Tree-Covered Skyscrapers Aren't Actually That Green

Is this "growing" trend just for show?
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[@TheB1M]

Look as good as Fred with FOREO - foreo.se/0ulk 🙌

[@Chris-pt6hh]

how many times did you die inside filming that segment

[@TomBombadil515]

It'd be hard even with plastic surgery to look as good as Fred, though.

[@brentonjoseph]

Y'all can't be serious.

[@Timeculture]

Ermm 😅

[@ExplodedFrog12]

@@Drag0nMagic let him get his bag, he deserves it

[@Assywalker]

"Is this almost exclusively a shallow trick to make them feel more sustainable?" Yes. We knew the best answer to the question over 100 years ago. Built dense, mixed-use, mid-rise, walkable cities with public transport on rail and some simple parks that fit the local climate.

[@emiliopenayo4738]

​@elfrjzusing the correct plant species, giving easy access and implementing resource efficient installations.

[@daneclark3161]

Which is inhuman.

[@Assywalker]

@Zaydan Alfariz I think the key thing is to optimize them for their function and what citizens want from them. And that includes accepting them as something not natural, but very much a designed part of the city. So you put high priority on things like shade, trash collection, accessibility, benches, toilettes, noise, paths and breaking line of sight. And you put low priority on things like biodiversity, fauna, attractions or fancy layouts. Good city parks provide relieve from the worst aspects of being outside in a city. They spread people out in a quiet place, that is designed to not tell you a "best place to be", the "fastest way to get somewhere" or a "best thing to do". They're non-commercial and boring on purpose. I personally think that it is a really bad idea to have regular festivals, markets or concerts in a park. But a park is the best thing to be next to a place optimized to have regular festivals, markets or concerts on.

[@Assywalker]

@@daneclark3161 Could you elaborate on that?

[@TomBombadil515]

Speaking of picking plant species that fit the local climate, did you know that cool/warm summer grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue, are not native to the U.S.? Grass is extremely hungry when it comes to water consumption and fertilizer for that reason, so picking regional plant species that thrive in partial shade, sun, etc., and require little maintenance would be the best scenario for parks.

[@Kappa-ym2wx]

I think it's because they look cool

[@hiteshadhikari]

Its the stupid FORM OVER FUNCTIONALITY ideology Looks over practicality

[@dark_mode]

Looks ugly

[@Kappa-ym2wx]

​@@hiteshadhikari I can understand your concern of the priorities taken by the architects, but I think that there's no harm in having a little green in the glass and steel jungles

[@hiteshadhikari]

@@Kappa-ym2wx make parks , use building space efficiently and have dedicated green areas. No use of greenwashing things which are harmful then doing more pollution and harm to the environment in the name of maintaining the artificial greenery which is not just harming the structure but is a headache and resources intensive to maintain bud.

[@hiteshadhikari]

@@Kappa-ym2wx i hate glass concrete jungle too but what i hate more is making it worse in name.of environment while making structure and space even more impractical

[@ElusiveTy]

I personally love these new age designs. I believe it uplifts and breaks up the monotonous and often 'drab' feeling design and colour scheme of traditional skyscrapers. It makes a city feel more alive, and with colour.

[@subliminalfalllenangel2108]

Plants produce chemicals that help ease the human body and mind, but the amount they produce varies a lot, depending on how old the plants are, what kind of plants, etc. The city looks more alive, but you don't necessarily feel more alive. Morever, I hypothesize that the chemicals that plants produce when in contact with artificial pollution will exacerbate all kinds of diseases, like an autoimmune reaction the body, when the entire ecosystem thinks that its under threat and starts attacking everything in it. The trees won't be able to survive for long, animals that aren't harmful to humans won't be able to survive. Fruits and vegetables that grow on these trees, once being nutritious and healthy, will mutate and absorb the harmful chemicals and become toxic to animals and humans alike.

[@planefan082]

​​@@subliminalfalllenangel2108 That's usually not how these projects end up. Besides, better the trees absorbing those than us, and most cities are moving towards eliminating local pollution by banning ICE vehicles and using heat pumps almost exclusively for climate control.

[@teo2157]

i really like the utilitarian, sharp modern feel of skyscrapers, but cities need diversity, so why not both

[@undefinederror40404]

Being surrounded by plants is better for the human brain than all those bricks and concrete, natural aspects in our environment are good for putting our brains more at ease :) Like this video points out it's very important to keep sustainability in mind, but I hope that the increase of plants in cities continues because it can improve so much. Such as the reduction of pollution, catering to insects and the mental health of humans.

[@aeji148]

@@subliminalfalllenangel2108 there are already trees in these cities, and that hasn't happened. LA is a really popular place to grow lemon trees, and ppl eat those all the time. In LA - known for smog and bad air.

[@peejay1981]

I used to work in this area about 10 years ago. One of the biggest advantages (at least in Australia where I am) is the amount of sun energy that greenery adsorbs, which has astounding effects on the cooling bills in summer! Maintenance is a big issue - you need actual horticulture people looking after it because everything is so specific and finely tuned. Too much or too little water/nutrients/sunlight will kill the plants. The computer that ran the watering system for a certain building crashed and the irrigation didn't run for some time on a weekend. The cost of replacing all the plants that didn't make it was about $100,000...

[@fadillah6014]

$100.000? Are the plant quite fragile or something to make replacement cost that much?

[@bradevans7935]

@@fadillah6014 A large number of plants all needed at one time, combined with the large range of specialized skills needed to build and maintain the systems required to keep them alive in conditions where they would not normally be able to survive, means that the people involved can pretty-much set their own rates.

