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China’s first Vertical Forest by Italian architect Stefan Boeri welcomes residents

8 min read

Inspiring People
China’s first Vertical Forest by Italian architect Stefan Boeri welcomes residents
Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net

Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is the first of its kind to open in China, and the architect believes these types of buildings could be especially suitable for the country.

20 images of Easyhome Huanggang — China’s first Vertical Forest

Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex, located in the city of Huanggang in Hubei province, is the very first Chinese Vertical Forest designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti China. It’s a new type of Vertical Forest combining open and closed balconies that interrupt the regularity of the building and create a continuous ever-changing movement underlined by the presence of trees and shrubs. All the plants are able to develop freely in height since the foliage fits perfectly into the façade design. The project integrates 404 trees and will absorb 22 tons per year of CO2 while producing 11 tons per year of oxygen. — StefanoBoeriArchitetti

Located in the city of Huanggang in Hubei province, the Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex covers an area of 4.54 hectares, and has been designed to create a new green complex capable of integrating buildings for residences, hotels and large commercial spaces. Concept images by RAW VISION studio for Stefano Boeri Architetti, via Designboom.
Located in the city of Huanggang in Hubei province, the Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex covers an area of 4.54 hectares, and has been designed to create a new green complex capable of integrating buildings for residences, hotels and large commercial spaces. Concept images by RAW VISION studio for Stefano Boeri Architetti, via Designboom. Source: Designboom.com
The complex, intended to create a completely innovative green space for the city, meets the daily needs of a number of different individuals, including residents and temporary guests, inhabitants and tourists.
The complex, intended to create a completely innovative green space for the city, meets the daily needs of a number of different individuals, including residents and temporary guests, inhabitants and tourists. Source: Designboom.com
The project comprises five towers, two of which are residential and designed as vertical forests capable of providing a new life experience for the surrounding urban and natural area. Concept images by RAW VISION studio for Stefano Boeri Architetti, via Designboom.
The project comprises five towers, two of which are residential and designed as vertical forests capable of providing a new life experience for the surrounding urban and natural area. Concept images by RAW VISION studio for Stefano Boeri Architetti, via Designboom. Source: Designboom.com
The intervention underlines the fourth generation building sector innovation involved which manages to combine the needs of the internal market with traditional residences, to provide advanced technologies and radically change the urban landscape and people’s expectations for a future life in sustainable cities.
The intervention underlines the fourth generation building sector innovation involved which manages to combine the needs of the internal market with traditional residences, to provide advanced technologies and radically change the urban landscape and people’s expectations for a future life in sustainable cities. Source: Designboom
The urban complex is located in an area bounded by three streets and each of the different functional areas is connected to an open public space.
The urban complex is located in an area bounded by three streets and each of the different functional areas is connected to an open public space. Source: Designboom
In order to increase the flexibility of urban traffic, the road system has been increased in a North-South direction, dividing the commercial space on two sides while a further route has been established inside the shopping centre to facilitate the East-West connection.
In order to increase the flexibility of urban traffic, the road system has been increased in a North-South direction, dividing the commercial space on two sides while a further route has been established inside the shopping centre to facilitate the East-West connection. Source: Designboom
The two elements work together to enhance the liveability of the public space and its usability, thereby creating a place full of activities ideal for meeting and social life and surrounded by new buildings so that the whole complex can integrate better with the urban environment.
The two elements work together to enhance the liveability of the public space and its usability, thereby creating a place full of activities ideal for meeting and social life and surrounded by new buildings so that the whole complex can integrate better with the urban environment. Source: Designboom
At the ground floors of the towers, the façades of the commercial sections are largely clad in vertical and modular elements with constant distribution, giving continuous movement to the façade. This design choice creates a visual sense of rhythm over the whole external frontage.
At the ground floors of the towers, the façades of the commercial sections are largely clad in vertical and modular elements with constant distribution, giving continuous movement to the façade. This design choice creates a visual sense of rhythm over the whole external frontage. Source: Designboom
The glazed façade gives the entire complex a more flexible and transparent appearance.
The glazed façade gives the entire complex a more flexible and transparent appearance. Source: Designboom
As an echo to the vertical surfaces that characterize the residential towers of the complex alongside, a large portion of semi-public greenery has been conceived for the business area with the aim of putting the natural environment in a close relationship with both the working spaces and the residential ones.
As an echo to the vertical surfaces that characterize the residential towers of the complex alongside, a large portion of semi-public greenery has been conceived for the business area with the aim of putting the natural environment in a close relationship with both the working spaces and the residential ones. Source: Designboom
The two residential towers are a new type of Vertical Forest: the floors have cantilevered elements that interrupt the regularity of the building and create a continuous ever-changing movement, accentuated by the presence of trees and shrubs selected from local species.
The two residential towers are a new type of Vertical Forest: the floors have cantilevered elements that interrupt the regularity of the building and create a continuous ever-changing movement, accentuated by the presence of trees and shrubs selected from local species. Source: Designboom
The combination of open and closed balconies provides the best solution for adapting to the life experiences of different groups of inhabitants by generating a transition space between nature and the human living environment.
The combination of open and closed balconies provides the best solution for adapting to the life experiences of different groups of inhabitants by generating a transition space between nature and the human living environment. Source: Designboom
The intervention, thus designed, allows an excellent view of the tree-lined façades, enhancing the sensorial experience of the greenery and integrating the plant landscape with the architectural dimension.
The intervention, thus designed, allows an excellent view of the tree-lined façades, enhancing the sensorial experience of the greenery and integrating the plant landscape with the architectural dimension. Source: StefanoBoeriArcitetti.net
The irregular arrangement of the balconies allows the plants to develop freely in height and the foliage to fit perfectly into the façade design.
The irregular arrangement of the balconies allows the plants to develop freely in height and the foliage to fit perfectly into the façade design. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
The inhabitants of the residential towers have the opportunity to experience the urban space from a different perspective while fully enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by nature.
The inhabitants of the residential towers have the opportunity to experience the urban space from a different perspective while fully enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by nature. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
“The Huanggang version is characterised by the presence of openable bow windows with indoor plants that on their cover host a balcony with a pot for large trees,” studio founder Boeri told Dezeen. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
“The design allows an excellent view of the tree-lined facades, enhancing the sensorial experience of the greenery and integrating the plant landscape with the architectural dimension,” Boeri said. “Thus, the inhabitants of the residential towers have the opportunity to experience the urban space from a different perspective while fully enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by nature.” Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
The studio used local tree species for the 404 trees that clad the building, including Ginkgo biloba, Osmanthus fragrans, Acer griseum, Ligustrum lucidum and Chimonanthus praecox.
The studio used local tree species for the 404 trees that clad the building, including Ginkgo biloba, Osmanthus fragrans, Acer griseum, Ligustrum lucidum and Chimonanthus praecox. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is the first vertical forest building to open in China and Boeri thinks these types of buildings could be especially suitable for the country.
Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is the first vertical forest building to open in China and Boeri thinks these types of buildings could be especially suitable for the country. “In China we are experiencing a great interest in greenery and urban forestry these last years, also as a tool for absorbing the fine dust which is one of the main factors of air pollution in cities,” Boeri told Dezeen.. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net
Boeri’s new studio will also shortly open two vertical forest towers in Nanjing, which were first unveiled in 2017.
Boeri’s new studio will also shortly open two vertical forest towers in Nanjing, which were first unveiled in 2017.
“In this country, as well as in Huanggang and Nanjing – where in the next few weeks we will inaugurate two towers of vertical forests to house offices and a hotel– we are designing many different versions of vertical forest, of different heights and nature, in many other cities,” Boeri said. Source: StefanoBoeriArchitetti.net

