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.