[@kongwee1978]

@@fadillah6014 $100.000 can't compare to million dollar save on air-conditioning.

[@fadillah6014]

@@kongwee1978 I'm aware of that, but for plant I quite surprised since I was planting many types tree but never got this expensive

[@lbrni417]

This pretty much nails it. The video doesn't actually address it explicitly but a major benefit is not as much tackling greenhouse gas emissions from cities but rather the problem of urban heat islands in cities, and particularly in urban canyons.

[@TitusAzzurro]

As fewer and fewer people get to experience owning a bit of land ( or a garden) I can see how young families would be looking forward to owning a flat with a couple sqm of greenery. It makes a lot of difference.

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

Lots of people dont want to own land and all the maininence that comes with that. Lots of people are happy with living in flats without trees growing on them.

[@adamcourtenay]

@@skyisreallyhigh3333 then you have tons of choice already

[@XDarkGreyX]

​@@skyisreallyhigh3333 depends on the area and how much of the greenery you want to control.

[@bartandaelus359]

​@@skyisreallyhigh3333 watering a small batch of green is hardly a chore...

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

@@bartandaelus359 One many people dont want.

[@JohannBBravo]

they absorb fine particles emitted by traffic! this is one of the main reasons why i love every single project like this. the air quality significantly improves and in summer it also regulates heat. we need more plant cities and while there is a long way to go to make these systems more refined it is something absolutely worth it!

[@TomBombadil515]

I never even considered this aspect of green construction. Curious, would said fine particles be harmful for these plants to absorb?

[@JohannBBravo]

@@TomBombadil515 i mean i am not an expert on this. a friend of mine told me about it who studies biology. he told me its not harmful for the plant. when they carry a lot of soot off course there would be problems with photosynthesis but normally it rains it off and binds it to the soil. moss should be best suited to do the job but other plants work as well

[@Lord_Horker]

I mean it’s a bandaid for the actual problem, the traffic itself, but it’s a fair point

[@AnymMusic]

@@Lord_Horker that's exactly it. And it'd be nice if we used this as that, a quick band-aid to extend our time to get rid of the true issue. However knowing world leaders, this will be unlikely

[@danielstewart3507]

"the air quality significantly improves and in summer it also regulates heat" That's nonsense. A few bushes cannot significantly improve air quality. Similarly bushes won't regulate heat. The thermal mass of the concrete is so large compared to the tiny bit of shade that these plants cast.

[@michael09602]

I think green architecture is definitely worth the hype. It's not perfect and we have a lot to learn, but the trend as we know it today hasn't been around long enough to overcome it's challenges and people are already hinting of giving up on it. BE PATIENT PEOPLE. These things take time and it will pay off in the long run.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

Right? It feels like the creator of this either wanted Clickbait. Or wanted to shit the idea!

[@stopato5772]

Yes, it is a return to how we have lived before modernisation- living with nature.

[@pearl4dsun27]

​@@gabrielmaroto18you must be really stupid to think that.

[@Naokarma]

@@stopato5772 Absolutely not. While I'm not against the idea of adding greenery in, it's not like this is returning to the ways of old, lol. It's just some plants for decoration, the same way anyone else can have a small garden or some potted plants in their house. It's not "living with nature" to have a tree out your window.

[@Naokarma]

The problem isn't as simple as "we need to figure it out". The problem is that a few plants on the wall of a building does literally nothing from an environmental perspective, and it doesn't help that you need literal tons of concrete just to put them there. It's visually appealing, but other than that, there is no benefit. If we want to actually improve the climate, we should be moving away from cities like these that require cars to get anywhere (and no, having an EV doesn't make it better, it just makes it someone else's problem), and to pull back on the constant pressure for economic growth PURELY for the sake of growth. These buildings are no more environmentally forward than just literally painting the building green and calling it a day, and there's no "figuring it out" that will fix that.

[@Aloha_XERO]

7:01 I’ve experienced this myself recently after living in a condo with an area without trees and moved into an condo in a different area that has a park like terrace deck with lush green grass and trees all around the building for the residents. My unit is only 2 floors above that deck and just seeing the trees below has a huge impact on my ability of managing mental health ❤

[@joe42m13]

It would be better to maintain regular green spaces throughout the city than to just slap trees on buildings. Rooftop gardens might work in some cases, but improving density and transit efficiency should be the primary ways of fighting urban sprawl and deforestation.

[@Chillerll]

Don't see why we can't do both.

[@chazaqiel2319]

@@Chillerll Because priorities. Right now, vertical gardens require an enormous investment in money, time, planning, tech, maintenance and legal issues. They're high-cost, single projects whose benefits don't come close to making up for it. They're the equivalent of slapping a motivational poster in an office instead of changing anything about management. Once cities have become more efficient in terms of transportation and energy usage, then we can definitely start looking at developing vertical gardens. We can start investing in new technologies to make building them or converting regular buildings into them cheaper and easier. This could be the next step to improving our cities. But it needs to be built on a truly sustainable foundation, otherwise it will remain what it is today: good-looking, expensive, unsustainable advertisement.

[@Bionickpunk]

Sadly we are loosing more greenery in cities due to greedy businesses and governments that dont see the profit in parks.

[@sergpie]

​@@chazaqiel2319 This might be true in asphalt jungles like Los Angeles or Mexico City, but Milan is replete with parks and greenery. This was a project undertaken in cohesion with the urban park ("library of trees") that is at the foot of the site. If you visit Milan in late spring or summer, it is chock full of trees and shrubs, outside of its myriad of parks. In the winter, when air is stuck in the valleys, when chimneys smoke and trees shed, the air is atrocious. Rome is another city that is underestimated in media considering the amount of green space that composes the urban area.

