BERNICE WONG

Sustainability is taking the world by storm, and the field of architecture is no exception.
A new form of concrete has been developed in Barcelona with a biological composition that has moss and other types of green organisms to grow out of it.

As interesting (and slightly creepy) as its aesthetic appeals will probably be, it actually has a lot of environmental and economic advantages.

Of course, the growing organisms absorb and reduce CO2 in the immediate atmosphere, reducing overall CO2 levels in the particular area. Not only is this good for the environment, but it’d probably make breathing easier, especially in populated urban areas. (As a born-and-bred Vancouverite, there’s nothing I appreciate more than the clean air.)

The wall layers also capture solar radiation and insulate the atmosphere inside, reducing energy consumption and cost.

It’s also possible to choose specific areas of the building that you want to cover and others that you don’t, to create “ornamental alternative” ways of decorating the building with different “finishes and shades of colour”.  They were pretty vague about the aesthetic benefits in the articles I looked at… Honestly though, I’m not particularly enthused about living in a building that looks like this:

Or this:

Kind of looks like it’s moulding…

But hey, you win some you lose some.