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
| Oct 2, 2014
11 projects receive Affordable Green Neighborhoods grants from BoA, USGBC
Each of these neighborhood redevelopment projects are notable for their planned affordable housing, compact design, commitment to green building and sites located near transit or other existing amenities.
| Sep 29, 2014
Living Building vs. LEED Platinum: Comparing the first costs and savings
Skanska USA's Steve Clem breaks down the costs and benefits of various ultra-green building standards and practices.
| Sep 29, 2014
Report finds links between office design, health and productivity
A new report from the World Green Building Council finds “overwhelming evidence” to support office design as a significant influencer of the health, wellbeing and productivity of staff.
| Sep 16, 2014
Studies reveal growing demand for LEED-credentialed professionals across building sector
The study showed that demand for the LEED Accredited Professional and LEED Green Associate credentials grew 46 percent over a 12-month period.
| Sep 15, 2014
Sustainability rating systems: Are they doomed?
None of the hundreds of existing green building rating systems is perfect. Some of them are too documentation-heavy. Some increase short-term project cost. Some aren’t rigorous enough or include contentious issues, writes HDR's Michaella Wittmann.
| Sep 8, 2014
First Look: Foster + Partners, Fernando Romero win competition for Mexico City's newest international airport
Designed to be the world’s most sustainable airport, the plan uses a single, compact terminal scheme in lieu of a cluster of buildings, offering shorter walking distances and fewer level changes, and eliminating the need for trains and tunnels.
| Sep 7, 2014
USGBC + American Chemistry Council: Unlikely partners in green building
In this new partnership, LEED will benefit from the materials expertise of ACC and its member companies. We believe this has the potential to be transformational, writes Skanska USA's President and CEO Michael McNally.
| Sep 3, 2014
New designation launched to streamline LEED review process
The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.
| Aug 25, 2014
Glazing plays key role in reinventing stairway design
Within the architectural community, a movement called "active design" seeks to convert barren and unappealing stairwells originally conceived as emergency contingencies into well-designed architectural focal points. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 12, 2014
Vietnam's 'dragonfly in the sky' will be covered in trees, vegetation
Designed by Vietnamese design firm Vo Trong Nghia Architects, the building will be made up of stacked concrete blocks placed slightly askew to create a soft, organic form that the architects say is reminiscent of a dragonfly in the sky.