[@JoseVasquez-vj3lo]

​@@chazaqiel2319 "sir, we have a 48 lane highway with thousand of cars driving on it, massive miles/km wide parking lots, decaying urban 50 floor buildings around the city and coal burning energy plants. All of this contributing to massive carbon emissions. How can we reduce our carbon emissions?" "Hmm... Have you tried adding TrEeS to it?" "Sir! You're a genius!!"

[@Jonas-vx1mr]

As a wise man once told me about building in Minecraft: *"If something is ugly, hide it with some bushes!"* Great to see architects applying this in the real world. Too bad it's not as simple as putting leaf blocks on stone. The industry will have to learn how to work with the specific needs and characteristics of plants, just as it already does with the properties of building materials. I'm sure this trend will grow and improve in the future, sprucing up the city life.

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

All hail the minecraft building with bushes lord Keralis

[@bubaaaaaaaaa]

@@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369 hell yeah

[@Verchiel_]

Keralis taught us well

[@X_mano]

I definitely don't belong here

[@CloudFizzle]

I'd never thought I'd see a phrase from Keralis on a video like this

[@FFFStudioSH]

The place you show at the end is five minutes walk from my apartment, it is located in Shanghai and it is called One Thousand Trees Mall and is already finished and with the second phase on construction, even more impressive, on the way to be finished. And I can tell you, it looks even better in reality, such a stunning place, as your concerns, I am not sure it is really making a different in terms of environment but I can tell you my mood always gets rise up by this place. I hope this becomes a standard in the future if it is really feasible and sustainable. Very refreshing architecture.

[@septicbro]

As an Italian, I always liked the idea of bosco verticale. However, it is plain to see that the success of it is being used worldwide as a greenwashing solution to get communities to accept more concrete in their concrete jungles we call cities. And that's sad, because what projects like bosco verticale should promote instead is the importance of having green spaces, such as parks and community gardens, within cities, as opposed to more luxury skyscrapers no one can afford to buy or rent.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

I have witnessed almost a dozen smaller corporate projects advertise the concept with plants to get approval. Not a single one ever put plants on the building.

[@janvanhoyk8375]

lol i feel like a vine or ivy of some sort would be the only remotely reasonable option, aside from maybe a green roof here or there

[@debbiehenri345]

@@janvanhoyk8375 You have to be careful with vine plants as some have climbing appendages and growth tips that can sneak into small gaps and cause problems (getting into vents and blocking them) and ivy attaches itself by suckers which can damage softer surfaced stone.

[@richarddecredico6098]

It doesn't work so there is no sense in doing it

[@camposcreations2323]

I do landscaping and I've seen 3 things that could be problems: 1. The roots. Roots will grow into any nook that it can find. This causes problems as it starts to open up small cracks into bigger ones letting in water and compromising insulation. 2. Pests. Greenery attracts bugs and animals. Some are harmless but some could be harmful to humans and pets. Also, if my wife is an indication of the greater female population, bugs inside the house are a huge no-no. 3. The view. Ivy and trees look great from the outside in but sometimes from the inside out, it can block views and make it significantly darker inside the home. I think there are solutions to these problems but I'm not sure tenants or landlords will be willing to do what's necessary to avoid them.

[@thevikingbear2343]

I think the landlords care more about looking like they are eco friendly than actually providing the best thing for their tenants.

[@camposcreations2323]

@The Viking Bear I've had good landlords and bad ones as well. I won't comment on their intentions. But they may not realize the amount of care it entails.

[@zachkalette1951]

Not to mention the winds that blow up and down skyscrapers. Not a very hospitable environment for the plant material often shown in renderings.

[@blixten2928]

Bugs, really, a problem? I live in a small house in the woods and can't say that I'm horribly harassed by bugs (and I'm female). Birds, squirrels, aphids, ladybugs, bees? Ants don't live in trees. But I guess if you define all bugs and animals as "pests" (I know some people who do) this is a problem.

[@reinodeforaminia8322]

​@@blixten2928some ants live in trees, and the earth below trees, also some centipedes and arachnids can live in the tree's planter, I also live in a countryside house and we had problems with some arthropods.

[@martinlutz5446]

The higher the buildings, the more expensive and complicated this becomes. Just have a bunch of midrise buildings with roof gardens (possibly even connected into a park in the sky) and create more space for greenery on the ground. Apart from that, they do look cool (when the reality lives up to the renders) and I do think it will have a positive impact on cities, both with providing shade/cleaner air and improving peoples mental health. An urban forest is just a nicer place to live than a concrete jungle.

[@crackeddoutt]

Imagine an entire city of green buildings. Would be truly amazing to see. I hope it becomes the norm someday

[@NolanFriedline]

We need trees at ground level where the shade can cover hot blacktop and some can produce fruits and nuts, not on the side of a skyscraper where they require acrobatic maintenance and reinforced structures. Its a gimmick... and I LOVE trees!

[@John...44...]

But it's a gimmick with real benefits, so just because it isn't the perfect solution doesn't mean it's bad....

[@tbird81]

@@John...44... It's not bad because it's not perfect. It's bad because it's a stupid, inefficient and impractical idea.

[@John...44...]

@tbird81 what's the alternative? The same building with no trees? I know what I'd prefer

[@tbird81]

@@John...44... The building without trees is better for the environment. You realise what trees are? They're not some sort of sculpture. They're living objects which grow and take resources to care for. They'll eventually grow too big and will be pulled out and dumped (at great environmental expense), and all that carbon liberated into the atmosphere again. The alternative is not building such structures at all. We need fewer people.