Check out some of Boeris other vertical forest projects.

  • Milan’s ‘Il Bosco Verticale’—Europe’s first example of a Vertical Forest—turned 6 this year. Learn more.
  • Trudo Toren—a stunning vertical forest in Eindhoven—promotes biodiversity, fights climate change and provides what must be the coolest-looking affordable housing in The Netherlands. Learn more.
  • and Boeri’s ‘Smart Forest City Cancun’ is conceived to be completely food and energy self-sufficient while absorbing more CO2 than it generates. Learn more.

Credits:

Stefano Boeri Architetti China

Founder & Partner：Stefano Boeri 
Partner：Yibo Xu

Principal Architect:
Yibo Xu

Project Director:
Pietro Chiodi

Project Architect：Huang Yitao

Design Team：Yinxin Bao,Siyu Lei，Lei Cui，Jinye Du, Yifan Fei，Zhiyang Huang，Mohamed Hassan Ali Elgendy，Luca Xu，Liu Juan，Cecilia Picello，Sebastiano Cattiodoro，Linhong Jiang，Jialun Yuan，Mohamed Yasser Elsarif

Business manager: Palace Gong

Plantation Consultant: Studio Laura Gatti; Partners – Laura Gatti
Structural Design Consultant ：Luca Buzzoni, ARUP (Italy)
LDI:Central-South Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Wind test:RWDI
Construction: China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co.,Ltd
Landscape construction: Landscape Architecture Corporation of China Co., Ltd.
Visual：LIFANG (Shanghai) Digital Technologies Co., Ltd. ; Shanghai Skyin Visual Arts Co. Ltd

Photography & Video：RAW VISION studio

How vertical forests help fight pollution. We need more vertical forests to help fight pollution and make cities more liveable again. Source: Facebook/BrightVibes
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