Yeang, Nakamura, Lim

The reputation of Veg.itect extraordinaire Ken Yeang is undisputed, but it's always nice for a refresher on how far he has been pushing in designing (and getting built) these bioclimatic treasures. Inhabitat has recent coverage of an old favorite - the EDITT tower in Singapore, which is slated for construction. Can't wait to see this one.


:: image via Inhabitat

Via Inhabitat "The verdant skyscraper was designed to increase its location’s bio-diversity and rehabilitate the local ecosystem in Singapore’s ‘zeroculture’ metropolis... Approximately half of the surface area of the EDITT Tower will be wrapped in organic local vegetation, and passive architecture will allow for natural ventilation. Publicly accessible ramps will connect upper floors to the street level lined in shops, restaurants and plant life. The building has also been designed for future adaptability, with many walls and floors that can be moved or removed. In a city known for its downpours, the building will collect rainwater and integrate a grey-water system for both plant irrigation and toilet flushing with an estimated 55% self-sufficiency."






:: images via Inhabitat

A very different scale is found via What We Do Is Secret is an verdant apartment complex in downtown Tokyo - with trees and vegetation woven into the fabric of the building by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP... this is sweet - and I particularly this model.

:: images via What We Do Is Secret

The forms are interesting, specifically with the dusky late-night shots... but the last shot is perhaps my favorite - a simple switcheroo of tree trunk inside - giving a hint of the simplicity amidst the complexity.

:: images via What We Do Is Secret

Finally a recent announcement of a project from CJ Lim (via BDonline): "Lim’s firm Studio 8 Architects won the contest to design the Nan Yui shopping park scheme — his 12th contest in 18 months. The project takes the form of a feng shui-inspired “golden bowl”, and includes offices, retail, apartments, a public park and a five-star hotel."

:: images via BDonline

Check of the comment stream for such treasures as 'it already looks dated before it's even built' and '...'tacky cheesiness'... which indicates some of the thoughts on the reality and practicality of this proposal. Is it dated? I don't think so, as it's not really referencing something. Tacky, perhaps? But it's a vision - and even those specifically unpractical ideas have merit in pushing boundaries.

This is where Ken Yeang shines... not just treating these projects as 'pop art' or academic exercises - but as visionary and practical architecture that definitely pushes boundaries, but is also buildable. Nakamura's project offers a different vision and sensitivity - similar to carving space for 'tree residents' like Hundertwasser... but also realistic. Is there a place for the vision of Lim? Of course - because they are expanding the potential of architecture and landscape in urban areas. Practical...maybe. Buildable... probably not - but evocative and worth talking about. Most definitely.

The images of Ken Yeang a few years back were considered outrageous - now they seem to be leading a new wave. Perhaps the sum of these three projects offers a glimpse into the current and future of Veg.itecture.

Veg.itecture #41

As I mentioned so innocently in the last installment of Veg.itecture, the quantity of projects out there in the world blending landscape and architecture has grown exponentially. This has two impacts... one is continuing to grow my backlog (it's at about 70 projects) and making me question the rapidity and interval at which I post about this projects. So it may be time to again revise the format... so any thoughts would be helpful. One option is to do a more DailyVeg sort of feature (or in reality semi-daily) or a thrice-weekly version... I'll think on-it.

In the interim, a load of new projects. For starters from ArchDaily: "Greenland Street invited Office for Subversive Architecture to develop the first of their annual architecture commissions which will inhabit the roof of The Blade Factory." Here's the cool glowing translucent roof, which is pretty cool - especially alongside a simple vegetated patio terrace.


:: image via Arch Daily

The next is from WAN, a project by RMJM Architects for the Champalimaud Foundation Centre in Lisbon, Portugal which has some blurred interior and exterior spaces: "Building A will house a rainforest garden which can be visited by patients and staff, in addition to diagnostic, treatment and wellness centres; Building B is to encompass an auditorium, exhibition centre and restaurant; while Building C is expected to be an open-air amphitheatre to hold community events and public performances."




:: images via WAN

This cool project/graphic from BDonline - for a project by Sarah Featherstone and Jeremy Young for a small house in Wales.


:: image via BDonline

This is a bit more subtle, from Arch Daily again... pretty non-descript on the outer shell for this Research Facility, but with some interesting rooftop and courtyard paver greening...


:: image via Arch Daily

A recent post from Coolboom linked to a couple of great projects. First, a link to Materialicious and the turf houses of Iceland... the original greening, and probably safer than Icelanding banks... :)


:: image via materialicious

And a lead to Archidose and an amazing designer from Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori. While Archidose rightly points of the standardization of roof greening as 'product' something I've discussed at length - these Fujimori projects: "...whose surfaces hint at the uniqueness of his buildings, what Thomas Daniell describes as "shaggy and bristling, humorous and grotesque, uncanny and vaguely obscene, and at times surreally beautiful." This last can easily be attributed to his handling of vegetation on roof surfaces."






