Trees to Grow Out of Concrete Jungle
If a new social housing development in Eindhoven, Netherlands is a sign of the future, concrete jungles may be getting a little less concrete.
That’s because the first ‘vertical forest’ in the Netherlands is being incorporated into the design of one of two new smart buildings being developed by housing association, Trudo.
According to affordable housing news website, Scottish Housing News, both buildings will ‘bring together modern design, renewable energy and advanced IoT technology, demonstrating the latest trends in smart urban residential development.’
While the 70 metre high Trudo Tower will feature the vertical forest, comprising 1 tree and 20 bushes on each balcony, Haasie Over will benefit from a PowerNEST – a rooftop structure that combines a wind turbine with solar panels.
PowerNEST’s innovator, Ibis Power, claim that the combination generates six times more energy per square metre than regular solar panels.
Fieke van den Beuken, Project Manager for the two buildings, noted:
“Our aim is to create an attractive living environment for people with a modest income […] we aim to set a new standard for urban developments, by incorporating renewable energy, state-of-the-art energy management technologies and adding green facades to reduce CO2 emissions and generate energy savings.”
Last year, Darren Rodwell, executive member of housing and planning at London Councils, expressed concern at the Government’s affordable housing plans, believing they could lead to lower quality accommodation.
Trudo’s project could form a blueprint for similar developments worldwide moving forward –accommodation that provides a high standard of living, benefits the environment, both in terms of sustainability and aesthetic, and helps tackle the housing crisis, while forcing a revision of outdated attitudes towards social housing.
It also puts the pressure on private sale developers to keep pace.
