Can Vertical Forest Splash Save Netherlands Social Housing Cash?

Artist's rendering of a mature vertical forest clinging to Milan's pioneering high rise vision.

There can be little argument that Milan’s pioneering “Vertical Forest” building is a striking feat of architecture1. As a symbol of “green” architecture that might employ extensive climate-saving innovations, it’s hard to beat2.

Whatever its neighbourhood air quality, building shade and other “green” benefits, they will ultimately stand against maintenance costs such as “alpine arborists” who must inevitably rappel down from the roof to maintain the forest. (Window cleaning platforms and mature tree limbs seem an unlikely mix.)

The Netherlands has had a long and successful commitment to social housing. Recently, the City of Amsterdam adopted a framework of climate control to guide its future development3.

In the city of Eindhoven, a new project is betting that not only can social housing be built and rented at low, controlled rents, this challenge can be accomplished with a range of modern energy saving design features as well as a vertical forest. Read more at SMART CITIES WORLD: Eindhoven social housing development integrates a vertical forest

Footnotes

  1. Or rather, it will become one at some time in the future. Built in 2007, twelve years later a 2019 a photo of the building with its young forest trees looks more like gangs of plant-crazy tenants have over-vegetated their balconies — not quite a vertical forest yet!
  2. For more on the pioneering Milan building read more at Stefano Boeri Architetti: Milan Vertical Forest
  3. Try: The Greening of Cities: Social Housing Can Play A Part and Will The Dutch Point A Fire Hose At The Capitalist Flame They Ignited?