GROWING URBAN HABITATS
Edouard Francois | Sprouting Building
Montpellier, France | 2000 | Project Link
GROWING BUILDING + GARDEN
The most radical aspect of the scheme is
the treatment of the exterior as a massive
rock face that will eventually bloom
into a spectacular vertical garden. . . Here
the caged stone is simply a uniform external
layer, but its monolithic appearance will
be eventually transformed by
vegetation implanted within it.
This apartment block celebrates materials and nature. Flats are oriented to the east or west, entered from a
central corridor. The curved block inscribes an arc in the landscape and gradually steps up from three to six
fl oors. Gabion baskets that include soil and seed clad the exterior of the concrete walls, creating a medium
between building and landscape that will change the buildingÕs form, texture and color over time.
Research By: Catherine Brown
