust particles, and produce oxygen for the city. The project is currently in the final working plan phase, and will be constructed at a cost of $87.5 million.
All those plants will be irrigated, largely, using the building’s filtered and reused greywater. Additionally, wind power and photovoltaic solar energy systems will help to increase the self-sufficiency of these two towers, while the plants will help to regulate temperatures within the building, reducing demands on the building’s heating and cooling systems.
The plan is for the management and maintenance of the Vertical Forest’s vegetation to be entrusted to an agency with an office housed within the towers that will be open to the public, no doubt serving as a clearing house for information on these iconic green buildings. The developer is Hines Italia.
