When the topic turns to urban farming, perhaps you envision one of those conceptual skyscraper farms proposed by the likes of Dickson Despommier, Gordon Graff, or SOA Architects. But urban farming doesn't necessarily need to be done in a skyscraper, as evidenced by a recent article by Thair Shaikh of CNN. Urban gardening isn't new either.
There's a push for density and urbanization and efficient use of space, but all too often a connection to nature is lost in the process. Luzinterruptus, a guerrilla style outfit out of Madrid, recently installed this Packaged Vertical Garden to make a statement about the importance of preserving urban greenery.
The other day, Design Boom reported on this project for the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Designed by NL Architects, the project, called Sozawe — welfare department and work agency — has office spaces, a large interior public space, and 215 parking spaces. Each of the nine office floors includes access to outdoor spaces with trees and a view over the city.
We've seen solar-powered transit shelters, but this eco-friendly transit center with transit stops outfitted with green walls may be a first. With the help of greenscreen green walls, the City of Tempe Transit Center is seeking LEED Platinum certification. The mixed use facility, designed to be 52% more efficient than a traditional building of its kind, went with green walls to provide a buffer from the harsh Arizona sun and heat.
Stormwater design and control is a huge aspect of green building, especially with LEED credits provided for reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site filtration, and reducing pollution from stormwater runoff and eliminating contaminants. We've mentioned a company previously makes recycled content pavers, Vast Pavers, but I thought I would also mention another company that's been making news in the industry, Xeripave. Xeripave makes permeable pavers in various colors that have a flow through rate of up to 1.5 gallons per second per square foot. Watch how the paver works:
Project Profiles
