ABSTRACT
The environmental friendly activities have been given utmost importance in every field. Due to the environmental degradation, the new trend of “go green” has been formed among the people. The people are very persistent about sustainability. The architecture and civil engineering are one of the major fields where the sustainability has to be considered on priority basis. Architect Stefano Boeri has been translating his unique idea of sustainability through world’s first vertical forest building, Bosco Verticale. The objective of the present paper is to explore the safety, durability and the sustainability of the architecture. It these factors are studied, the same structure can be followed repetitively in construction. For testing the safety and durability of the building the paper studies the material used while constructing the building; i.e. the structural design of the building. For sustainability the paper test the eco-friendly elements of the building. The paper also focuses on the challenges that are likely to occur in this type of construction. It also tries to find the answer whether such type of construction is safe secure and practical in other parts of the world with geographical, ecological, and climatic diversity. It ends with the rational recommendation given by the interviewers.
Keywords: Bosco Verticale, Structural Design, Eco-friendly, sustainability, Vertical Forest, Passive Design.
The ecological balance of our planet has been seriously disturbed due to the human activities and careless utilization of natural resources. The balance is essential to be maintained if we want to survive our planet. The biodiversity philosophy states the importance of ecosystem. It considers that humanity cannot be survived if animal, bird and plan life is excluded from the planet (Flannery & Smith, 52). Trees are a key element in understanding architecture projects and garden systems (Frearson). Green and eco-friendly approach is always good for our future generation. The awareness of sustainable development has started spreading and almost every sector has been following the sustainable development approach. The architecture and construction sectors are the major two sectors where the importance is given to the green or eco-friendly construction. The eco-friendly approach in construction sector basically is related to the building material and design of the building, its maintenance etc. The architects and civil engineers are finding new ways and new ideas for sustainable green constructions. One of such innovative way of green construction is Passive Design. The example of this kind of architecture is Basco Vertical Design.
The objective of the paper is to collect the factual information about the Vertical forest structure such as durability, sturdiness and sustainability. For the study, the Bosco Verticale Building has been taken for discussion. The present paper has found out some of the benefits of vertical forest architecture and it also tries to study the feasibility of this type of architecture in geographically diverse regions. The research is based on some of the reviews of literature and also the opinions obtained from two architectural and technical persons through interview. The two architects were interviewed.
Figure 1: Bosco Verticale Design Figure 2: Bosco Verticale Layout
Bosco Verticale design buildings are being constructed in Milan, Italy which is the first vertical forest building in the world. As stated by Giocomello (14-15) the resolution of the structural design of the Bosco Verticale is enough to prove that the concept of vertical forest used in the buildings is practical and rational. The structure is entirely made by concrete. Its columns are constructed by using reinforced concrete and the floors are also made by the concrete. In the structural design of these buildings, the important factors need to be considered are the gravity loads of the tree and the soil and the dynamic loads of wind and its impact on the stability and security of the tree. As a result, the dynamic loads are very crucial in structural design process. It is determined through the two tests; scale-model tests and full-scale test (Giocomello 14-15). Moreover, the test should be taken on the real trees. The falling of trees will be very dangerous and it can cause human loss as well. For the protection from such kind of danger, the restraint system, as it provides the following three protections; temporary bind, basic bind and redundant bind. One more important thing is the plant containers. The size varies according to the size; for example, it is 1.10 meters deep, and 1.10 meters wide (Giocomello 14-15). If the container is made for plants and shrubs, it is 0.5 meters’ deep and 0.5 meters wide (Giocomello 14-15). The container has been protected with a bituminous waterproofing membrane. It is also protected against the root penetration (Giocomello 14-15).
The uniqueness of the building lies in concept of equipping each apartment with different kinds of trees, plants and shrubs. For erecting these two towers, along with the civil engineers and architects, a team of horticulturists was also active. The Bosco Verticle is a framework that advances, recovers, and delivers vitality. It is secured in vegetation and the building helps in adjusting microclimate (Akdeniz, 18). The Bosco Verticle or Vertical Forest is a model for urban reforestation that has set the strategy to replenish greenery within contemporary European cities (Pomeroy, 118). The Passive Design type is used to construct these two vertical towers of 110m and 76m height, located in the center of Milan city in Italy. There will be around 900 medium and large trees. The height of the trees is 3, 6, and 9 meters tall. Along with the trees, there will be around 11000 perennial and 5000 shrubs. The concept of Passive Design in architecture is associated with the sustainable approach in constructing the building. The Passive design is defined as the approach to the building design that ensures less consumption of energy (Naresh).
