The world’s first vertical forest for low-income housing is coming to the Netherlands

Stefano Boeri has designed and built vertical forests across the world. He hopes his latest project will prove it’s possible to combine solutions to the challenges of climate change and housing shortages

It will be an urban home to 125 trees and 5,200 plants, as well as flats on 19 storeys. Planned for the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands, the latest project by architect Stefano Boeri is a bid to prove that the twin challenges of climate change and a lack of affordable housing could be tackled alongside each other through innovative architecture.

The Trudo Vertical Forest is thought to be the first vertical forest on a social housing project in the world. Following schemes in Milan, Nanjing, Lausanne, Paris and after a global call to action for architects, planners and housing companies to embrace urban forestry, Boeri has published plans for the building in the city in the south of the Netherlands.

Urban forestry is not only necessary to improve the environment of the world’s cities but also an opportunity to improve the living conditions of less fortunate city dwellers

“Urban forestry is not only necessary to improve the environment of the world’s cities but also an opportunity to improve the living conditions of less fortunate city dwellers,” said Boeri.

The building, commissioned by housing body Sint-Trudo, will include 125 ‘affordable’ social housing units as well as ‘hundreds of trees and plants’ in a variety of species. It is hoped that the biodiverse environment will help curb urban pollution and provide homes for a range of animals and insects.

Images: Stefano Boeri Architetti


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