Going Green: The Best Architecture of 2017 Is Overflowing With Foliage

Celebrated for reasons associated with health, environmental sustainability and pure enjoyment, green roofs have gained traction as a modish element throughout contemporary architecture. Capable of transforming the “fifth façade” beyond just a functional shelter and into a forward-thinking and progressive design element, the green roof represents an enticing marriage between technology, design and built form. Architizer’s 2017 A+Awards celebrated some of the most exciting architectural approaches to this trend.

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Flourishing with foliage, many of this year’s recognized projects featured bold experimentations and applications of greenery along various building faces. Rather than manufacturing an artificial green roof as an extraneous element, many of these buildings carve out infrastructure under already existing greenery, thus achieving the green façade through increasingly organic means.

Check out seven spectacular examples of verdant architecture from this year’s A+Awards, and browse every project with your very own copy of A+ Architecture: The Best of Architizer 2017.

KM Kindergarten and Nursery by HIBINOSEKKEI+Youji no Shiro, Izumi, Japan

In designing this kindergarten and nursery, the architects had two goals — they sought to encourage exercise among children and teach them about the history of textiles in the area. The building surrounds a central yard, where children may play, explore and climb onto the roof. By creating an interactive setting, the children also get a tactile sense of the building’s composition and locally-sourced raw materials.

City Hall Venlo by Kraaijvanger, Venlo, Netherlands

Inspired by the cradle to cradle principle, City Hall Venlo was built to combine a healthy working environment and sustainable innovation. The building’s most striking feature is its green northern façade. Covered in over 100 plants, the design contributes to biodiversity and helps create a clean and healthy environment.

IREKUA ANATANI House by Broissin Architects, Avandaro, Mexico

On a site covered by oyamel, pine and encino trees, the architects knew that this house would be intrinsically linked to its environment. The southwest façade is mostly glass, which captures the sunset and warms up the interior to prepare for nighttime. The roof is 100% green, maintaining a uniform temperature throughout the year, and camouflaging the design into its natural context.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital by BDP, Liverpool, United Kingdom

For this project, the architects and clients sought to create an innovative and child-focused design that would facilitate best clinical practices. The hilly and undulating profile makes the building instantly recognizable, as it stands in stark contrast to the typical image of a hospital. With the adjacent Springfield Park, the new additions form an integrated “Children’s Health Park.”

Sugamo Shinkin Bank / Nakaaoki Branch by emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design, Kawaguchi, Japan

Located at the corner of a busy intersection, which experiences constant bustle by cars, bicycles and people, the architects sought to create an eye-catching façade that would alter the rhythm of the street. Composed of cubes of four different depths, the shapes dance “like musical notes playing rainbow melody.”

Yi She Mountain Inn by DL Atelier, Beijing, China

Yi She Mountain Inn was built to be a simple place where one could relax and take a break. The environment was designed to inspire humility, tolerance and enthusiasm. Built with simple architectural shapes and materials, the main brick wall will be covered by climbing plants and wild flowers in the spring, while the inner courtyard will be a peaceful oasis where visitors can feel both the sunlight and wind.

Odette Estate Winery by Signum Architecture, Napa County, Calif., United States

For this project, the architects created a round sweeping building, in order to respond to the site’s location and terrain. Tucked into a natural cove, the building is bound to the hillside along three of its faces. Visually mirroring a cave, visitors are welcomed into the winery through a portal-like door.

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