edouard françois: tour végétale de nantes
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edouard françois: tour végétale de nantes


'tour végétale de nantes' by edouard françois, nantes, france
images courtesy of edouard françois


paris based practice edouard françois has sent us images of 'tour végétale de nantes',
a residential structure located in the future eco-neighborhood of prairie-au-duc in nantes, france.
composed of commercial and residential programs, the tower looks to reinterpret the experiences
and interactions of condominium living.



entrance


wavering elliptical balconies surround the 17 storey structure, providing the static unit with a sense
of life and movement. defined by its lush green facade, the building is layered with thin metal tubes
that support a collection of plants grown by the local botanical garden. the containers - which measure
12cm in diameter and 4 meters in length - will be dispersed along the terrace railings, and are thought
to successfully recreate the natural conditions of the chasmophyte vegetation.



the balconies vary from floor to floor


this is not the first time françois has integrated vegetation into his projects. for more, see designboom's
article on 'edenbio', completed in 2009. 



the metal tubes don't take up much room, but make a huge impact



view upwards


project info:

botanist: claude figureau
BET: AIA-SERA
client: groupe giboire
area: 9150 m²
program:
7500 m2 – apartments  (85 to 90 units)
2000 m2 - office
350 m² - activity
91 parking places

jayme db
07.12.11  
8
recently there have been a lot of "tree-tower"-projects... noone keeps in mind that trees also have roots that need a LOT of space! and who is supposed to maintain the trees? the tower gardener?
oliver   07.12.11
mais dans quoi ils poussent les arbres?
grégoire   07.12.11
This firm apparently has no clue that trees are more than trunks and leaves. The space required to support that much soil, to facilitate root growth, would result in an entirely different looking building.
LandMass   07.12.11
maybe they are plastic trees? :)
rok   07.13.11
Chasmophyte plants grow in the crevices and along the faces of rocks. They are very adaptable are are generally able to sustain themselves with limited resources (water, little to no soil, etc.)
Plants   07.13.11
How plants can grow up?
Dario   07.13.11
A promising idea. The proceeding comments are correct in assuming that the root/soil depth is underestimated in these renderings but small trees as they are showing (again depending on species) really only need about 5 feet of depth since their roots would adapt and grow out horizontally to accommodate.
Jean Nouvel NYC managed to integrate small trees in floating cubes within the overhanging outdoor structure. And those seem to be not only surviving but flourishing. I pass them every day.

Very much possible.
blackhack   07.13.11
maybe trees are planted in these metallic pillars that would contain some volume of soil and they are perforated @ bottom for drainage which irrigates the grass also ? :)

for the grass its easy u can use the hydroponics technic and plant it in 25 cm substrate only .. but definitely when it comes to automated irrigation system it is a challenging project

not bad!! :)
GS beirut   07.14.11
edouard francois (7 articles)

maison et objet 2011
design | 01.25.11

edouard françois is known for his multidisciplinary work and contribution towards 'green architecture', focusing on contemporary topics such as recycling, human use and fair trade.

5

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architecture | 10.23.09

the structure is made up from prefabricated modules - wood is assembled like giant bricks in variable shapes and sizes, whose outer surface consists of an external rubber membrane stretched under the pressure of cel...

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