Not long ago, Stefano Boeri Architetti announced their plans to create the first ‘vertical forest’ in China. The building would be covered in over 3,000 plants and absorb 25 tons of CO2 per year and produce 60 kilograms of oxygen per day. The goal of the project was to help rectify one of China’s biggest problems: air pollution.
The Nanjing Vertical Forest is a start in creating cleaner air for the country, but its small scale means it can only do so much. An entire city of vertical forests, however, may be able to provide the boost in air quality the country needs. Stefano Boeri Architetti’s new vision for China is to create ‘forest cities’ where every building is a vertical forest, covered in greenery and cleaning the air.
The cities would have the appearance of a post-apocalyptic city in the process of being reclaimed by nature. Only, where the streets of a post-apocalyptic wasteland would be empty and the infrastructure a crumbling mess, these forest cities would be bustling hives of activity, just like any other city.
The first of these sustainable mini-cities would be located in Luizhou, a Chinese city of about 1.5 million people, the Guardian reports. Another of these forest cities is being conceived around Shijiazhuang, a city that is consistently among China’s ten most polluted.
Forest City Shijiazhuang would consist of five districts (petals) each hosting 20,000 residents. Each petal would be a mixed-use environment with residential housing, offices, retail spaces, public spaces, and gardens. The growth of Forest City Shijiazhuang would focus on the vertical space, and reduce urban sprawl.
It is estimated that every square meter of a Vertical Forest façade will absorb 0.4 kilograms of CO2 per year, which means the plants housed in the vertical facades of the buildings will absorb about 1,750 kilograms of CO2 per year collectively, and that isn’t even including the plants located in the parks and gardens.
The vegetation on the outside of the buildings will absorb CO2, but will also help with cooling costs. In the summertime the vegetation will reduce the heating of the facades by up to 30 degrees and create a natural difference in the inside and outside temperature of about three degrees, further adding to the sustainability of the city.
While much of the recent data has pointed toward making cities denser in order to make them more sustainable, Boeri thinks these mini-cities of 100,000 people or fewer and constructed of green architecture are a more sustainable solution than huge, densely populated cities of 10 to 20 million people.
Boeri told the Guardian the firm is already working on designing the different buildings for the forest city proposal. The first forest city could even begin construction by the end of this year and be completed by 2020.
Image courtesy of Stefano Boeri Architetti.
Related Stories
| Apr 13, 2011
Southern Illinois park pavilion earns LEED Platinum
Erin’s Pavilion, a welcome and visitors center at the 80-acre Edwin Watts Southwind Park in Springfield, Ill., earned LEED Platinum. The new 16,000-sf facility, a joint project between local firm Walton and Associates Architects and the sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, serves as a community center and special needs education center, and is named for Erin Elzea, who struggled with disabilities during her life.
| Apr 13, 2011
Virginia hospital’s prescription for green construction: LEED Gold
Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Va., is the commonwealth’s first inpatient healthcare facility to earn LEED Gold. The 630,000-sf facility was designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with commissioning consultant SSRCx, both of Nashville.
| Apr 13, 2011
Duke University parking garage driven to LEED certification
People parking their cars inside the new Research Drive garage at Duke University are making history—they’re utilizing the country’s first freestanding LEED-certified parking structure.
| Apr 12, 2011
American Institute of Architects announces Guide for Sustainable Projects
AIA Guide for Sustainable Projects to provide design and construction industries with roadmap for working on sustainable projects.
| Mar 30, 2011
China's low-carbon future city
In 2005, the Chinese government announced its target to reduce energy consumption per GDP unit by 20% by the year 2010. After a multi-billion investment, that target has been reached. The Chinese Climate Protection Program’s goal to increase energy efficiency, develop renewable energies, and promote energy savings while reducing pollutant emissions and strengthening environmental protection is reflected in the “Future City” by SBA Design.
| Mar 30, 2011
As more commercial buildings go green, a few go net-zero
In theory there’s a big pot of money that entrepreneurs with net-zero ambitions can draw from. Each year, more than $600 billion is spent on new construction and renovation of commercial buildings, but adding the technology to commercial buildings—which use 40% of the country’s energy and make up 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions—is a challenge.
| Mar 29, 2011
City's design, transit system can ease gas costs
Some cities in the U.S. are better positioned to deal with rising gas prices than others because of their design and transit systems, according to CEOs for Cities, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to build stronger cities. The key factor: whether residents have to drive everywhere, or have other options.
| Mar 29, 2011
Read up on Amazon.com's new green HQ
Phase IV of Amazon’s new headquarters in Seattle is nearly complete. The company has built 10 of the 11 buildings planned for its new campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood, and is on-track for a 2013 grand opening.
| Mar 22, 2011
China releases new guidelines on renewable energy architecture
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development published a circular on renewable energy architecture, stressing broader reach and improved implementation at all levels of government. Of significance: achieving a renewable energy consumption of 20% by 2020; increasing renewable construction to 2.5 billion square meters by the end of 2015; increasing development of green construction and conservation projects and providing subsidies for green city projects.
| Mar 22, 2011
Cities with the most energy efficient buildings: L.A., Houston, Detroit, Dallas
The United States Environmental Protection Agency released its annual list of the top 10 American cities with the most energy efficient buildings—in this case, commercial buildings that have earned an Energy Star rating signifying they consume 35% less energy and release 35% less carbon dioxide than average buildings—and for the third year running, Los Angeles snagged the No. 1 spot.
