BOSCO VERTICALE
Saif durwesh
21131AA021
Bosco Verticale
Project Name: Bosco Verticale
Architect: Stefano Boeri Architetti
Location: Porta Nuova, Milan, Italy
Year of Completion: 2014
1. Design and Structure
Overview & Context
Urban regeneration project within Milan's Porta Nuova district.
Consists of two residential towers: Tower A (116 m, 26 floors) and Tower B (84 m, 18 floors), and an adjacent office building.
Designed to incorporate nature vertically – hence "Vertical Forest" – integrating over 20,000 plants including 800 trees, 4,500 shrubs, and 15,000 perennials.
Aims to increase urban biodiversity and reduce the heat island effect.
Structural System
Central reinforced concrete core for lateral stability and vertical load transfer.
Cantilevered balconies (up to 3.35 m deep) designed to bear the weight of soil and mature trees (up to 3,000 kg).
Structural frames analyzed with wind tunnel testing conducted by Politecnico di Milano and Florida International University to ensure safety against sway and torsional movements.
Tree containers pre-cultivated off-site and acclimatized before installation.
Foundation system adapted for weight and soil conditions.
2. Vertical Transportation
Each tower has:
2 local passenger elevators.
1 service elevator for maintenance staff and gardening logistics.
No sky lobbies or express elevators due to mid-rise nature.
Initial installation of rooftop cranes for planting; replaced post-construction with arborist teams using industrial rope
access.
Separate fire lifts per Italian building codes.
3. Fire Protection
Non-combustible Materials
Use of non-combustible, fire-rated materials in balcony planters and façade finishes.
Sprinkler Systems
Fire sprinkler and deluge systems installed in planter beds.
Vegetation Clearance
Vegetation arranged to maintain safe clearance from windows and fire escape routes.
Fire Escape Stairs
Dedicated fire escape stairs designed as per Italian National Building Code and European fire safety standards.
Lightning Protection
Lightning protection integrated into building envelope.
Fire Dampers
Use of fire dampers in HVAC ducts.
4. Thermal Control Systems (HVAC)
Vegetation acts as passive thermal control:
Shading reduces direct solar gain.
Evapotranspiration from leaves reduces surrounding
temperature (up to 30°C difference).
Buildings use high-efficiency heat pumps and centralized
HVAC systems.
Low-E, high-performance glazing with ceramic coatings
controls solar penetration.
Air handling units and ducting planned vertically to
optimize shaft space.
Energy modeling conducted during design to predict
energy savings.
5. Water Supply and Sewage Disposal
Rainwater and Greywater Harvesting
Rainwater and greywater harvesting system integrated in the basement.
Water Collection and Irrigation
Water collected in cisterns used for plant irrigation.
Smart Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation system with smart valves and sensors – shuts down automatically in freezing temperatures.
Estimated Irrigation Demand
Estimated irrigation demand: ~3,500 m³ per year.
Separate Piping Systems
Separate piping systems for potable water and irrigation.
Future Greywater Reuse
Provision for future greywater reuse.
Service Floors
Service floors house plumbing and pumps.
6. Electrical Systems
Rooftop Photovoltaic Panels
Rooftop photovoltaic panels provide renewable energy to supplement public area lighting and irrigation controls.
Intelligent Building Management System (BMS)
Intelligent Building Management System (BMS) controls:
Lighting
Irrigation
HVAC
Fire and smoke alarms
Occupancy Sensors and Timers
Occupancy sensors and timers in corridors and lobbies.
Emergency Generators
Generators installed for emergency lighting, elevators, and fire systems.
MEP Component Routing
All MEP components routed through dedicated electrical shafts and ducts.
7. Vegetation System & Biodiversity
90+ plant species, with specific distribution per facade:
East/South facades: sun-tolerant species.
North: shade-tolerant.
Biodiversity benefits:
Increases urban bird and insect population.
Noise and air pollution absorption.
CO2 absorption ~20 tonnes/year.
Volcanic lapilli used in soil for moisture retention.
Structural planters embedded in the slab system.
8. Maintenance & Management
Professional Arborist Contract
Vegetation maintenance contract with a professional arborist firm.
Maintenance Frequency
Frequency: 4–6 times/year.
Industrial Rope Access
Use of industrial rope access for pruning, checking soil health, and replacing dead plants.
Maintenance Cost
Vegetation legally bound to apartment ownership; maintenance cost included in building fees.
BMS Monitoring
Building managers monitor irrigation and plant health via BMS.
Tree Replacement Rate
Only ~10 trees have been replaced since inception.
9. Performance & Environmental Benefits
30% 20 — —
Energy Consumption CO2 Capture Urban Heat Island Noise Insulation
Reduced Improves air quality; estimated Effect Noise insulation from dense
Urban heat island effect
Energy consumption reduced by CO2 capture ~20 tons/year. foliage.
significantly reduced.
up to 30% due to natural
shading.
— —
Mental Well-being Replicable Model
Improves mental well-being for Replicable model – Boeri has
residents. developed similar projects in
Lausanne (Switzerland),
Eindhoven (Netherlands), and
Nanjing (China).
10. Conclusion
Bosco Verticale demonstrates a new typology of ecological
architecture in vertical urban settings.
Combines design, engineering, and ecology.
Model for future sustainable skyscrapers.
Aligns with green building standards and urban biodiversity goals.
