Green Skyscrapers
In the next few days we will showcase 25 innovative proposals for green skyscrapers. These projects were submitted for the Annual Skyscraper Competition from 2006 to 2009.

Project 21 of 25

Mark Buenavista
United States

Could a tall building be a living machine rather than a machine for living or working? What are the implications of not just going tall, but growing tall? Cornell University is currently undertaking a program to develop midrise housing for students and faculty on New York City’s Roosevelt Island. The initial mixed-use program calls for student dormitories, market-rate faculty housing and additional, leasable office space. Currently the residents of Roosevelt Island have little or no access to food in the immediate vicinity. Residents must go to Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens to buy groceries. What would happen if viable food systems were introduced to the island? What if agriculture on the island was encapsulated within a tall building? This solution would add new depth to experiencing ecological and climatic systems in an urban, living, and working environment.

Vertical agriculture within the tower serves several purposes. It creates a buffer zone to regulate seasonal changes in climate, provides access to more local sources of food, and enables residents and workers alike to enjoy beautiful spaces and landscape throughout the building. Farm “laboratories” occur within two ramped zones in the tower while a living machine promenade connects the building to the ground. Rainwater is collected by a rooftop scoop and is progressively filtered by the vegetation within the labs. This system is revealed in the farm labs to expose the process to residents and workers. It is also utilized by occupants as greywater. Blackwater is treated by the living machine and is reused for hydroponic crops.