The passive design aims at using the natural resources for completing the minimum requirements of the building. For example natural source, sun is used for energy; the natural wind is used for ventilating. Instead of relying on the mechanical sources the natural resources are used for building functions such as cooling, heating, ventilating and lighting. The passive design according to Taleb (155) is to reduce differences between outdoor and indoor temperatures, improving indoor air quality and making the building better and more comfortable environment to live or to work. The passive design is used for vertical forest construction.
The Vertical Forest is one of the best solutions that can be used as one of the best sustainable approaches to green building. It enhances the biodiversity. A vertical environment of forest is created in this architecture. Due to excessive urbanization the flora and fauna in the major cities has been destroyed. The vertical forest system is very useful to establish the flora and fauna within the crowded cities. It is because these buildings will be the place of shelter for number of insects and birds as well as butterflies.
Figure 3 : Bosco Verticale, Milan, Italy (Proposed Project)
The additional capacity of vertical forest architecture is that it produces and optimizes energy. The building is able to balance the microclimate and it also absorbs CO2 and filters the dust particles, which is the part of urban environment. Fig. 3 shows how the façades of the buildings is made by the plant life. The residents will free as if their house is located somewhere in the forest or a pastoral atmosphere. They can have the feel of countryside life at the heart of the metropolitan area like Milan. Moreover, the existence of plants and green environment protects the building from radiation, sun and heat and acoustic pollution. It helps the building to achieve dramatic energy saving (Ahuja, 225). The Insulation process will be facilitated with this type of architectural model.
Each apartment of the building will be having trees and plants on its balcony. It will perform the major activity of filtering the polluted air coming from the city. The tree apartments will be cozy in summer and winter. In summer the trees will cool down the temperature and in winter the bare trees will help to pass the sunlight through them. Along with insulation purpose, one more requirement that has to be met on priority basis; and that is the source of irrigation. When the trees grow on the land, they absorb the water from the earth. But when these trees are going vertically and they do not have the land base, how they could obtain water for their growth. This concern has also been resolved by the architecture with the help of the horticulturalists. The source of irrigation of the plants and trees is also a major topic of discussion. The building has an excellent facility of irrigation. The plant irrigation will be done by filtering and thus reusing of the water produced by the building. Plus the Aolian and the photovoltaic energy system will help the building to be self sufficient.
While considering the feasibility and practicality of any architecture, it is important to consider the cost effectiveness of the construction. Being the first project in Milan, the question was asked from the architectural and civil engineering circle whether the project will be expensive and ultimately the owner of the apartment will have to pay exorbitant charges for this facility. The Vertical Forest building is not expensive. The total cost of making it is very insignificant. While explaining the project cost and other benefits of Bosco Verticale , Al-Kodmany (147) has stated that the project will boost the bio-diversity and it is without stretching the boundaries of the city. Milan is the second largest city in Italy. Moreover, it is world famous city for many factors. As a result, the city is overcrowded and polluted. It is difficult for the citizens to own a house at the heart of the city. Moreover the people prefer to stay away from the fast and hustle bustle city life. They prefer to live in fresh air and so Al-Kodmany (147) state that the two towers are the ideal house in an affordable price. The people can afford the house as they do not have to give exorbitant amount to stay in a apartment surrounded by greenery. Moreover, Al-Kodmany also informs that the architects of the buildings claim that incorporating such as huge number of trees and plants has added just five percent cost from the total construction cost. It has established the image of “affordable forest skyscraper” (Al-Kodmany, 147). During the interviews, the three interviewers were asked about the cost of the building, they were not sure about the claim of the low cost of building. Plus they feel that the maintenance cost will be higher than the normal building. One of them said that nowhere it has still been mentioned what should be the maintenance cost the apartment owners will have to bear.
The architectural style used for constructing Bosco Vertical Design is unique and innovative. While talking about the beauty of the architecture, the architect Stefano Boeri states that the Cedar trees will be there. Due to the shape and changing color of Cedar trees and plants during season, it would become a landmark in the panorama of the Lake Geneva. He also says it will be “the striking example of a symbiosis of architecture and nature” (Alter). Boeri has been planning to build the same architecture in other cities as well, but it is not yet clear whether it will be possible for him due to Geographical factors. It is necessary to see which trees would be suitable to plant, considering the height and weight of the trees.