[@John...44...]

@tbird81 not building at all and lowering the population is not an option at all so that's irrelevant. You can plant plants that don't need to be pulled out after so many years. Yes there is additional CO2 cost from the added concrete but it is marginal over the whole building and it is worth it, in my opinion, for the quality of life and local environmental benefits it gives

[@sciamachy9838]

Proud of my city (Milan) for the green changes it’s making… even though it isn’t going completely in the right way (as the city should create more public transport for moving from the hinterland to the hinterland). Hoping 2026 olympics will have a similar effect to the 2015 expo

[@Diddy1970AD]

What do you think of the Bosco Verticale? I was in Milan myself a few weeks ago and found myself at the foot of this building making my way back to Garibaldi station. I thought those three high rises looked fantastic with the tree's and shrubs on each balcony. I went for the football but got a chance to spend a day sightseeing in Milan, really enjoyed it great city, hopefully will be back again for longer sometime in the future!

[@sciamachy9838]

@@Diddy1970AD honestly I love it: it may not be a real change for the air quality of the city but it looks fantastic and it's a good way to keep the city a bit cooler during Summer.

[@gabrielandradeferraz386]

@Michele Crippa lol they should get some shrubs meant to grow on cliffs, they are not as pretty but are certainly tougher.

[@cioccolateriaveneziana]

Good to hear from someone who is actually from Milan. I only know Bosco verticale from short visits but to me, it's just a joke. Two tiny "high rises" with some plants. Nothing new - the Alterlaa complex in Vienna used the same principle in the 1970's. The difference is - Alterlaa was a holistic urban project, not just a catchy design. To this day, it's one of the favourite residential areas of the Viennese. What other green changes Milan makes - I can't tell because I can't see anything. Whether the Olympics will have any effect, it's doubtful. Let's have a look at Turin.

[@Diddy1970AD]

@@sciamachy9838 Thanks for the reply, yes I agree it really did look great 🙂

[@MetamorphoseostouXR]

I've been walking past the Bosco Verticale twice a day for years. It's really beautiful and not only does the green not suffer but it even gets more and more beautiful as time goes by. Its secret? A typical apartment purchase price is approximately $10 million and mandatory maintenance fees for each apartment are $50,000 per year just for the flying gardeners. Only very famous multimillionaires live in the two buildings (top-level sportsmen, fashion designers, finance tycoons, heiresses and so on). I don't think a similar building can accomodate "ordinary" citizens, even if they're rich. It's been created for a selected group of *extremely* rich people from all over the world.

[@user-wg3sz9fr2z]

"[T]the flying gardeners" 😅 That sounds like it could be a tv show. I'd watch esp if it was about the gardeners of the Bosco Verticale.

[@MetamorphoseostouXR]

@@user-wg3sz9fr2z It's indeed quite a show. The gardeners are not actually flying. They're harnessed and lowered from above, so that they can take care of the trees without ever having access to the individual properties. Obviously, it's extremely expensive.

[@rachelcookie321]

Even if the trees are expensive and don’t help the environment much, I think including them in new buildings is important. A little bit of greenery can go a long way for someone’s mental health. I couldn’t help but find all the photos shown in this video as relaxing spaces. In a concrete jungle anywhere you can get some greenery is really important.

[@Freaky0Nina]

Trees or not, I think balconies with some opportunity for apartment dwellers to have some greenery helps a ton. I have a tiny balcony, sadly towards the north east side, but i did manage to grow a tomato plant, had the first tomato yesterday. And also some herbs, which do more or less okayish. Having the opportunity to stand outside for even just a minute and look at my plants does make a difference to my mental health. Before this, I lived in a one room apartment in the attics, no balcony, no access to any sort of provate outside area, it does take a toll when you can't just go outside for a few seconds, especially when we were in lockdown.

[@kento7899]

I like having plants around me. I'm under no illusions about the resources it takes to keep them healthy and happy but it makes me feel good to do it, so I'll do it.

[@freetolook3727]

It's counterintuitive as tree roots will find the least little crack in roofs and exploit it, causing leaks and once the roof goes, so goes the building.

[@Kun..07]

There are ways to counter that. 😬

[@AlRoderick]

It's wild that none of these people can ever remember that trees are symmetrical, you can't just plant one in a flat floor, they generally need as much space for roots as they do for branches.

[@dedasdude]

ok. how many buildings have you designed and created out of concrete? hmmmm?

[@dedasdude]

@@AlRoderick depends on the tree.... some trees' roots can be confined to smaller spaces. infact that also limits how big the tree gets.

[@Kun..07]

@@dedasdude some architects & developers chose bonsai trees as well

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

I think this concept works in Singapore especially when there's a lot of incentive to maintain the Garden City image. The island is very warm and benefits from more greenery, especially when land is scarce, so any surface that can be used to grow plants is valuable and utilised. Singapore also rains for almost 200 days a year so plants get a good amount of water.

[@gregoryferraro7379]

I came up with ideas to cover buildings in trees and gardens when I was a kid and took that with me to architecture school in 2003. My teachers laughed at me. I was ridiculed. I did not pursue architecture as a career after school. When Bosco Verticale came out, I was strangely both angry and vindicated.

[@dennismitchell5276]

My architect teachers did a good job of convincing me creativity was not appreciated. I wanted to do passive solar and the whole field collapsed after Regan. Saved me from building chain stores and McDonald's.....

