Big city, smaller footprint: blurring the line between landscape design and modern architecture. 

The trend of vertical gardening is up, as is the rise of the jolly green skyscraper. Easy on the eyes and easier on the planet, the trend of upward greenery is transforming our concrete jungles into ivied oases.

The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris is one such example, with some 8,600 vertical square footage dedicated to more than 170 different species of plants.

London’s Athenaeum, its tendrils and blossoms looming high over Piccadilly Circus, is another.

As watchers of modern eco architecture, of course, there does come a point when we ask what it is, exactly, we’re looking at. “Is it a man, or a plane,” spectators once wondered of Superman. “Man, or Astroman?” punk relics wondered way back in the 90s.

Similarly we ask: is it architecture, or vegitecture?

That’s what the Barcelona City Council and one Spanish firm are calling this, the Green Side-Wall, “represent[ing] the birth of a novel type of construction in the field of vegitecture.” Constructed upon the eyesore remnants of a demolished building, the green supporting protective façade was created by the Barcelona firm Capella Garcia Arquitectura (follow that link for a visit to, perhaps, the strangest website ever).

An interior staircase lends access to the metal platforms throughout; a pulley system facilitates the transport of planters, nests, and other materials within the prefabricated steel frame.

Why vegitecture?

Buildings such as these literally breathe life into our cities and blessed lungs. Technologically speaking, turning a building into a living, self-sustaining one is complex, typically requiring a combination of sunshades, solar panels, and ventilation to catch water. And while the aesthetic contribution is obvious, practically speaking architectural thought sprouting in this direction could save the world, feed children and cool down our cities.

Our cityscapes are looking up.

Image: Toxel; mimoa; Domus

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It was during a springtime stroll past rows of charming brownstones shaded by big flowering trees that made me fall in love with my alma mater, Boston University. I love the aristocratic flourishes and the feeling that generations of residents have added to the building’s history and character. And for two years of college, I adored living in a beautifully rehabbed brownstone, complete with bay windows and crown molding. But like many older buildings, brownstones aren’t always the most energy efficient.

Which is why I was eager to read about Eco Brooklyn, Inc. in a New York Times article. The green contractor uses guerrilla green-building techniques to balance budget and economic concerns when rehabbing buildings. In other words, they salvage old building materials rather than buying swanky new ones.

The goal of Eco Brooklyn’s founder, Gennaro Brooks-Church, is to achieve a “zero-brownstone.” That means zero waste, zero new building materials, and zero energy (thanks to improved energy-efficiency). Several other architects and contractors mentioned in the piece have similar goals as well.

Obviously, there’s still a significant investment of time and money required in rehabbing an older home, but there are also federal, state, and city tax incentives for making improvements such as energy-efficient windows, solar electric systems, and geothermal heat pumps. So, maybe “green” and “brownstone” aren’t a contradiction in terms.

Image: rutlo

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When the economy crashes, the knee-jerk reaction delivers a painful blow to the design industry. How many  remodeling and decorating projects have been put on hold? How many clients tell their designers they can’t spend another dime?

Showrooms in design centers throughout the country are struggling to hang on due to inactivity. The industry trickle-down effect dries up the business for architects and interior designers, especially in the middle-income sector which is playing it safe while riding the tide.

Does that mean no new appliances, landscaped yards, carpets or lighting? Not entirely. In many cases, homeowners are going the green route which also means the more energy-efficient and cost-saving path to boosting their environments without over-investing.

With that in mind, a Denver, Colo. firm is launching the first online Green Design Summit June 29-30. Gail Doby, co-founder of the Denver-based Design Success University, is hosting the two-day educational series, which is expected to draw 800 to 1,000 participants, according to ASID. Industry pros will enlighten participants with knowledge of how to go green stylishly. Plus, we all know green marketing is the new key to success.

“The green training may help these professionals’ finances to stay in the black,” observes Doby, who has lined up 10 speakers immersed in different realms of the eco-renaissance.

Gail Doby, co-founder of telesummit

They include authors, like Cassie Walker, The Green Office Handbook, Michael Port, Think Big manifesto –  Think you can’t change your life? Think Again, and Penna Bonda, green blogger for Interior Design Magazine and author of Mother of Green Interiors.

Also lending guidance are eco-friendly product designer Robin Wilson,  HGTV star Libby Langdon, and Tom Hamilton, Senior Product Manager for Philips Color Kinetics.

Tickets go on sale June first for the summit ($297) being delivered by webcast beginning both days at 11 a.m. EDT. Members of the home industry aren’t the only ones who will benefit from the huge endeavor.

Proceeds will aid the town of Greensburg, Kansas, which was leveled by a huge tornado in 2007. May 4 was the second anniversary of the disaster. It  was commemorated by townspeople with a dedication of the first LEED Platinum John Deere dealership.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, left, and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius along with Mayor Bob Dixon take a walking tour of Greensburg, Kan., on Wednesday

As in post-flood New Orleans, this small city is using its rebuilding effort as an opportunity to green public facilities, including the city’s theater and museum.

Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixon says his city will greatly benefit from five percent of the telesummit’s profits, in addition to a request for material donations being sought by the design summit organizers.

“We’d like to see Greensburg become the eco-tourism capital of the world,” says the mayor. ” Companies can bring their customers here to see sustainable building products and all kinds of eco-friendly businesses.  We want to be a living laboratory.”

Images: Orlin Wagner, AP;

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