The interviewers feel that the Bosco Verticale will certainly prove a blessing to the overcrowded and polluted cities throughout the world. But they have also focused on the weather and climatic changes that need to be considered. There are several cities in the world that are highly populated as well. In such cities, availability of space is the major concern. Due to the density of population, there is an acute shortage of free space. Some examples are Tokyo (Japan), Shanghai (China), Mexico City, Delhi and Mumbai in India etc. Due to population, pollution, the flora and fauna of these cities have been seriously disturbed. In such case, the Vertical Forest will be the ideal option to maintain the healthy environment by alleviating the pollution. But the question is whether this model can be followed in other regions with Geographical diversity. It has not yet been studied or researched whether the style can be popular and widely accepted. There are innumerable geographical, geological social and cultural factors involved in the successful construction of the building. The Geographical factors influence architecture differently according to the region. The construction of the building depends upon the climatic conditions and material available in the region. For example, in North Africa, they used rammed earth which is made with chalk, lime and gravel; while in West Africa, mud is primarily used as a building material. It is because this material is available in the region. Japan is another example. Japan is called as the “Ring of Fire” in the basic of Pacific Ocean. Tsunamis and Earthquakes are the frequent natural phenomena in Japan. Several examples are there when the houses in Japan have been destroyed by the earthquakes and Tsunamis. The country has lost people and the flora and fauna due to these natural calamities. As a result, Japanese are thinking of developing the idea of home levitation system to protect their homes from the earthquakes. Considering these and other several Geographical factors, it is not yet clear whether the Bosco Verticale system will prove effective in such regions. Yet the empirical evidences are not available. The question is if this system is to be practiced in desert area, what changes are required? It is because desert area lacks in flora and fauna. Moreover, the desert area is occupied by sand, which has less holding capacity. As of now, we can say that this system is difficult to be experimented in all major polluted and populated cities of the world.
Bosco Varticale; i.e Vertical Forest is the architectural model and it is the need of the urban areas all over the world. The major cities of the world are suffocating due to the hazardous gases, air pollution, sound position and scarcity of available space. Lot of human activities has degraded the environment. The adverse effects of environmental degradation are faced by the people from big cities. There is no fresh air and peaceful environment. Bosco Verticale is a very ambitious step towards making environment and air fresh and cool. It will certainly help the people to lead a healthy life. Several ambitious sustainable construction projects have been experimented by the architects and civil engineers. Bosco Verticale is one of such ambitious and creative projects. Yet several questions are there about the success and practicality of the project. The first project in Milan has not yet been completed. It is in construction phase. The time ahead will be able to tell us whether Bosco Verticale is the effective way of constructing the building and whether it will be suitable for the skyscrapers. Though, the architect Stefano Boeri has claimed that the structure will be able to carry the vertical load of the building with the weight of plants and trees, it has not yet been proved. After all we can say that the construction of these towers is a pilot project and the success is yet to be proven.
In the era of “go green”, everyone welcomes the products and services which are eco-friendly. Even in the corporate world also, the businessman has to be careful about the environmental factors before starting the business. The people are becoming more and more conscious about the preservation of environment. Vertical forest is no doubt a very innovative concept. It is the effective way to make the construction environmentally secure.
Based on the answers obtained from the interviewers the above report was prepared. The interviewers were not sure about some of the factors. The interviewers were architects and they had been working in the construction line for last 28 years. Both of them have heard about the ambitious project; but they have not yet visited the actual site in Milan. Hence they could not answer confidently to some of the questions such as durability of the architecture, the maintenance of the building and other such factors. When asked them whether it is possible to follow the same project in other cities, they opined that Geographical and geological factors are necessarily being considered. They recommended that the idea seems to be very innovative; hence the respective governments of the countries should locate such countries from their countries and then appoint the team of experts. The team should include civil engineers, Horticulturists, geologists, architect and geography experts. The government should ask them to submit a report whether this project will be ideal for the place they have located. If the architecture meets all the requirements, then only the project should be implemented.
Work Cited
Ahuja, Anil. Integration Of Nature And Technology For Smart Cities. Print.
Akdeniz, Can. Technology Industry Trends Report. Business Economics, 2016. Print.
Al-Kodmany, Kheir. Eco-Towers. Print.
Alter, Lloyd. "Another Vertical Forest Being Built By Stefano Boeri In Lausanne, Switzerland". TreeHugger. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
"Bosco Verticale In Milan Will Be The World's First Vertical Forest". 2012. Inhabitat.Com. http://inhabitat.com/bosco-verticale-in-milan-will-be-the-worlds-first-vertical-forest/_bosco-verticale-3/.
"Bosco Verticale / Boeri Studio". ArchDaily. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Frearson, Amy. "Stefano Boeri's "Vertical Forest" Nears Completion In Milan". Dezeen. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Flannery, John A, and Karen M Smith. Eco-Landscape Design. Print.
Giocomello, Elena. "Bosco Verticale, Milan". CTBUH Journal 1 (2015): 14-15. Print.
