Meise Botanic Garden’s Green Ark: A Hyperboloid Greenhouse Complex With Over 10,000 Endangered Plants

In what represented a major milestone in plant conservation and sustainable architecture, a unique project named Green Ark was launched at Meise Botanic Garden. This bold endeavor encompasses an impressive 7,600-square-meter greenhouse complex that opened to the public in May 2024.

A Safe Haven for Endangered Flora

On the 92-hectare site of Meise Botanic Garden is the Green Ark, an epitome of modern environmental stewardship. It shelters over 10,000 endangered plant species. The setup has 22 greenhouses, each regulated to have just enough temperature and humidity for its different vegetation types. This complex structure shows the garden's dedication to conserving global botanical diversity.

Architectural and Ecological Innovation

One of the standout features of Green Ark is the hyperboloid pavilion made from sustainable Kebony Clear wood. This revolutionary material provides an attractive look that simulates nature and aligns with this project's eco-goals. Illustrative of an important departure from traditional tropical hardwoods is the utilization of Kebony wood derived from fast-growing FSC-certified softwoods. These softwoods, which take only twenty-five and thirty years to mature compared to centuries taken by hardwoods, are transformed through a dual modification process that increases strength and stability, rendering them environmentally friendly substitutes.

A Collaborative Effort

"The Green Ark represents a paradigm shift in building and design where sustainability meets aesthetics," said Gert Van Beeck, Sales Manager at Kebony, who emphasized how critical this material was for such projects as "The Green Ark." As opposed to tropical hardwoods, Kebony wood helps demonstrate how modern architectural trends can merge effectively with ecological concerns thus serving as an archetype for more exciting sustainable projects both in Belgium globally.

More than being environmentally friendly or architecturally appealing, the Green Ark also exemplifies the concept of synergy. De Keyser Wood Industry, NU Architectuur Atelier, Archipelago Architects, Mouton, and Van Poppel, in collaboration with Meise Botanic Garden and the Flemish Government, designed and constructed it.

Additionally, modern technologies play a vital role in Green Ark. It is worth noting that there is an advanced irrigation system that recycles rainwater coming from rooftops, thereby minimizing water wastage significantly. Additionally, energy consumption by new structures has been cut by half compared to old greenhouses, marking considerable progress towards achieving greater energy efficiency.

A Visionary Step Towards Sustainability

The mission of the Green Ark as a conservation and research center is to inform the 240,000 visitors who come every year to Meise Botanic Garden about the increasing dangers related to global warming and innovative solutions required for biodiversity protection. This educational purpose is essential as it increases individuals' awareness of environmental problems, leading to action to protect Earth's future.

It should be noted that the Green Ark is not just a project; it marks a visionary step towards a sustainable future. The conservation-minded Meise Botanic Garden has established a haven where endangered plant life can flourish while at the same time serving as a public education zone on why we have to safeguard our environment using frontier technology based on ecological materials that do not harm nature or destroy its life support systems. The undertaking inspires other botanical gardens worldwide to pursue sustainable development goals in their organizations.

Special Feature Note: This article is a unique feature for Design Times. We have been emailed high-resolution images of the Green Ark project.