Utrecht's 'Wonderwoods' to Feature Vertical Forest Tower
In Utrecht's Beurskwartier area, the Wonderwoods project is underway, featuring two towers including a 105-meter "Vertical Forest" designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti and MVSA Architects. The tower will house 200 apartments and thousands of trees and shrubs intended to sequester carbon and improve air quality. The project exemplifies a move toward embedding ecological health into urban housing development.
- The project's two towers provide a mixed-use program of 419 apartments (167 owner-occupied and 252 rentals), over 15,000 square meters of office space, a gym, and various hospitality and retail venues. Sixty of the rental units are designated for the mid-priced sector under a City of Utrecht plan. - The vegetation, inspired by the nearby Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park, includes 360 trees and over 75,000 shrubs and flowers from 30 native species, chosen to support biodiversity by providing food and shelter for various birds and insects throughout the year. The design includes circular openings in the facades to serve as nesting places for birds. - The second, shorter tower (73 meters), designed by MVSA Architects, contrasts with the "extroverted" Vertical Forest; its design is more "introverted," with greenery focused inward within large atriums and winter gardens, aiming for a greenhouse aesthetic. - The project aligns with the municipality's "Healthy Urban Living" goal and is a key component of the Beurskwartier's transformation into a green, car-free district. An underground eco- and water buffer system will collect rainwater from the buildings, capable of storing and phasing out up to 150,000 liters. - To ensure the health of the vegetation, a centralized, sensor-controlled irrigation system monitors moisture levels and schedules watering, which can utilize collected rainwater. Maintenance, including pruning, is handled by professional "flying gardeners" who abseil down the towers. - Construction utilized prefabricated facade and balcony modules made of white concrete and terrazzo, a technique intended to reduce the ecological footprint and ensure precise on-site assembly of components like tree planters with integrated irrigation. - Wonderwoods is part of a broader Dutch policy push for "Green Growth," which encourages sustainable development and circular construction through instruments like Green Deals, aiming for a 100% circular economy by 2050. - The development is owned by ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund and ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund, with G&S Vastgoed and VolkerWessels BVGO acting as the developers. The project officially opened in February 2025, with phased completion and occupancy having started in the summer of 2024.
