“Because green skyscrapers and high-rises are a bullshit non-solution to serious systemic problems.”
“But if you want greenery on a building nonetheless, do I have an idea for you – a portable, modular, scalable solution called ‘potted plants on your balcony’.”
I just like the idea. It don’t solve anything. However more greenery is better than less.
Sucks up pollution. Hells with depression. Hells with pollinators and bugs. Can’t really see a downside
The downside is almost certainly structural (significant weight as well as moisture, and a need for long term structural integrity and safety, likely don’t pair well. Especially not when the people doing the building are looking for cost effectiveness).
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lol, sure, that sounds super fucking safe… 🙄
I suggest you look in to building regulations and how developers do their utmost to circumvent them before you speak with such confidence about something you clearly know nothing about… fucking pond liner smmfh… 😂🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
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That looks like fiver finger ivy.
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Who spit in your cereal
No idea but i kinda wish it was me, they’re super annoying
How heavy do you think plants are ? Heavier than furniture? Or just fat humans ?
Well if we’re talking fully grown oak trees for some stupid reason it’d be heavy, but most of the plants people point at in these things would be light as fuck. The dirt for the planters would probably be heavier.
Maybe some people are thinking trees. But no I expected potted plants. Shrubs of the like
Plants + dirt + water = significant additional weight to consider when designing a building for the people and their furniture…
Buildings today are already being designed with only the bare essentials in mind, they aren’t even built with safety in mind only cost effectiveness (see Grenfell and million other buildings like it that should be condemned).
I never said it can’t be done, but the person I replied to asked what the downside is, and from a developers’ point of view, that will be it.
Water is heavy, and plants are made of mostly water.
Ok. Is water heavier than steel ? I think most buildings can support a bunch of plants
The issue I was trying (and failing) to get at is the additional weight the building now has to support on top of everything else a building normally has to support. However, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal judging by everyone’s replies.
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That’s awesome, thanks for the info!
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I have no idea. Not an architectural engineer.
My assumption would be that they have to build the building to a code that has a minimum weight requirements.
Male Humans are generally averaging about 80kg.
If you have a party and have 10 - 15 over. That’s a lot of weight. Not all the time but I think if every apartment had a few plants then the weight would still be less than having a party.
Or that was my assumption anyway. I know balconies have a weight limit, as there was a story about a party and too many people were out on it and it collapsed
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Except that plants grow… and grow, and grow. Unless they’re maintained, which takes additional labor and people and infrastructure to handle, all of which adds even more weight.
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For now, if richish people want to pay for it in their flat, go for it. (It would be interesting to see the carbon cost of the extra materials though!) They can pay for the building and maintenance, and everyone else gets a cool building to look at.
The hopefully the kinks get worked out and it can be done cheaper on other buildings.