Thanks to nonprofit architecture and urban design research group Terreform One, an ancient practice is getting a helping hand from modern technology.
As outlined by Fast Company, the results may look “weird,” but they're just as beautiful as developers look to cleaner ways to build living spaces and other structures. It's interesting.
For architect Mitchell Joachim, this meant designing a fab tree hub made from growing trees, an idea he says dates back to illuminated manuscripts of Biblical times.
“We wanted to harness the power of computing and manufacturing systems, and other ideas about how to create prototypes to move nature and train nature to do what nature does. But we wanted to turn it into a usable structure and eventually a house,” Joachim said. Exit of the design process.
Teleform describes the 1,000-square-foot pavilion on its website as a “terrestrial reef and grafted living wood structure” developed to “push the boundaries of regenerative design” to support biodiversity. are doing.
“All kinds of things gather in, around and under the forest and thrive in that part of the forest. On the first day, we moved the frogs to a shelter,” Joachim said in an interview on an online platform. added.
Using wood in design also helps reduce carbon pollution, which overheats the earth and disrupts the world's healthy natural balance. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a whopping 37% of global greenhouse gases are generated in the buildings and construction sector.
Cement production is a factor, but FabTree Hub required little concrete in its foundations, the architecture group said. For the facades, natural materials such as cedar and jute (treated with beeswax or rosin) were used.
According to Fast Company, the idea was considered as far back as 2002, but the reforested trees that make up the structure's arches were brought in from biomass farms and could support the wall system after a year of growth. It's done.
Although the Fab Tree hub north of New York City is still in the experimental phase, Joachim believes that the growing number of structures, including museums, residences and opera houses, could eventually become part of the new normal. I hope there is.
Terreform says on its website that “community engagement and education are core elements of the project's mission,” and that it is intended to inspire younger generations to embrace and engage with nature.
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