House Within a Garden in Belgium

There are ivy-covered buildings, and then there's this beauty: a Chia-pet-style vertical garden-clad live work space in Linkebeek, Belgium. The structure, designed by Samyn and Partners and took 8 years to build. Originally, the walls were to be covered with ivy and topped off by a copper roof, but the long-drawn-out construction timeline was a blessing in disguise, as the fully green facade emerged as a viable option during that time. Botanist and vertical garden master Patrick Blanc helped make the scheme possible, with a textile netting and northfacing green facade. To finish off the system, felt is stapled onto PVC panels to act as supports for irrigation and fertilization. The building houses a cinematographer's residence and workspace.