In the sci-fi novel “Pollen” by Jeff Noon, a strange
species of plant takes over the city, releasing a dangerous pollen that kills all other life forms. Our final look at “Green architecture” resembles this scenario, but with a far more positive outlook. Currently architects and designers, just like biologists, are experimenting with living forms of architecture, where the materials themselves are ecological and growing.
Club of Pioneers looks at what architects are doing in this emerging field.

It is clear that plants help to reduce air temperatures by absorbing and releasing moisture, as well as insulating surfaces to keep interior spaces warm. This lessens the need for air conditioning and consequently the burning of fossil fuels and carbon emissions. The City Hall of Chicago, (itself one of the greenest cites on the planet due to the high number of L.E.E.D accredited buildings), has a 20,000-sq foot roof garden. Time magazine states that the low-maintenance garden of 20,000 plants is intended to reduce City Hall's air-conditioning and heating costs by as much as $6,000 each year.
Paul Murdoch Architects - COUNCIL DISTRICT 9, NEIGHBORHOOD CITY HALLCalifornian based architect Paul Murdoch works with new energy technologies on the marketplace and keeps an eye on upcoming innovations with fuel cells and ambient energy generation. He explores green materials, especially low toxic and recycled content as well as building orientation and natural light to shape his architectural forms. Murdoch also uses plants in many of his buildings and urban regeneration developments. When asked about the regional considerations when growing roof gardens, Murdoch says “Two main considerations are temperature and rainfall. We try to minimize water use in Southern California so the selection of plant material is based on our Mediterranean climate zone. Plant cultivars are becoming available that are suited to roof garden use and require lighter weight soil mixes. However, higher maintenance is still a consideration for these more specialized soil mixes”.Vertical gardens are more difficult to grow, but a wide selection of plant varieties and colours can be as wonderful to look at as they are for the purification of the surrounding environment.
Patric Blanc has become synonymous for his large scale vertical gardens. Everyone from gardening magazines to hipster blogs have written about his plants that scale walls and provide the perfect green backdrop to any building. “Skyfarming” or high rise agriculture has also been getting publicity as an incentive to begin vertical farming in urban areas. Due to population growth, alternative food production and farming methods are needed if the already hungry global population is to remain fed. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (that's 20% bigger than Brazil ) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practised today. And as the NY magazine reported in a recent article, nearly all the land that can produce food is already being farmed.
Sky Farming design by Chris Jacobs from Vertical Farm
Dr Dickson Despommier of www.verticalfarm.com has been working for more than 10 years on the idea of vertical farming. He proposes that skyscrapers be used for indoor farming. And the benefits he claims are convincing. 150 thirty story buildings could potentially feed the entire city of New York! There would be year round farming without the threat of natural disasters, the recycling of blackwater, using plant waste for biofuels, no need for pesticides or weedkillers. And a totally organic agriculture. This could work both ways with GM plants being contained and no threat of cross contamination.
“I think city planners need to consider food
miles in their overall design of the future city of the world and do everything they can to lessen them”, he says as to why vertical farms should be established. “Local food is best and Vertical farms play right into that ethic.”Dutch architecture firm MVRDV have come up with a design for vertical pigfarms. While it may not be the best solution for vegetarians, it does save on fossil fuels and land that is necessary for breeding. And the slick designs do offer the pigs almost luxury accommodation in comparison to standard pig pens. To many architects, avoiding toxic materials is the most basic of green building. But what about materials that actually give back to the environment? This conversation has been going on with students of Matthias Hollwich in his Econic design course on Club Of Pioneers.
Terreform are a non profit design collaborative that integrates ecological principles in the urban environment. Based in New York, their projects are not just green in colour and composition but bring together necessary and ground breaking approaches to urgent city questions. Architects Michael Sorkin and Mitchell Joachim have joined forces to create futuristic (and unfortunately mostly speculative) buildings that transcend limitations and push architecture to the Max. For Joachim and his Archinode project, one of the startling research initiatives has been into living structures, were the construction materials are plants and organic matter.
When asked about why city planners should be more open to living materials, Joachim replied "Generally speaking city codes have not included regulations or variances for living material usage. Also insurance companies and contractors are in the dark as
to how these materials perform. In fact the whole industry and craft of construction is not familiar with the idea of growing living materials. In short, we need more botanists and less 'Tim Allen' types".

FAB Tree HABThe FAB Tree HAB is made from living and growing trees, which form the shape of the house that is not just livable but edible too. “The tree houses are composed with 100% living nutrients, make effective contributions to the ecosystem and consider the life cycle, from use to disposal. “ The Fab Tree Hab use traditional gardening techniques such as pleaching to bend and shape the trees. Plaited vines are also added to the structure for definition and a cob mix added to the walls. Other green features include composting toilets, gray water and rain water run off collection systems. It does makes sense to use living trees for houses rather then to chopping them down for the same purpose.
Joachim's other work with Archinode is also eye-opening and is focused not just on sustainability but buildings that are as exciting to look at as they are in their make-up.
For the Matscape Plan the home’s outer cell-wall mediates the incoming forces, like solar and wind, and nutrients while releasing waste produced within the system. The grid accepts beneficial natural energy sources while denying the unnecessary.

MATSCAPESo instead of looking at green architecture as a just one part of the solution, buildings are able to become a vital and organic element of the living city.