Designed by Austrian architectural studio smartvoll, this small single-family home called the Urban Tree House introduces a mini forest in a concrete city.
Situated in Vienna’s 16th district, the Urban Tree House is an example of how nature and biodiversity should be integrated when constructing a building. Not only does the green add beauty, but it also provides other benefits such as purifying the air and lowering the property’s temperatures thanks to shade.
“Even the most modest building projects can change the perception of an entire city—especially when they are the inspiration for a wave of like-minded designs,” reads smartvoll’s website. “Anyone can contribute to a greener city, which is why smartvoll architects tackled the topics of redensification and green building all on their own.”
“Projects like this are free of partisan politics. Any building owner can decide to design a conversion like this and play an active role in improving the urban environment,” adds Philipp Buxbaum, founding partner of smartvoll.
According to smartvoll, Vienna’s 16th district is lacking in greenspaces due to being a former working-class district where all available land was used for housing.
“From the air, it’s easy to spot the stark difference between the gray of the 16th district and the otherwise vividly green Vienna. This is exactly why smartvoll architects have chosen this as the site of their Urban Treehouse,” explains the studio.
“Not only does the urban climate as a whole benefit from green buildings like this, but so does biodiversity. According to a United Nations biodiversity report, up to 130 species of animals and plants die every day. Buildings like our urban treehouse provide a habitat not just for people, but for plants and animals as well,” says Christian Kircher of smartvoll.
All images in this article are courtesy of smartvoll.