[@lynth]

Your teacher sounds ignorant. The idea that those towers in Milan started the trend is by itself already completely ridiculous. People have been doing this for decades. Many such projects were popping up in the 2000s and 2010s. Including major, much more internationally renown projects like the Parkroyal Collection Pickering in Singapore that was opened a year before these towers in Milan. It isn't a new trend, it's been a goal of designers for a long time to make buildings incorporate more greenery, it's just difficult/cost prohibitive. Singapore in general really kicked off this trend of having more buildings turn green and really kicked things of with the Gardens by completing the South Garden by the Bay Supertree project in 2012 that was supposed to make green spaces a central aspect of the city. The Singapore Tree House was also already completed long before that in 2009. Before these Milan towers, Singapore was leading in this when it comes to number and scale of projects. It feels like those towers in Milan are really just well-marketed and that award shows have a strict European bias while nobody in the West cares about what Asian people do. Although there are others in Europe, too, like the Musée du Quai Branly that opened in 2006 or the CaixaForum in Madrid that opened in 2008. It's weird that these towers in Milan are considered important.

[@Bettersucksaul]

@@lynth Yea I have Popular Science magazines depicting "future architect projects" from the early 2000s that showed green buildings like this.

[@thomgizziz]

@@dennismitchell5276 What is a Regan?

[@thomgizziz]

@@lynth Well the thing with stories are, they are usually not the whole truth and are made to make the person look better or feel better about something they screwed up... even more-so on the internet.

[@carlomontecarlo7881]

As you said, Bosco Verticale in Milan is hyper-nice, but the people who live there belong to the upper classes (Milan is home to tens of thousands of millionaires and the residents living in that postal code have an average income that exceeds 200'000 euros/year, although it isn't the wealthiest part of Milan, according to Corriere della Sera - Italy's most popular newspaper). The maintenance costs amount to tens of thousands of euros / year, so it isn't a building scheme that is accessible to the average person in Milan.

[@adamcheklat7387]

I think that architecture should be designed to reflect it’s surroundings and not be a humongous glass box stretching to the sky. What say you, Fred?

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

I think we have never needed skyscrapers of any kind since they are completely unsustainable.

[@ip5799]

@@skyisreallyhigh3333well, building vertically means we don’t have to build out to the countryside

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

@@ip5799 Weird how many European cities are dense and have no skyscrapers... Dense doesnt mean you need super tall buildings. Super tall buildings are also massively inefficient. Do you know how much space is needed for all those elevator shafts? Do you know how much energy is needed to move all those elevators up and down those heights? We need good solid mid-rise buildings with walkability and the removal of highways from cities.

[@BlazerManiacNumber96]

@@skyisreallyhigh3333mid rise buildings are so lame though

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

​@@BlazerManiacNumber96 Your OPINION is literally just that. No one cares.

[@clairemckinley691]

I go to university across the road from One Central Park in Sydney, another green building you briefly mentioned. I study environmental science and one of my professors was heavily involved in its planning as a part of his research in reducing air pollution in cities.

[@introtwerp]

Oh you goto UTS too?

[@brydie191]

I LOVE this building, always stare at it when im in Syd. It is so green! Also my partner's dad had a part in this building going up, which is pretty cool.

[@crBudgetWatches]

Thank you for giving visibility to Milan’s Bosco verticale. We need this type of architecture more in every city it is a great contribution to break away of the common design.

[@Donny427]

Fascinating topic. You get all the aesthetic, psychological and environmental benefits of a forest, with the practicality of living in buildings and cities as so many of us do. Let's all start by at least getting plants for our homes!

[@planefan082]

You can already do that, though. Moving into towers leaves a ton of space leftover for parks and nature! But I love these sorts of buildings anyways. I will never complain about more greenery

[@990Jovan]

From now on I'm only going to watch paid promos if Fred is advertising them. 😀

[@2nd3rd1st]

Will be funny to watch him suck at playing Raid: Shadow Legends 😆

[@lonestarr1490]

He already did his share of Hello Fresh cocking, didn't he?

[@2nd3rd1st]

@@lonestarr1490 Yeah but he got sore from all the cocking and quit

[@szymonmiosz8551]

I like the way you evolved, Mr. B1M. You went from 'buildings are cool😁' to 'buildings are cool, but at what cost😩'. Truly a inspiring journey

[@jamesgilbart2672]

Interesting. I saw those 'greened' blocks in Milan and was amazed - they certainly look good. I imagine that only evergreen species can be chosen since deciduous trees would rain down leaves in autumn and the green effect would be absent over winter!

[@bluefox5331]

If you google it you can clearly see there's many deciduous plants. Winter will be winter and nothing will change that. I imagine what was on the scientists' minds was what plants will grow good in such odd conditions first, not if it will not change at all throught the year. Hopefully these are native too seeing how easily they could spread seeds from that height.

[@stefanodadamo6809]

Well, the Bosco Verticale here in Milan is still going strong. Looks like a successful project, greenwashed or not.

[@cioccolateriaveneziana]

It's just two buildings, hardly a "forest". And just next to it (you can see at 0:47) a large area that is only covered with grass, almost no trees, because it's a platform built over something, not real plot of land. So you have two tiny buildings pretending that it's something revolutionary, and then you have a square kilometer wasted on nothing.

[@user-wg3sz9fr2z]

​@@cioccolateriavenezianaAnd apparently those two buildings are only affordable to multi-millionaires. So, kind a disappointed.

