Milan-based architecture studio Boeri Studio (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca, Giovanni La Varra) have designed an outstanding project that was entitled Bosco Verticale or Vertical Forest. Bosco Verticale is a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory. Bosco Verticale is a model of vertical densification of nature within the city. It is a model that operates correlated to the policies for reforestation and naturalization of the large urban and metropolitan borders (Metrosbosco). Metrobosco and Bosco Verticale are devices for the environmental survival of contemporary European cities. Together they create two modes of building links between nature and city within the territory and within the cities of contemporary Europe.
The first example of a Bosco Verticale composed of two residential towers of 110 and 76 meters height, will be realized in the centre of Milan, on the edge of the Isola neighbourhood, and will host 900 trees (each measuring 3, 6 or 9 m tall) apart from a wide range of shrubs and floral plants.
On flat land, each Bosco Verticale equals, in amount of trees, an area equal to 10.000 sqm of forest. In terms of urban densification the equivalent of an area of single family dwellings of nearly 50.000 sqm.
The Bosco Verticale is a system that optimizes, recuperates and produces energy. The Bosco Verticale aids in the creation of a microclimate and in filtering the dust particles contained in the urban environment. The diversity of the plants and their characteristics produce humidity, absorb CO2 and dust particles, producing oxygen and protect from radiation and acoustic pollution, improving the quality of living spaces and saving energy. Plant irrigation will be produced to great extent through the filtering and reuse of the grey waters produced by the building. Additionally Aeolian and photovoltaic energy systems will contribute, together with the aforementioned microclimate to increase the degree of energetic self sufficiency of the two towers. The management and maintenance of the Bosco Verticale’s vegetation will be centralised and entrusted to an agency with an office counter open to the public.
Project data:
Location: Milano, Italy
Year: 2007 (on going)
Client: Hines Italia
Built area: 40.000 sqm
Budget: 65.000.000,00€
Architectural Design: Boeri Studio (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca, Giovanni La Varra)
Team:
Phase 1 – Urban plan and preliminary design
Frederic de Smet (coordinator), Daniele Barillari, Julien Boitard, Matilde Cassani, Andrea Casetto, Francesca Cesa Bianchi, Inge Lengwenus, Corrado Longa, Eleanna Kotsikou, Matteo Marzi, Emanuela Messina, Andrea Sellanes.
Phase 2 – Final design and working plan
Gianni Bertoldi (coordinator), Alessandro Agosti, Andrea Casetto, Matteo Colognese, Angela Parrozzani, Stefano Onnis.
Consultant for the vegetation project: Emanuela Borio, Laura Gatti
All images are by Boeri Studio
See also:
http://www.barrecaelavarra.it/page/architectures/project/bosco-verticale
http://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/?p=207
Good luck…
The reality is that tenants will shop the trees short in order to not live in dark caves.
Great. It wasn’t enough that we took animals and stuffed them into zoos or our own apartments. Now we do the same to plants. How are they supposed to grow or even survive in such limited soil volume? Surely very few species could. Or maybe Stefano Boeri Architetti have started a botanical genome project, and are working on species of FULL TREES that will grow on the umphteeth floor in planters.
I agree with both comments. These architects have probably never seen a tree or a garden in their life, and certainly never taken care of one. And what happens when a tree dies? I guess the owners saw it, store the wood on their vast terrace, and use it for the fireplace… This project has zero sustainability.
There’s an old scottish word “numpty” which describes a clueless person, one whose sayings or actions tend towards the idiotic.
They should rename this project bosconumpty, in honour of its authors.
As a student of Architecture, I find the design fascinating. One must remember that this is the first of its kind, and, as an experiment in vertical living it will take time to see the results and make the necessary changes, if necessary. Without experimentation we would still be living in ‘dark caves’.
Ambasz did the same almost 25 years ago… without the same emphasis and in a different context (but i should investigate).
Hope for Mr Boeri will works but honestly I doubt the builted one will be fashinating and inspiring as the renders.
On the same time they had to completely distroy a neighbourhood with relate activities in order to help the owner of the land to get wealthier.
Ok is market, but if I was a serious professional and person as he declare to be I would invest more in solving the problems instead of surfing the wave of recession