[Photos] Saigon's 'Tree Building' Shields Occupants From Summer Heat

A new Saigon office building relies on a gorgeous double-skin facade build with glass and greenery to reduce noise and cooling costs.

Vietnam-based Inrestudio has devised a tropical twist on an emerging design feature to combat the city’s heat and sound pollution. Double-skin facades typically involve two panes of glass with space for air in-between. The system reduces heat loss which reduces heatings costs as well as protects against flooding and cuts down on street noise.

Because Vietnam’s hot climate doesn’t require buildings to be insulated, the second glass layer doesn’t make much sense here. So Inrestudio replaced it with a three-dimensional steel lattice covering that houses a variety of trees and plants, according to Architect Magazine. The vegetation helps guard against water penetration while blocking out heat and noise.

Not only is the building representative of environmentally mindful architecture - it’s aesthetically appealing, with the tufts of leaves and branches suggesting a structure existing in harmony with nature. The thin shadows that spill into the building’s interior give occupants the feeling that they are working within the trees.

[Photos courtesy of Inrestudio via ArchDaily]

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