Cue the Vivaldi; Carlo Ratti Associati has wild plans for its recently unveiled Garden of the Four Seasons design that will allow visitors to experience all four seasons at once at any point throughout the year.
Commissioned by Citylife, a new neighborhood under development in northwest Milan based on a master plan by Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebeskind, and Arata Isozaki, Garden of the Four Seasons aims to reclaim a closer relationship between urban dwellers and nature’s cycles, according to Carlo Ratti Associati.
The project is based on a concept by Dr. Barbara Römer, founder of the creative consultancy Studio Römer, and makes use of a new system for high-precision climate control. Incoming solar energy is partially collected through photovoltaics and partially distributed among the different seasonal pavilions (each season will be housed in its own pavilion within the overall garden). All of this is accomplished with net-zero energy consumption.
Rendering courtesy Carlo Ratti Associati.
A transparent, responsive EFTE membrane is covered with photovoltaic cells to produce clean energy year-round. A heat exchanger takes the captured solar energy and can heat the summer space or cool the winter area. Heat transfer between the pavilions is also possible and allows each one to achieve the desired intermediate environmental conditions.
The EFTE membrane will house hundreds of vegetable species within the garden. Built-in sensors will open and close the membrane for precise regulation of the enclosed environment. Lighting levels and heat, the two main components of plant growth, are closely monitored and regulated, which will allow the plants’ metamorphosis to follow the different seasonal cycles. Additional sensors will measure the quantity of water, temperature, humidity, and nutrients needed by each vegetable species and relay the information as a series of real-time “tweets” coming from the plants about their status.
Rendering courtesy Carlo Ratti Associati.
Visitors can enter the garden in spring and walk through to winter, observing nature’s transformation along the way. People can dine al fresco during the cold winter months or hold a wedding in the Eternal Spring area.
Rendering courtesy Carlo Ratti Associati.
The Garden of the Four Seasons will cover over 2500 sm.
Related Stories
Green | Nov 29, 2015
Leadership or limbo: Moving to building green’s next level
After interviewing more than 50 AEC firms for our Greenbuild Report in the November issue, I wonder if the sustainability movement has hit a wall in the nonresidential construction sector.
Green | Nov 23, 2015
Top 10 green building products for 2016
A hybrid urinal, ventless dryer, and a chair made of mushroom roots are among the new green products to make BuildingGreen's annual list.
Green | Nov 23, 2015
Green construction doubling every three years
Clients and tenants increasingly value sustainability.
Green | Nov 23, 2015
Copenhagen designer offers assembly kit for a two-story hydroponic urban farm
Founders of Human Habitat believe their Impact Farm could grow up to six tons of produce per year.
Sponsored | Green | Nov 20, 2015
A century-old furniture factory gets a living wall biofilter for better air
During renovations, the team integrated the biofilter into the new HVAC system to provide clean air directly to the offices
Green | Nov 19, 2015
USGBC names 2016 board of directors and advisory council
New governance structure will have two leadership bodies.
BIM and Information Technology | Nov 18, 2015
AIA: Energy modeling key to reaching carbon neutrality in buildings
Energy modeling allows architects to be more ambitious with energy-saving in their design projects.
Green | Nov 18, 2015
Green Seal expands standard for paints, coatings, stains, and finishes
This new edition of GS-11 includes floor coatings, concrete and masonry sealers, and fire resistive coatings, in addition to the paints, primers, anti-corrosive coatings, and reflective coatings previously covered.
Green | Nov 17, 2015
DOE launches new data collaborative to help cities and states boost building efficiency
The SEED Standard will help manage, standardize, share performance data.
Mixed-Use | Nov 16, 2015
Italian architect designs vertical forest with prefab units by BuroHappold
Cantilevered planters will host cedar trees and other plants hundreds of feet above ground.