Remarkable Buildings That Use Trees as a Design Element

Tree-inspired architecture continues to sprout up around the world, including plant-covered buildings currently under construction in Taipei, Dallas, and Singapore. Several firms, from Los Angeles to Switzerland, have turned to trees and shrubs as an integral building material. The arboreal aesthetic is inspired by a number of practical considerations: In efforts to minimize the effects of greenhouse gases from new buildings, architects have incorporated more greenery to supply shade, boost air quality, and lessen the occupants’ need for air-conditioning. AD surveys eight beautiful, tree-centric buildings that are changing the way we look at modern architecture.

Rolex’s future Dallas headquarters was designed by architect Kengo Kuma and broke ground in 2015. Inspired by the stone walls of Japanese castles, the building twists to reveal landscaped terraces and will feature a tree-lined rooftop event space.

Photo: Courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates

BIG, the firm of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, recently announced 670 Mesquit, its first project in Los Angeles. The 2.6 million-square-foot mixed-use development includes two buildings made up of concrete cubes, each topped with landscaped terraces.

Photo: Courtesy of BIG

Architect Vincent Callebaut’s Agora Gardens Tower is currently under way in Taipei and due to be completed in 2017. The eco-friendly building, which was inspired by the double-helix structure of DNA, will feature plants and trees on every floor to absorb carbon dioxide and even allow residents to grow their own food.

Photo: Courtesy of Vincent Callebaut

Vo Trong Nghia Architects envisions a treelined campus at FPT University in Ho Chi Minh City. Set to occupy 14 square miles, the campus will resemble an elevated forest surrounding an expansive courtyard.

Photo: Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects

The 2015 winning design for the Urban Habitat Award by Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat was the ParkRoyal on Pickering, a hotel in Singapore created by WOHA.

Photo: Getty Images/Mikel Bilbao

German-based Ingenhoven Architects devised plans for Marina One, a new high-rise development in Singapore.

German-based Ingenhoven Architects devised plans for Marina One, a new high-rise development in Singapore.Photo: Courtesy of Ingenhoven Architects

Italian architect Stefano Boeri recently announced a 36-story tower in Lausanne, Switzerland. Tower of Cedars will feature 18,000 plants, 6,000 shrubs, and 100 trees, all protecting residents from noise pollution and dust.

Italian architect Stefano Boeri recently announced a 36-story tower in Lausanne, Switzerland. Tower of Cedars will feature 18,000 plants, 6,000 shrubs, and 100 trees, all protecting residents from noise pollution and dust.Photo: Courtesy of Stefano Boeri Architetti

This Ho Chi Minh City complex by Vo Trong Nghia Architects will be composed of a trio of buildings that are covered in bamboo and linked with bridges shaded by foliage. Set on a roughly 90,400-square-foot plot, the three buildings—each 22 stories—will accommodate some 720 residences, all with access to the communal rooftop garden.

This Ho Chi Minh City complex will be composed of a trio of buildings that are covered in bamboo and linked with bridges shaded by foliage. Set on a roughly 90,400-square-foot plot, the three buildings—each 22 stories—will accommodate some 720 residences, all with access to the communal rooftop garden.Photo: Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects