Team predict project to cool surrounding airspace by as much as 8ºC, cast four times more shade than a 20-year-old tree, and produce as much biomass as an 80-year-old lime tree
Showing at London Design Festival, Vert is a proposition for a modular structure that hopes to address rising temperatures and dwindling biodiversity in cities worldwide.
The result of a collaboration between design studio Diez Office, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), and urban greening specialists OMCºC, the project proposes a timber structure with tall sails covered in climbing plants that work to absorb carbon dioxide in the air while creating shaded areas.
Made from red oak glulam – an engineered hardwood – the structure consists of a series of timber triangles holding suspended biodegradable nets. The material, produced by finger jointing and laminating multiple layers of timber, was chosen for its structural performance and ecological credentials.
The team hope the structure, greened with around 20 different plant species, can create a living ecosystem that serves as a habitat for insect populations.
Vert also features a decked floor beneath the sails made from thermally modified red oak. The heat treatment alters the wood’s cellular structure, which is said to enhance its durability and increase its resistance to decay and insect attacks.
According to the design team, Vert’s triangular shape is fundamental to the structure’s performance, allowing for a robust construction that uses minimal materials while being capable of resisting wind and absorbing the weight of the plants. The shape also lends itself to modularity, allowing the system to be extended or changed in direction.
Since learning about the species, Diez Office has been enthusiastic about the possibilities of red oak. The practice began experimenting with the timber as furniture material before recognising its structural potential and expanding its application to larger scales.
According to the team, red oak is denser and more stable than standard construction timbers, so less material is required. This minimises the structure’s visual prominence and footprint while maintaining structural performance.
Vert is projected to cool the surrounding airspace by as much as 8ºC, cast four times more shade than a 20-year-old tree, and produce as much biomass as an 80-year-old lime tree – all through climbing plants grown throughout a single summer.
Vert will be on show at Chelsea College of Art throughout London Design Festival from 14 to 22 September 2024.
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