Here's the latest and greatest sustainable architecture projects

Meet amazing and innovative projects that will emerge in the architectural scene from 2018.
Sustainable architecture is far from being limited to the choice of materials.

THE FIRST WOOD BUILDING

Most cities still look like concrete deserts and steel. The architects of Penda intend to change this scenario. The Timber Tower in Toronto Canada was planned in conjunction with Tmber consultants. With impressive 18 floors, the structure will be entirely built of wood. For this will be used a mixture of high-tech wood called CLT and special techniques of modular construction.

Wooden skyscraper in Toronto || Image: Penda

To achieve an extremely resilient result and with 62 meters of height, Penda stacks boxes of panels of wood in a specific pattern. When completed, the building will proudly pay homage to its roots, because it resembles a huge tree.

The building shall be entirely of wood || Image: Penda

THE GREEN HILL

Sometimes architects can really let the imagination fly and realize their wildest dreams. This is the case with Thomas Heatherwick. The lucky guy will have his ambitious 100 Trees Complex project , built in Shanghai, China. The immense project will not only cover more than 300,000 square meters, but will also transcend the mere notion of being just another skyscraper in the Chinese metropolis. 100 Trees is an entire complex with schools, day care centers, shopping malls, offices and apartments, gathered in the Heatherwick district. Inspired by nature and hill-shaped, it will be covered by lush vegetation. Each pillar will have a tree at its top, which will allow more than 400 planted terraces.

Very green in the heart of Shanghai. Pioneering project on sustainable architecture || Image: Mir

INTERNAL / EXTERNAL HYBRID

For his latest project in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the famous Vietnamese architect Vo Tronh Nghia decided to turn the architectural planning process upside down: he started it all with plants and trees. It was to design the space built only after the finalization of the landscaping.

The house is all shaped by the trees || Image: Hiroyuki Oki

As a result, the residences of the building are massively influenced and shaped by nature. The rooms are structured around enclosed gardens. The walls will be of concrete cast as trellises for climbers. Many roofs will have purposely gaps for growing trees or daylight entry, giving the interior areas a pleasant feeling of being outdoors.

Lots of natural light in the rooms || Image: Hiroyuki Oki

INCREDIBLE MATERIAL

When talking about sustainable architecture, what comes in the minds of almost everyone is the use of natural materials like bamboo. But the architect François Perrin surprised by developing an innovative textile fabric from aluminum wires.

Sustainable architecture is not only done with natural materials. François Perrin's Air Houses are made of aluminum fabric || Image: Steve Hall

For the Chicago Biennale of Architecture in 2017, he transformed this futuristic fabric into distinct Air Houses : tree-shaped or pyramid-shaped structures, supported by a light steel frame and an outer layer made of aluminum material. The result is reflective, windproof and waterproof, and easily cools the interior without any additional solution. The air conditioning is completely expendable.

LIKE A CORDILHEIRA

A mountain range in Amsterdam may be the most accurate description of the Amsterdam Valley  designed by the MVRDV architecture studio. The project, consisting of three towers, 200 apartments, several public institutions, shops and restaurants, aims to revitalize the commercial district of Zuidas, expected to be completed after 2021.

Natural stone, green terraces and water reservoirs in the "Valley" of Amsterdam and its sustainable architecture || Image: Vero Visuals

The buildings are stacked like in a mountain chain, then connected at various levels through paths and green stripes. Natural stone facades, green roofs and water tanks are designed to make Valley dwellers feel remote from everyday life - very different from the rest of the city.

INSPIRED IN THE FORMS OF NATURE

It's a pretty great goal! If Henning Larsen Architects gets what they want, Icone Tower will become a new landmark in Manila and possibly the whole Philippines. Because of its radical design, the Danish company was inspired by the country's Mount Mayon volcano. The peculiar silhouette of the Icone Tower, therefore, is based on the characteristic format of the cone of the volcano.

The Icone Tower can be seen from any point of Manila || Image: Henning Larsen

Inside, an intelligent combination of public and private spaces is awaited. The networked glass and steel façade allows maximum use of daylight and provides great views of the surrounding park. And at night, the illuminated panoramic platform serves as a stylized lighthouse, representing the progress and future of the country.

The tower is inspired by the shape of the Mount Mayon volcano || Image: Henning Larsen

SPACE ECONOMY

The region where Shanghai is as flat as the Netherlands - but much more densely populated. To solve the lack of space, the Chinese megalopolis built more and more toward the sky.

The buildings resemble a mountainous landscape in Shanghai || Image: MVRDV

This vertical and multi-level principle was reflected in the recent ambitious project of the Dutch office MWRVD. All of the buildings in your future Zhangjiang park (including a library, an event space, a theater and a sports center) will be incorporated into different depths. The result will be of a landscape and skyline of rolling hills with roofs where you will be able to walk. The roof, by the way, will have plenty of green.

The future park "Zhangjiang" - a view of the Dutch studio MVRDV || Image: MVRDV

VERTICAL FORESTRY

France has vast forests, but no vertical forest. The Italian architect Stefano Boeri intends to change this with his Forêt Blanche on the outskirts of Paris. The 50 meter tower will be made of stacked wood and glass cubes with densely planted edges.

Stefano Boeri is bringing green facades to Paris with impressive sustainable architecture project || Image: Compagnie De Phalsbourg Architectes

The tower's sustainable architecture, besides having more than 2,000 plants (equivalent to one hectare of forest), also has a wooden façade, natural light wells and a unique construction that favors natural ventilation.

Stacked glass cubes dominate the aesthetics of the Forêt Blanche de Boeri || Image: Compagnie De Phalsbourg Architectes

FLOATING UNIVERSITY

It looks more like a fairy tale: but the flooded, highly polluted area of ​​the Ganges River will be an oasis of sustainable architecture. This tale may soon become a reality in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The Floating University , planned by Woha Architects, recently won the world's most prestigious award for sustainable architecture.

Woha's sustainable university campus within a former contaminated swamp || Image: Woha

The jury at the Lafarge Holcim Awards praised the project's idea of ​​putting classrooms in flooded areas. Vertical gardens reduce the cooling requirements of buildings, while photovoltaic panels and a rainwater recovery system contribute to the sustainability of the university as a whole.

NATURE IN THE HEIGHTS

The lower floors of the building are intended to reproduce the appearance of the green rice fields in Vietnam. However, the more you climb the Empire City Towers , the more incredible the visual effect will be! The 333-meter-high megaproject spiral towers include mezzanines with tropical gardens, lakes and even waterfalls.

Ambitious project for the city of Ho Chi Minh: the Empire City Towers || Image: Ole Scheeren

Greener all the time, the idea of ​​Ole Scheeren, located in Ho Chi Minh, definitely puts in evidence the dizzying nature of Vietnam. Organic forms and the use of renewable energy complete the sustainable framework. But it will be up to each visitor to decide what ultimately takes the breath away: the vision of the building or the inspiration of the architects behind it all.

Like rice fields high up there, example of sustainable architecture in Vietnam || Image: Ole Scheeren