"Key Features Of Designing A Home With Passive Design". Level.org.nz. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Naresh,. "Buildings Using Passive Design Strategies For Energy Efficiency - Buildings 2014 - Climate Colab". Climatecolab.org. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Pomeroy, Jason. The Skycourt And Skygarden. Print.
Taleb, Hanan M. "Using Passive Cooling Strategies To Improve Thermal Performance And Reduce Energy Consumption Of Residential Buildings In U.A.E. Buildings". Frontiers of Architectural Research 3.2 (2014): 154-165. Web.
APPENDIX
Which material can make the vertical forest building durable?
How can be the building called as Environmental friendly building?
The vertical plantation idea is very unique according to Siavash Khajavi. And Khajavi thinks that the vertical plantation has made the building environmentally friendly. According to Denali the building can be called environmental friendly building because it is built by considering the sustainable need of our time. Dr. Kashyap discussed the idea of environmental building thoroughly. He said that When you call a particular structure environmentally friendly, in simple language it is the construction that will not cause any harm to the environment and the surrounding. It should not be responsible for spreading any kind of pollution or harm to the environment with its activities.
Have you ever visited the site of Bosco Verticale?
Neither Mr. Khajavi nor Mr. Denali has ever visited to Bosco Verticale site. Mrl Khajavi said that he has visited to the other site but not this site. Mr. Denali said that he had heard a lot about the building during the internship from his professor and mentors. Mr. Anurag Kashyap has visited Bosco Verticale site. He was on Europe tour and he had heard a lot about this two towers. His research students were with him and they wanted to research whether such kind of building is possible in our city. So my entire team of students and Mr. Kashyap went to observe the site.
How can we say that the vertical forest building is the passive design?
According to Khajavi, vertical forest building is a passive design because the design of this kind of building is complimentary to the outside climate and environment. Denali also agreed that the vertical forest towers can certainly be called passive design. According to him, it is a passive design because the passive strategies of aligning the architecture with the surrounding have been followed in the building. Dr. Kashyap added more information about the reason behind calling vertical forest building is a passive design; firstly because it uses the ambient energy source instead of using the mechanical, manmade and outside sources of energy. The passive design strategy is primarily used for cooling, heating and ventilation. These three purposes are solved with the help of natural resources in vertical forest building; hence it is the passive design.
Do you think that the Bosco Verticale pattern can be followed in the major crowded and polluted cities of the world?
Is Basco Verticale proved to be less expensive and little maintenance?
Do you think that the construction will be safe and carry the heavy load in fatal situations such as earthquake or other natural calamities?
Dr. Kashyap guessed fifty fifty percent probability. He said that it depends on the capacity of load bearing of the construction. He insisted that the construction should go through many tests. This is the first project of the world; hence according to him it cannot be predicted the success of this architecture. He gave an example of Titanic Ship accident; when Titanic ship was ready for its first journey in Atlantic, the makers and designers of the ship boasted that it was the ship that could never be sunk. Unfortunately in the very first journey, Titanic sank causing several death and exorbitant loss. Before giving possession of the apartments to their owners, each and every possibility has to be double checked.
Would you like to recommend for implementing Bosco Verticale model in other countries as well?
Denali also reminded that the architect has not yet defined the passive strategies that need to be implemented while constructing the similar in the countries like Japan where the Geographic conditions are not favorable. It is risky to construct it in the regions like Japan. He strongly recommended that the architect of this ambitious project should make it clear about the passive strategies according to the climatic condition and feasibility of the architecture. Dr. Kashyap said that he would certainly recommend but only after proving the ability of the construction. According to Dr. Kashyap only one structure is not enough to prove the ability, durability and other qualities of the structure. Some more structures of the same kind should be constructed, then only we can jump on some concrete solution about the feasibility of the structure.
Then What according to you should be done if the vertical forest design is to be implemented in Geographically diverse regions of the world?
Khajavi focused on the various tests of the construction to evaluate its practicality. Denali stressed on the study of the flora and fauna in the particular region and that report should also be submitted. Dr. Kashyap expressed the need to ensure the success of the building, the government involvement is necessary. He suggested that the government should appoint a committee of experts such as architects, civil engineers, geologists, horticulturists, economists etc. They should be asked to do an extensive research, lab test, field tests and present the research and report. If they feel that the pattern is possible to be tried out in the particular region, they can start with it.
How would you comment on the façade of the buildings?
Khajavi stressed on the beauty of the façade in the existence of the trees and plants. Their reflection has made the building more beautiful and attractive. Denali said that the façade accompanied by the trees and shrubs absorbs CO2 and the dust particles and produce Oxygen. Dr. Kashyap pointed out that the façade accompanied by trees will help to reduce the noise pollution and further they will create a distinct microclimate.
