Nanjing Eco Housing To Feature Cascading Living Walls and High Tech Facade

A new high-tech, low carbon, sustainable housing complex is now slated for <a href="http://inhabitat.com/steven-holl-completes-green-roofed-nanjing-museum-of-art-architecture/">Nanjing, China</a>. Designed by <a href="http://www.bdp.com/en/Projects/By-Name/A-E/Eco-Housing-Project-Nanjing/?category=26&amp;parentpageid=37" target="_blank">BDP</a> for regional developer Landsea, which specializes in green, high-tech residential developments, the Nanjing Eco Housing project features a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/bella-sky-hotels-dramatic-leaning-towers-to-open-this-week-in-copenhagen/">high performance facade </a>with triple glazing and louvers. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/category/solar-power">Solar energy</a>, earth tubes, and energy efficient HVAC systems all combine to reduce energy usage, while living walls and rooftop gardens lower the temperature and beautify the space.

Working with a predetermined massing and volume of the development, BDP maneuvered around the basic block buildings to design a sustainable project.

Relying on solar passive design, the east-west oriented buildings take advantage of the sun for their winter time heating.

The full height, triple-paned, south facade acts as a closed in balcony for each apartment.

The greenhouse principle comes into play pulling in the sun's heat to help warm the apartment.

n the summer, the louvered windows can be opened along with other windows across the apartment to create cross ventilation and facilitate natural cooling.

The six-story buildings are covered in green with living walls on either side and rooftop gardens for the resident's pleasure.

At the center of each roof, is a sculptural rainwater harvesting collector that also creates a covered deck for tai chi.

Unlike Western kitchens that are open to the living space, these kitchens are separated from the living space to accommodate for "vigorous wok cooking". Each apartment shares a double height outdoor space for outdoor cooking.