Stefano Boeri Architetti presented a new design for the Vertical Forest towers during COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The prototype would be in Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the next host of COP28 in 2023. The ambitious project would represent the first Vertical Forest prototype for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and it is the latest in an extended list of greenery-covered buildings by Boeri Architetti, including the Bosco Verticale in Milan, the Easyhome Huanggang in China, and a prototype of the First Dutch Vertical Forest.
The mega project commissioned by Impact One aims to robust the water system management in response to the arid climate in the MENA region and set a model for future buildings and urban developments. As such, the first Vertical Forest prototype in Dubai will operate under the principles of reuse and proper energy consumption. The two high rises of 190 and 150 meters will be wrapped in green terraces, hosting 2,640 trees and 27,600 shrubs supported by greenhouses and hydroponic gardens.
Sustainable aspects include urban forestry integration, fine dust particle absorption, microclimate regulation, and optimization of energy production from renewable sources. Photovoltaic surfaces will power the water desalination systems to serve the building's water cycle in addition to grey water recovery. The panels will produce 5,100 kWh of clean energy, stored in a system of hydrogen batteries, reducing the buildings' grid-based electricity usage.
The V-shape figure would frame Dubai's growing skyline, which targets Net Zero by 2050. The United Arab Emirates, along with an extended list of renowned firms, is already working on green prototypes like the New Tech District by URB and the Academic City by OMA to provide solutions to challenges in food availability, energy production, water harvesting, and zero-waste management in the region.
The prototype for the Vertical Forest towers is one of the several ambitious projects unveiled during the COP27 climate change conference, which is taking place until November 18 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In an upgrade of the proposal presented in 2021, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) also unveiled the Urban Sequoia NOW. The tower will sequester carbon from the atmosphere lifecycle and increase the typical 60-year lifespan of the building.
