Veg.itecture #46

A double-dose this week, as there are a number of recent impressive projects, and the preponderance of press picking up the terminology on the sub-genre of Veg.itecture. Also, recently, Landscape, The First Specialised Landscape Magazine in the Middle East was kind enough to publish my article, The "Veg.itecture of Ken Yeang". Check out the online version of the magazine here... and jump to pages 60-61 before checking out the rest of the great resource (and thanks to the editor Nada Abdel Khalek for the great opportunity to contribute to the mag!)


:: See It Split, See It Change - image via Tropolism

The roof spaces take a variety of forms - from the typical/accessible flat, such as the Rio de Janeiro Residence by Tamabi Arquitetura in Rio - via Arch Daily.




:: images via Arch Daily

The curvy rooftops of the h2hotel in Healdsburg, California, via Jetson Green.




:: images via Jetson Green

And the middle-ground of the Bondy School by (via Arch Daily) by Atelier Phileas which has 'gabled' green roofs atop overhangs and wrapped around the perimeter of the building.

:: images via Arch Daily

The juxtaposition of wood and rooftop greenery is a powerful combo. Via Arch Daily, the Gleichenberg Thermal Bath by Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor is located in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria. The visible curved roof forms are covered in vegetation...

:: images via Arch Daily

And there are some interesting pockets on the decks that are wrapped around trees, providing multi-level greening without the worry of rooftop loading:

:: images via Arch Daily

A trio of subtle graded rooftops emerged as well. The first, from WAN, is a sustainable Research and Development centre in Istanbul by Erginoglu & Calislar Architects.

:: image via WAN

There seems to be the trend of lawn-covered rooftops. Perhaps this is the simple, low-height ingredient that satisfies the 'greening as a inert simple material' quotient. No questions about maintenance, yet. Another from Arch Daily is from the Los Silos Youth Centre by Lavin Arquitectos.

:: images via Arch Daily

And a final one, tucked into a hillside with a lawn covered form, the ‘finca el retorno’ by g ateliers architecture (via designboom): "...designed as an ecological refuge focused on preserving the surrounding nature. to accommodate this mandate, the roof of the building was imagined as an extension of the ground." Grass...?

:: images via designboom