[Hum]

In Milan, a new kind of skyscraper is under construction. Once complete later this year, the two-building project will be covered in greenery, an effect that gives the buildings their name: Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest.

Yahoo! News spoke with Boeri Studio, the architectural firm behind the buildings' design. Construction on the residential skyscrapers began in 2008 and is set to be complete sometime this year when people can move in. But people aren't the only residents. Also moving in: a heckuva lot of trees, plants, and shrubs.

The two buildings (26 stories and 18 stories) will be quite literally covered in green: 480 big and medium-size trees, 250 small trees, and roughly 11,000 groundcover plants, according to the firm. It's the equivalent of a hectare (almost 2.5 acres) of forest on the sides of the buildings, the firm says.

But the trees and bushes and plants aren't just for show. The designers explain that they will also help to filter out air pollution, a major problem in big cities like Milan. "Vertical Forest helps to build a micro-climate and to filter dust particles which are present in the urban environment," write the designers. "The diversity of the plants helps to create humidity, and absorb CO2 and dust, produces oxygen, protects people and houses from the sun?s rays and from acoustic pollution."

source

[torrentthief]

Wouldn't like to walk near it, you'd have a tree branch fall and spear you like a javelin!

[Astra.Xtreme]

Doesn't look like the trees will have a large enough volume for their root structure. And if the plants are filtering out high amounts of pollution, it's going to be tough to keep them all alive and healthy.

[cacoe]

Wouldn't want to be the lead arborist working on these trees :o

[Solid Knight]

That's going to be a pain to maintain. Nothing like roots busting into your room.

[Phouchg]

I blame Crysis 3.

[cacoe]

That's going to be a pain to maintain. Nothing like roots busting into your room.

Sounds like the plot to some sort of nasty anime porn.

[Solid Knight]

Sounds like the plot to some sort of nasty anime porn.

Meanwhile in Japan...

[Hum]

I like !!! :woot:

[abysal]

This is pretty cool. I'm curious how to logistics of maintaining these play out over the years.

[hid3y0shi]

Finally some good news. I don't know the effective impact on pollution but I appreciate the effort to reduce it even with the skyscrapers.

[Growled]

That just looks plain ridiculous. Plus, it is a major safety hazard.

[jkenn99]

Green roofs have been around for decades; this is just a exaggeration of the same concept. The cost of maintaining a building's weatherproofing is often much lower when you cover it with soil and plants versus exposing it to the sun. It is really just the cost of constructing a building that can support all the additional weight that makes doing this expensive.

[Torolol]

the modern hanging garden.

[Hum]

That just looks plain ridiculous. Plus, it is a major safety hazard.

People have said the same thing about you. :shifty:

[Growled]

People have said the same thing about you. :shifty:

They are probably right too. :D