:: images via archidose

A great example of vegetated form-making via WAN - these 'Park Houses' by Ushida Findlay Architects in the UK offers a number of interesting strategies: "Park Houses' design features an undulating green roof linking five individual homes and shared family leisure facilities, subtly integrating them with the surrounding landscape and ecology. ... Strips of indigenous plants, set within furrows in the roof, will flourish to merge the building with the landscape, and attract local flora and fauna to the site."






:: images via WAN

It's interesting to see the range of examples... from the innovative to the simple, which is one of the great adaptations of Veg.itecture - both in application and budget to meet the needs of any project. Some more pragmatic examples... first via Jetson Green - the pregrown vegetation slated for Olive 8, which will be one of the largest green roofs in Seattle when completed in November. It's kind of like a little sedum porn.




:: images via Jetson Green

And on the other coast, a recent tray-based installation via Treehugger for the ConEd building in New York, with a


:: image via Treehugger

And to finish off, a cute little blob of greenery upon some 'favela-like' ephemeral creations, via Treehugger: "Argentinean architects Gustavo Dieguez and Lucas Gilardi took 18 wood boxes that were waste from the Brazilian automobile industry and transformed them into the Plug and Live System: a collection of modules to build transitory habitats and experiment with different ideas of housing." I personally love the GM stencils all over it as well... :)


:: image via Treehugger

And some equally cute 'green roofs' via MoCo Loco: "...works by Nobuhiro Sato of Kyoto-based studio Pull+Push. Sato puts his background in cement modelmaking—and his abiding interest in architecture—to good use in his clever designs, which include sculptural concrete vases, incense pots, and coasters. Our fave: his Mansion planters, incredibly detailed miniature homes complete with little staircases and windows. They’re witty, but also quite poetic, bearing the earmarks of painstaking, even obsessive, handcraftsmanship. A green home for your greenery!"




:: images via MoCo Loco

Mind the GAP

The GAP in this case being the Grand Army Plaza, the forecourt space to the north of Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and one of those woefully inadequate urban spaces that perhaps was grandiose at one time - but due to current pressure has become inaccessible and dangerous.


:: image via Grand Army Plaza Coalition

Or in the words of the Design Trust for Public Space: "Designed in 1867 by Olmsted and Vaux, this magnificent 11-acre plaza is home to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch, the elegant Bailey Fountain, the Greenmarket, and the entrance to Prospect Park. Despite its identity as the historic, cultural and geographic heart of Brooklyn, hazardous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists today impede access to neighborhoods, cultural institutions, and prevent use of the Plaza itself."

The results of the competition are in, and the winning entries are featured below, including the dueling French tied entries for first place... 'Please Wake Me Up' by Guillaume Derrien & Gauthier le Romancer from Paris, France and 'Canopy' by Anne-Sophie Coué, Christian Matteau, Stephane Mauget, and Chrystelle Sanaa from Nantes, France, which also picked up the People's Choice vote. The following materials are from the submissions.

T1. Please Wake Me Up
"Traffic is "squeezed" to the Plaza's spine, allowing the berm areas to reconnect with surrounding residential neighborhoods. A generous, open, urban square bridges the gap between Park and Plaza, and offers a sense of tranquility and expansiveness. A market hall becomes the greenmarket's year-round home."








:: images via Design Trust for Public Space

T1. Canopy
"Canopy" stands for a strategy of spanning different areas and uses with a connective or sheltering roof. Green 'canopies' or roof-decks bridge over Flatbush Avenue, which becomes the main north/south vehicle route, freeing the west side of the Plaza for other uses. Canopy-shaped forms become community gardens at the west berm, and a canopy-shaped pool surrounds Bailey Fountain."









:: images via Design Trust for Public Space

2. Urban Stripes
Vincent Hertenberger, Andras Jambor (Paris) -- "Grand Army Plaza is divided into five east/west 'stripes,' connecting communities on either side of the Plaza. Each stripe has a distinct appearance, plant community, and use. The Plaza's center becomes a large, paved public space, with a pedestrian crosswalk, which repositions the Plaza as Prospect Park's formal entry."








:: images via Design Trust for Public Space

3. A Center for Brooklyn
James Garrison, Brandt Graves, Simon Kristak, Vanessa Moon, Tim Peterson, Sal Tranchina, Aaron Tweedi, Darshin Van Parijs, Elliott White from Garrison Architects; Michael King from Nelson/Nygaard (Brooklyn, New York, USA) -- "A wide center Plaza is created by pushing all traffic to a broad, tree-lined circular boulevard that replaces the berms. The expanded center becomes a platform for a range of community activities, much like Union Square or Bryant Park. An elevated pedestrian promenade circles the Plaza, provides views, and connects the Plaza's many elements."








:: images via Design Trust for Public Space

Also, as an extra bonus, check out the 30 finalist proposals for some additional info as well - on the people's choice voting site (although voting is closed). Contrary to the typical response of competitions, the broad distribution of a number of non-winning schemes allows for some interesting additional viewpoints, not just the winning proposals.