Veg.itecture #38

Time again for a compilation of the best Vegetated Architecture floating about in the ether. It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything, so there is a fair amount in the hopper - so onward. One from McDonough + Partners - the Isola Office building in Milan, Italy. The design, via Inhabitat, has a cadre of sustainable features, including: "...aiming for LEED Gold with a variety of sustainable building strategies including solar and geothermal energy, advanced insulation panels, solar shading, and a high-efficiency climate control system."




:: Isola - images via Inhabitat

It's interested to see the Isola project on the M+P website - it's significantly less 'green'... check it out here. This reminds me, it should be time to see some progress on the C2C project, Greenbridge - which I blogged about way back when in post #3. Here's another pic from the M+P site, to refresh your memory. I will follow up to see what's the status, as last x-mas I was quite disappointed to not get a chance to see the design center.


:: Greenbridge - image via Inhabitat

Another similar-scale project via Jetson Green - the 2800 Lincoln building in Chicago: "...has a green roof, large terraces, solar panels, solar thermal hot water heating, and will be powered, in part, by geothermal energy."




:: 2800 Lincoln - images via Jetson Green

And another mid-sized version from Jetson Green - this time the Beleza: "...a LEED Certified, condo/retail project for Denver's River North ("RiNo") neighborhood. Named , a Brazilian Portuguese word for "beauty", this luxurious green community is modeled after the Brazilian city of Curitiba." Not sure how one models a building after Curitiba - so definitely some more digging to do on this one.


:: image via Jetson Green

And some graphic examples from World Architecture News - the 1070 Anderson Avenue project by Magnusson Architecture and Planning which brings sustainable and affordable housing to the Bronx - including: "...numerous green initiatives, including green roofs on the 7th and 8th Floors’ setback, a generous fenestration to maximize daylight within the corridors and building envelope..."




:: images via WAN

Finally, a real example - albeit a bit odd, is the mounded grassy knoll on the Freshwater House - via Coolboom... uh, funky?




:: Freshwater House - images via Coolboom

Similar to the 'Fractal Moistscape'? - via Atelier A+D...


:: image via Atelier A+D

As I mentioned, there are a LOT of example projects in the queue - so more to come soon...

Arbores Laetae

Oh hell yeah, spinning trees!!! Via Archidose, from the Liverpool Biennial: "Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Arbores Laetae playfully reinvents the tradition of the public park. The work transforms a brownfield site, situated on a key route into city centre, into a beautiful wooded space for contemplation."


:: image via Liverpool Biennial

"Consisting of 17 vibrant hornbeam trees formally planted in a grid pattern, at the heart of this landscape three trees will slowly rotate. In place of the familiar movement of shade according to the rotation of the earth around the sun, here shade migrates at an artificial speed, transforming the familiar patterns of the natural world into artificial creations."




:: image via Liverpool Biennial

Also, check out this video via YouTube... I'm not sure the fascination with spinning trees - as they seem pretty animated in their firmly rooted form, but I do like this. This project actually reminds me of an unrealized rooftop project we were doing here in Portland in 2001 with artist Noel Harding... whom I will post about soon. Enjoy.

What I did on my Summer Vacation - Pt.2

Again, I have a lull due to the joy of taking a bit of time off and visiting family... For round two of my summer break, I have recently returned from a trip to North Dakota to visit my dad. Starting in Minot, and traveling a good portion of the state over four days along with my girlfriend - and coming back with some interesting news from the 'land of which you do not speak the name Obama'... :) [all images via Landscape+Urbanism]

I mentioned this previously, but one of my favorite things about the Great Plains that I often miss is the uniterrupted distant horizon, the patterning of agriculture of irrigation and dryland, the rows of shelterbelts and the green bands surrounding potholes and rivers. And, as you can tell - it was wheat harvesting time - which is pretty cool as well.



I posted about North Dakota a bit a few months back, including the fantastic installations from the Safeguard missle defense system that was briefly in operation in Nekoma. I showed some HABS/HAER historical photos that Mr. Trevi at Pruned had posted. Having spent a good portion of my life in North Dakota, I had never seen the installations. Here's a few pics from the trip - kind of a pilgrimmage of sorts.






:: Nekoma Pyramid (Safeguard ABM array)

My father, whom was involved in working with the Nuclear (that's nu-kle-ar GW!) Warhead array throughout NoDak in the height of the Cold War, did know a bunch of interesting facts - but I will refrain from posting any of it - as he'd probably have to kill me :) Kidding... find out a great bit of info from Wikipedia on the Safeguard ABM program of which Nekoma is part. Adjacent to the Nekoma installation was a very significant wind turbine installation from the Langdon Wind Farm.

The wind generating potential of the Plains is signficant, and it was good to see more visible usage of this resource. An old resource was being exploited like never before in the plains, with a TON of new drilling happening all over the state - a product of $140 a barrel oil perhaps...

No trip to NoDak is complete with heading to the badlands and the Teddy Roosevelt National Park... in this case the North Unit. For those unfamiliar with the connection of North Dakota and it's influence on this president, here's a very poignant quote, via the NPS site: "I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." Some photos and highlights.

That is actually topography in the state, a product of ancient weathering, along with being spared the land flattening of the glaciers over 11,000 years ago. One of my favorites above is the picturesque CCC overlook - with the distant Little Missouri river in the background. And the variety of wildlife spotted... including a good sized herd of Bison, a very tame grazing Mule Deer, and a tight grouping of the elusive Bighorn Sheep (which is a new one for me, as I've yet to see them in the park)...

A few more pics in this order - 1) the full on Missouri River widened by the Garrison Dam... I'm fascinated by this idea of the displacement of history, culture and ecology with the flooding of areas due to dam-building. I'm planning a post on the Lake Sakakawea phenomenon soon, so look forward to that.

The wiggly and French-named Souris (Mouse) River that cuts through the northern section of North Dakota - traveling south from Canada and back northward again.

And the more flood prone and manipulated Souris as it flows through Minot's Oak Park - one of the best bird-watching spots as well.

Oddly enough, we had the chance to zoom through the Minneapolis airport during the tail end of the Republican National Convention... the worst of which included people really thinking Sarah Palin is 'neat' as well as being subjected to Rudy Guliani speaking while awaiting a plane back to Portland. You can't really come home again - and sometimes that's a good thing.

Coming from the Center - veering comfortably back to the Left, has never felt so right. :) So stay tuned for some more posts... lots coming soon... and thanks for the comments and dialogue - keep it coming!