horticultural building systems

Horticultural Building Systems are defined here as the instance where vegetation and

an architectural system exist in a mutually defined and intentionally designed

relationship that supports plant growth and an architectonic concept. This definition

allows for the history of Horticultural Building Systems to be traced through the

seemingly disparate evolutions of horticultural and architectural technology that link

the glass house and Crystal Palace to modern architecture and current trends in

green architecture. Theories of tectonic culture, modern architecture, and

horticultural innovation are placed in direct dialogue with patents and architectural

case studies to elucidate a history of Horticultural Building Systems that is inclusive

of tectonic, technologic, typological and horticultural histories.

As the desire for Horticultural Building Systems grows culturally so will the need for

critical dialogue and peer review in horticulture, landscape, and architecture alike.

The rise of Horticultural Building Systems in speculative and built architecture leaves

many questions unanswered, as every site and system becomes a new architectural

and horticultural experiment. A disparity exists between the ubiquity of “green” or

vegetated building systems in architectural and what is actually known about the

design, construction, history, and theory of these experimental systems. This

disparity represents fertile ground for collaborative research and future pedagogies

that integrate horticultural sciences, building system engineering, architecture and

landscape. The “Horticultural Building System Studio”, taught at the University of

Oregon, will be presented as a case study for this multidisciplinary design and

research.