Vertical Forest at an Urban Treehouse in Italy

A potted forest of trees and branching steel beams disguise this 5-storey apartment building in Turin, Italy. It is designed by Luciano Pia who has brought plants up off the ground in an attempt to evade the urban scene and integrate life into the facade of the residential building.

It holds 150 trees whose carbon dioxide absorption reduces the air pollution while also protecting its residents against noise pollution. The trees seasonal progression creates the ideal microclimate inside the building, steadying temperature extremes during the cold and warmer months. The plants full foliage block rays of sun during the summer while letting in warm light during the winter.

Each species of plant has been carefully chosen from deciduous plant life in Turin to provide the highest variety of color, foliage and blooming.