Last updated: October 2021
Baubotanik Tower is a test and demonstration building in Wald-Ruhestetten, approx. 150km south of Stuttgart. It exemplifies new engineering possibilities with living plants and visualizes the architectural and ecological potential of Baubotanik. Baubotanik or Living Plant Constructions is a technology of building with living trees, advanced by Stuttgart architect Ferdinand Ludwig. Baubotanik shapes living tree branches, stems and roots of trees into buildings to use qualities of forest in a dense city. For this purpose, living and non-living structural details are joined in a way they can grow together into a botanical and technical compound structure (ref 1, 2, 5).
Baubotanical Tower (2010)
Photographer: Ferdinand Ludwig, Design: Ferdinand Ludwig and Cornelius Hackenbracht, retrieved 08/17/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Other
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
1. To enrich the urban space with natural materials;
2. To give the building structure green natural qualities;
3. To realize the idea of using nature as architecture;
4. To create botanical structures with a weight-bearing capacity;
5. To harmonize regular structures of the urban grid with the botanical structures;
6. To construct naturally cool buildings with a zero-carbon emission (ref 1).
Implementation activities
The building has a footprint of about eight square meters and a hight of barely nine meters with three walkable levels. It is the first baubotanical project which was realized by using the plant addition method. The vegetable structure was made out of one hundred young 2-meter-high silver willows (Salix alba). Only the lowest plants were bedded into the ground, whereas all others rooted in special plant containers arranged on seven different levels. The whole construction is supported by a temporary steel tube scaffold which is embedded in the ground on a screw base – a structure which always can be removed again. The plant containers are constantly kept wet to ensure the necessary water for the plants. On that condition, all plants will completely intergrow with each other. Thereby it shall be examined how long it takes for the structure to get water and nutrients out of the ground independently. Due to its experimental character, the structure is not designed as a publicly walkable facility. The zinc-coated steel-grating levels are basically used for maintenance and care. The load capacity of the vegetable supporting structure is at present difficult to prognosticate and shall be proved by weight tests. (ref 1, 7)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Researchers/University
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Landscape architects Ferdinand Ludwig and Daniel Schönle shaped the term and played a major role in working on a scientific basis of the Baubotanik approach and the forerunners in the construction of the baubotanic pavilions and buildings. Planning team: Ferdinand Ludwig; Cornelius Hackenbracht Engineering: BaStHo (ref 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Improved soil quality
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
1. DW News (2011). Plant Pavilion | euromaxx. DW English, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
2. Baubotanik Website. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
3. Ludwik. F. (no date). Subject Baubotanik, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
4. Professorship for Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture (no date). Baubotanik. Technical University of Munich, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
5. Assistant Professorship of Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture (no date). Baubotanik. Technical University of Munich, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
6. Ludwig, Ferdinand; Bellers, Moritz; Schönle, Daniel (2015). Klimaaktive baubotanische Stadtquartiere, Bautypologien und Infrastrukturen: Modellprojekte und Planungswerkzeuge, Landesanstalt für Umwelt Baden-Württemberg. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
7. Ludwig F. (no date) Baubotanik Tower. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
2. Baubotanik Website. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
3. Ludwik. F. (no date). Subject Baubotanik, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
4. Professorship for Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture (no date). Baubotanik. Technical University of Munich, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
5. Assistant Professorship of Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture (no date). Baubotanik. Technical University of Munich, Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
6. Ludwig, Ferdinand; Bellers, Moritz; Schönle, Daniel (2015). Klimaaktive baubotanische Stadtquartiere, Bautypologien und Infrastrukturen: Modellprojekte und Planungswerkzeuge, Landesanstalt für Umwelt Baden-Württemberg. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
7. Ludwig F. (no date) Baubotanik Tower. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd September, 2020.
Baubotanical Tower (2010)
Photographer: Ferdinand Ludwig, Design: Ferdinand Ludwig and Cornelius Hackenbracht, retrieved 08/17/2018