[@freetolook3727]

The city of Detroit pioneered this concept decades ago! 😂😂😂

[@xcaiusto]

It wasn't mentioned in the video, as it isn't a skyscraper, but another Italian tree-covered project is the "25 Verde" apartment complex in Turin, it has over 150 trees which includes even fruit trees in some of the balconies.

[@kentslocum]

As a custodian, I dread indoor plants because of the bugs, dirt, mold, dead leaves, and stale water that often come with them. Much better to simply plant shady trees outside the windows.

[@jayebard4120]

I think my biggest concern about these buildings with integrated greenery is the future maintenance. Five years out, sure. Ten years, maybe. But twenty? Forty? For the full design lifespan of the building? Obviously that's a concern with all buildings, but since these need such specialist upkeep you have to wonder what happens thirty years down the line when an investment corp is looking to cut expenses :/

[@chrisjlee2013]

Dude since Ai is taking over jobs, might as well create a new career which would be greenery maintenances on buildings. Maybe human beings can focus on creating a greener earth and earn money doing it

[@Feathertail2205]

​@@chrisjlee2013I like your positive mindset

[@SaltyGround]

​@@chrisjlee2013shit I'd be 100% down for that, I work as a gardener and florist.

[@chrisjlee2013]

@@SaltyGround does that job pay good? Sounds really chill lol

[@SaltyGround]

@@chrisjlee2013 Make sure to get a position as a gardener or a florist, those are knowledge and skill based jobs, they do pay decently. In Canada gardeners are 25-30 per hour, florist are around 20-25. Working cash at a garden store is a good entry into the work.

[@ncubesays]

Came here for construction, stayed for the instant face lift

[@TheB1M]

Haha, you're welcome!

[@b_uppy]

The experience of beautiful greenspace relieves stress and can reduce infrastructure-, utility-costs; ground subsidence; air and water pollution; increase beauty and walkability, etc. They also reduce the wind tunnel effects; heat island effects and reduce strain on storm drain systems. These green buildings are more practical if Roman concrete (saltwater is incorporated) is used and we start building for durability.

[@canadianbird1185]

there's one building that exist similarly to that. And all I hear from them is the constant: - Mosquito swarm issues. - Bug infestation problems, especially ants. - bogged and clogged shedding of plants. - Mold growth on areas constantly covered by plants.

[@TheB1M]

Hope you enjoyed us BRANCHING out with this topic🌳

[@bababababababa6124]

Okay dad 😂

[@TheB1M]

We're here all day

[@0verPar]

I'm glad you could get to the root of the issue.

[@katherandefy]

I see what you did there.

[@brunor832]

Take my like and leave.

[@MrNeilandio]

I think a lot of new building designs feel dead and sterile and people like to see plants in buildings to bring back that feeling of warmth and coziness that people want in their homes.

[@laurentsmits]

Trudo tower in Eindhoven (NL) is another great example and the funny thing is that it only includes apartments for social housing (lowest incomes in NL).

[@GK-up6xz]

Its interesting to note that large plants and even trees in Milanese apartments and penthouses has a long history in the cities interior design aesthetic. Perhaps this history makes these buildings more authentic to the city. Gives them roots 🙂

[@CardplayerLifestyle]

Dude, you are a master! I've been a subscriber and fan for a long time but the script here and integration of the sponsor was absolutely brilliant; just perfect. Bravo, and more power to you, Fred. Hope you can keep, ahem, building your audience!

[@davecanada4091]

He is jacked. Could on the rugby 7’s with that bod.

[@Danji_Coppersmoke]

Yes.. no interest on the product but totally digging the ads though...🤣🤣🤣🤣 Beauty product.. totally unexpected.... but pretty good ads ...

[@l-y-d-s]

As an architect it’s mostly greenwashing, the reality is that for the luxury buildings where the developer is willing to pay for the landscaping consultant, the engineer for the irrigation system, the extra waterproofing, the greater complexity involved in the design phase etc. it makes a marketable difference, but for most cases the costs are a little too steep and that’s unfortunate but as far as a design element you need significant rooftop or balcony space. It makes sense for large office buildings, hotels & luxury apartment buildings which would already have those things. Plants on the facade via a secondary building skin are even more complex and expensive to incorporate without standardized systems. Secondary building skins are rare even without plants but they deserve their own video.

[@zetkinoko]

Acros Fukuoka in Japan is a great example of this. On 14 floors but it literally has a forest on its side

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

I lived in a newer (reclaimed land) area of Incheon during my first two teaching stints in Korea. All of the larger apartment complexes had small greenbelts between the structures and the sidewalks, typically about 10 yards wide. If there were fences, they were covered in vegetation such as climbing roses. It was really pleasant and got rid of a lot of the urban feel.

[@kumogate]

One thing I'm curious about is how do they deal with the root system? My houseplants need yearly or nearly-yearly re-potting because their roots fill up their pots and they struggle to absorb water and nutrients. I imagine you can't really do that on a skyscraper.

[@zedantXiang]

Probably cutting roots after its grow to a good size,after all the plant doesnt. Need to grow bigger

[@worldatmyfeet7898]

Always love your videos and your podcast Fred - keep it up!

[@azultarmizi]

The blooming plant puns in this video are just genius.

[@lukedeulen1830]

In my city of Denver, a new 15-story apartment building is being constructed with an artificial canyon full of trees and bushes and paths. I think this project is so cool and I'd love to see more like it.

