VIA: Vegitecture in Action: As promised, the inevitable death of posts related to Veg.itecture has spun, in this auspicious 50th post, into a new series that will investigate the dual sides of the concept – the VIA and the VIVA, if you will (explained here in detail). For this inaugural installment of Veg.itecture in Action (VIA) – a look at four distinctly different, yet equally real, projects along with a few ephemeral touches sprinkled on as endnotes.
Olive 8
The Seattle DJC blog had some installation photos of Olive 8, a condominium in Seattle that features a couple of green roofs – one a tray-based system of sedums. From the DJC: “The roof is actually two green roofs so the developer, R.C. Hedreen, can test out which system it likes best. Above the chillers there is a sod-based green roof. On the actual fourth floor ground level, there is a tray-based sedum system. There is a lasting argument between which one of these techniques is better, which I will discuss in a later post at greater detail. For more on this project, or to learn about R.C. Hedreen’s conversion to being a green developer, read the story in the DJC here.”
:: Tray System – images via DJC
:: Sod-based System – images via DJC
Joost Greenhouse
City of Sound featured this interesting project from Melbourne Australia – a temporary structure with some inventive rooftop planters and a unique living wall: “The Greenhouse, by Joost and others, is an opportunistic temporary insertion into a gap in Federation Square, Melbourne. It’s built entirely from recycled and recyclable materials. The exterior is dis-assembled shipping containers and packing crates, filled with straw bale and covered with plants. When I was there, the walls were embedded with strawberry plants and potatoes were planted on top (and used in the potato salad served below), amongst other things.”
:: images via City of Sound
More info about the agricultural aspects: “Particularly interesting to me – as a keen if limited urban gardener – is the building as platform and showcase for urban agriculture. A little more could be done to explain the system at work here – which plants make it into the food; how the waste is turned into compost etc. – and the opportunity for increasingly greening all urban spaces with productive planting.”
:: images via City of Sound
Pacific Garden Mission
This project, found on Jetson Green, offers some images of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago – which had some rooftop interventions. The ratty-looking tray system and rooftop? greenhouses shown below show some of the examples.
:: images via Jetson Green
But they definitely could use a little extra rooftop greening perhaps – looks comfy…
:: image via Jetson Green
Busan Green Room
This brief post from Vulgare highlights the unique ‘Green Room’ – a utility on the outside, green on the inside temporary pavillion installation from Gruppo A12 – for the Busan Biennale 2006.
:: images via Vulgare
et.al.
Getting ephemeral, there’s a few little projects of veg.itectural work that caught the eye in the past few weeks. Both aim at some normal functionality, but fall perhaps a bit short in action. Starting with the ridiculous – Carpark in Taipai – from 3RW Arkitekter – comes courtesy of Vulgare – and gives new meaning to the term parkway:
:: image via Vulgare
And the sublime, a post from Inhabitat of some soft moss used as a bathmat: “This Moss Carpet by Nguyen La Chanh brings the outside indoors in an unconventionally natural way by placing it underfoot. The lush green lawn thrives in humid environments, which makes your bathroom a perfect place to grow.”
:: image via Inhabitat
To the just plain wrong – another billboard greening – this time hawking the wares of Adidas. Thanks to Bill Badrick for pointing this one out – and linking to Toxel.
:: image via Toxel
And for an end to the ephemera, check out this interview with High Line Horticulturalist Melissa Fisher, as she describes the nitty gritty of planting the High Line, the Mod Eco-Deep Haus with green roof, courtesy of Jetson Green, and another simple and silly introduction to green roofs from Portland. Enjoy.