SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS - Itera

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Ecoboulevard, Madrid, Spain, [ecosistema urbano], 2007
The Ecoboulevard project in Madrid features a number of installations called “air trees,”
which create shady areas that augment the boulevard’s trees until the saplings have
grown big enough to provide shade. These artifi cial trees were designed as temporary
structures that can easily be dismantled and moved elsewhere when they are no longer
needed. The three “air tree” groups create cool outdoor spaces through natural ventilation
by sucking air up through the structure. Photo voltaic units mounted on the roof provide
them with energy. They give the area a distinctive identity and help create an active
social space. When the boulevard’s trees are big enough, the “air trees” can be moved to
another area and the space they had occupied appears to be like clearings in the boulevard’s
forest of trees.