[@Vyzard]

I seriously thought while giving us the history of green buildings, Fred would start as far back as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

[@n0ttyg]

Evry developer has been playing city skylines with the eco DLC 😂

[@SmokeandSpirit]

Well my greatest concern would be erosion over time. Roots can quite effectively break through rock, especially with larger trees. I highly doubt the metal screen will stop that, much as it will slow it down. I definitely love the concept though. More greenery is definitely a good thing, aside from helping air quality they do provide a bit of sound diffusion as well. Ive wanted to grow some moss on screens and hang them in my windowsil for some time now, would be a fun project. This has resparked that desire. Moss doesnt die easily either,it just hibernates when dry, so it'd be low maintenance greenery.

[@norbertz2842]

Yet another great production by B1M they never fail to dissapoint. I love this channel.

[@awesomewav2419]

The phrase "never fail to disappoint" means that something or someone always disappoints, no matter what. It's a bit confusing because it includes a double negative, which can make it sound like the opposite of what is actually meant. Essentially, if someone or something "never fails to disappoint," it means they consistently let people down and fail to meet expectations.

[@norbertz2842]

@@awesomewav2419 😬🤓

[@Michaelengelmann]

Dude, I always wanted a Chia Pet as a kid 😂

[@yashd1628]

B1M Makes Videos of Construction and Building looks Cool

[@anthonysnyder1152]

Mission Rock in San Francisco was shown (older rendering) and it's interesting that the renders have slowly added more and more vegetation since the original approval of the project. I live by and have noticed they have brought it a dozens of trees to fill the space during construction, but there are also 2 parks being built. I'm hoping it's just as green as the photos but I guess we'll just have to see...

[@ItsAlwaysHappyHour]

FYI, One Central Park in Sydney was completed in 2013, the year before Bosco Verticale. In 2014 (the year Bosco Verticale was inaugurated) the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) named One Central Park the best tall building in the world.

[@fredtheroots]

Without doubt one of the most perennial achievements of a vegetated building is "la cité des etoiles" in Givors in France made in 1981 by Jean Renaudie

[@nutthawootp]

How ridiculous that a cosmetic product and engineering content could be blended very well together.

[@ayindestevens6152]

With Good Writing and VERY Good Puns

[@joehodgson2815]

Not all "wildlife" is the sort you want - in Madrid, the Edificio Princesa, on Glorieta de San Bernardo was built in 1975, with greenery dripping down from one floor to the next. While lovely looking, it turns out they have massive issues with rodents and pests using the greenery as a handy highway between apartments.

[@jonasholzer4422]

I like these vertical Forrest's because they are beautiful. But I think it would be more feasible and efficient to opt for mid rise buildings and a good amount of street trees on the ground (with adequate space for root development and water uptake)

[@CentauriAB]

I like them. They’re awesome. I want to see more of them.

[@Elucidator-]

Interesting that you talked about the fire hazard / regulations Fred. I totally forgot that this is indeed an important part of it, whereas dry conditions could make these buildings potentially unsafe. Irrigation only goes so far: if exceptional drought hits then the plants / trees used may still slowly die off. Then there is the added risk if multiple buildings in the vicinity have the same 'greenery' look and are crowded with plants: if one of them goes ablaze under heavy winds, what stops other ones from following suit due to embers being spread around?

[@debbiehenri345]

There's also the issue with storm damage. Treetops and branches could be broken off and sent reeling through the air in a cyclone. I'd be happier if they used shrubs, ferns, trailing plants and mosses. As for trees - well, pruning will keep them manageable in size (you can, theoretically, keep a bonsai tree growing 'forever,' as the art of careful and regular pruning keeps it forever young), but some of those trees in the video were starting to look pretty big already. Maintenance might be expensive - but who can argue against providing more jobs?

[@cw4861]

Surprisingly, loved the integration! _Green_ light to you with the sponsorships. I hope it helps keep up the quality of the videos!

[@AwokenEntertainment]

Greenery in these skyscrapers really just is to help the place feel more environmental.. but it really works 😂

[@daycred]

imagine a building where every apartment has either west or east facing terraces with a pre-defined garden space. That would be much more useful than just slapping plants on a building to sell it on social media

[@danhoustonjr4782]

10:32 shot on my town. Des Moines Iowa. Never thought I would see that.

[@prophetsspaceengineering2913]

I'm living in the Schlangenbader Straße in Berlin where they constructed one of Europe's biggest Appartement buildings on top of a highway with large terraces in a layered configuration. A lot of people put small trees, shrubs and vines on them which honestly looks great. The buildings also feature large windows and inbuild planting boxes on many balconies. I fully agree that it helps with mental well-being.

[@guidocampostrini]

man, this is the first video I watch form you, and your voice is AWESOME, the fact that the topic is interesting for my is a bonus

[@GLJosh]

I would like to thank the B1M for getting to the "root" of this trend.

[@FuzzyMeckGT]

The amount of plant based jokes/puns in this video was just awesome LOL

[@agdevoq]

As a citizen of Milan, I didn't know we were the trend starters! I'm very proud of my city, and I think Bosco Verticale is really a beautiful building!

[@kaunas888]

In southern Spain it is common to hang pots on the sides of houses with beautiful plants/flowers in them. The Watergate complex in Washington DC has a built in trench on the balconies for growing plants in. The concept is now new.

[@IndySidhu88]

The point is that the green should harvest rainwater for the buildings' own water routing system and promote O2 rich environments where building users can relax. Having trees and shrubs on the outside for an aesthetic feature does sod all if it doesn't contribute to the lowering of the C02 emissions and energy use of the building and it's users. More animal and plant life is better.

[@grantmccoy6739]

It's definitely a genuine concept of design. There are obviously going to be insincere clickbait type concepts, but it's clear that it has a positive impact. 6:55 parkroyal looks awesome. So much greenery on and around. Singapore has some really great modern architecture.

