The Future Cities Laboratory Dense and Green Building Typologies project was featured in the Future Buildings (Zukunft Bauen) supplement of the Swiss newspapers Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). In the article titled Es geht aufwärts – und das grün, Prof Thomas Schroepfer and Prof Sacha Menz described the holistic approach of the research, looking into the socio-spatial analysis, biodiversity, thermal comfort, building design, and economics of greenery in buildings.

They spoke of the eight case studies in Singapore; Sydney, Australia; and Milan, Italy, highlighting the value of this research especially in a land-scarce, high-density setting where the lack of green and community spaces is detrimental to the quality of life.

The research was lauded for its human-centric approach, including field research, surveys with users, stakeholders, and experts, down to the detail of the biodiversity and species that are present in a vertical green environment.

Since the need for public and green spaces is not specific to Asia and is applicable to Europe and other parts of the world, there is potential to apply the Dense and Green Building Typologies research in Switzerland, particularly the interdiscplinary approach.

The team will be presenting their work at the Architectural Biennale of Venice 2018. “Dense and Green Building Typologies: Architecture as Urban Ecosystem” will be presented in the in Palazzo Mora during 26 May – 25 November 2018.