[@bmolitor615]

I just have a lot of plants on my own balcony and in my front window arranged as a pair of 7' x 10' sunscreens - now that I have it established [took three years to get the full effect stabilized] it absolutely makes a difference for my unit...

Every building should be covered in green. There are so many advantages to this. Improves air quality, regulates heat, absorbes CO2, looks cool, improves our mental health... it makes cities a much more wonderful place to live, and gives soul to it

[@italianlifestyle7911]

They may not be that green, but they are aesthetic, luxurious and very expensive that's for sure. If you want to buy an apartment in the famous Bosco Verticale prices go from 12.000 to15.000€/m2.

[@alikj3322]

These are trending in my city ( Casablanca, Morocco )

[@lemster101]

I hope they paid you well for that sponsor segment because it was funny and I watched it all the way through, which isn't something I normally do.

[@MattCookesurl]

I did a project at uni that investigated installing a green roof, and there is a surprising lack of data about large scale real world implementations, despite small scale tests looking promising. The cost is high and RoI period is measured in decades, not most investors first choice unfortunately

[@alex_ob1]

Congratulations on that sponsored segment Fred, I can't imagine that was within your comfort zone!

[@carsonbooth5474]

As a landscape architect, I can tell you that the first thing to be value engineered in any construction project is the landscape. It's really cheap to show renderings with lushly planted exterior space but once the developer sees the bill for putting a ball and burlap tree onto a 20th floor exterior terrace, they move vegetation/planting into the "owner improvement" category of the project. That's why you've seen a ton of renderings like BIG's "Spiral" (huge integrated planters loaded with trees) and then the built reality of "small steel planter boxes maybe with perennials if the owner of that unit pays for it". Some developers understand that richly planted and highly amenitized exterior space is a huge driver of returns, and others just see a line item cost to be trimmed. But they're all happy to use sexy forested renderings to sell units.

[@gotofalograce9926]

I found a leaflet for a garden convention in Düsseldorf in the late 80s where there were advertising for greenery on façades as something sustainable.

[@osamagazal6028]

I know some houses and villas in belgium and morocco have some kinde of plant covering its facades but i honestly believe that adding some vegitation to tall buildings is a most specialy that those buildings are usually use as office spaces or luxury housing so they easily could afford the extra costs and maintinings of the buildings

[@ODemir-gh7bn]

There is Vertical Forrest similar to Bosco in Eindhoven named the Trudotoren

[@jasminbehera7555]

People who maintain plant pots know that it out grows the pot and has to be replant in a larger pot time to time. These trees are grown in such a constricted area they will eventually die out due to insufficient nutrients

[@Vizal]

Even if it ends up not being too efficient at reducing the emissions, the added benefits of passive cooling and, above all, mental health and wellbeing improvements make this direction completely worth it.

[@Anarkey]

As someone who's from Singapore, seeing a building from my country is always a pleasure to watch. Latest building to incorporate greenery is CapitaSpring building which actually has an urban farm on the rooftop. I may be wrong but I believe that in Singapore, for any building construction, the government authorities have mandated that developers must set aside a minimum area for greenery, in line with the vision of the former prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew of wanting Singapore to be called "The Garden City". Ngl, it works though as I have overseas friends who come down to visit me and they always say the same thing: "There's so much greenery here, everywhere!"

[@TomBombadil515]

Your pun game is on point, Fred!

[@1994CPK]

imagine your million dollar view being blocked out by a tree and shrubs at 800ft

[@zachkalette1951]

not to worry the plants will be dead very soon

[@Ben-rz9cf]

I saw a successful implementation of this type of building in Kuala Lumpur near the Petronas towers. I actually had to stop and marvel at how it was the first time i'd actually seen a building like that in real life outside of an archvis render. And also ponder how they even keep it green, and not, you know, brown.

[@micalyptus]

Even if their green effect is not exactly as we’d wish, simply being around nature- even as little as a rooftop garden- improves quality of life. It feels good to be amidst plants, and it’s so so much less depressing than concrete and cloudy skies :)

[@kid10249595]

A thing that wasn't touched on and is hardly thought about unless you live in a forest like I do are what we call "widowmakers". Which are branches that have either died or broken off and are hanging in trees, that can randomly fall or break off, hit someone and kill them almost instantly in some cases. I would think the same would apply to these tree even though they may be maintained, if you were to have a period of high winds then those branches could break off and fall onto someone on the street and seriously harm or kill them, given you don't even need that big of a branch before serious harm can occur by being hit by one from really high. Heck ice makes them even worse due to it making the branch heavier, that was what happened years ago when I lived in an apartment and a "widowmaker" fell through our roof, wasn't even that big of a branch but due to the height of the tree and the ice it punched through the roof and ceiling easily. Climate is another issue as well given New York has very cold winters, which means to keep the trees alive and the water from freezing they would probably have to have some heating system for the trees to keep them from literally freezing to death. So yeah I don't think we'll see these buildings in practical use, other than for render aesthetic purposes to attract the public and investors, as they seem pretty much impractical in the end, and seem like a band-aid solution that won't solve the problem in the end.

[@dustinwashere]

We have buildings like that here in Arizona. I wonder how much water they use. Look up Optima Sonoran Village!

[@finlay460]

On the footpath below one of these types of buildings in my city, a whole lot of dead rats kept showing up. It was discovered that the rats were attempting to climb up the greenery in search of food, and were then falling by the dozens, several stories below to their deaths. Greenery has since been removed on the ground floor to prevent this.