[ti:Using Real Trees to Bring Nature Indoors]
[al:Arts and Culture]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2025-01-28]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]There is a growing movement worldwide to use plants in building design to establish closer connections with nature and soften hard city styles.
[00:13.85]The movement also seeks to improve designs to help protect the environment and increase personal wellness.
[00:25.26]Many of the efforts by architects and designers have centered on one natural element: trees.
[00:35.47]Examples of such design can be found in many places, including New York City. 
[00:43.71]A building in Manhattan that houses the Ford Foundation has a 12-story light-filled entrance area, or atrium. 
[00:55.38]It is also filled with plants and flowers including magnolias, eucalyptus, jacaranda, cryptomeria, iron bark and pear trees.
[01:10.23]Another example sits within New York City's Brookfield Place shopping center. 
[01:18.52]The center's main atrium includes a collection of 12-meter-tall Washingtonia palm trees.
[01:27.88]In Singapore, the city-state's Jewel Changi airport offers travelers an inviting environment.
[01:37.11]It has 2,500 trees native to nations including Madagascar, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
[01:49.29]The airport includes a 2.4-hectare indoor forest with walking paths.
[01:56.40]Some apartments and mixed-use buildings are also putting trees and other greenery into their designs. 
[02:07.14]Such buildings are sometimes called "greenscrapers," a term that comes from the word "skyscraper."
[02:17.42]In Milan, Italy, architect Stefano Boeri designed Bosco Verticale, a 44-story building with 800 trees and other greenery. 
[02:31.05]In the Netherlands, he also built the Trudo Vertical Forest.
[02:36.42]This is a low-income apartment building with trees growing on all sides.
[02:43.51]Similar changes are also happening inside private homes. 
[02:49.08]In some, trees are brought right indoors. 
[02:53.16]In others, outdoor trees are carefully placed as important partners in the building plan.
[03:01.97]Some architects even build homes around existing trees.
[03:07.34]Others plant one or more trees inside the home. 
[03:13.17]And some architects or designers imagine natural settings indoors by using parts of trees. 
[03:22.89]These designs are meant to create the look and feel of real wood, while bringing feelings of peace and calm.
[03:33.03]Ryoko Okada is an architect at New York City's Oda Architecture.
[03:40.32]She told The Associated Press that she and her co-workers aim to bring outdoor elements indoors as often as they can.
[03:50.88]"There's nothing more calming than being surrounded by nature..." Okada said. 
[03:57.77]She added that a living tree indoors can bring peace and happiness as people watch it grow and change.
[04:07.49]Another design example came from KAA Design Group in Los Angeles.
[04:15.19]A team from the company created a modern home that uses the property's existing trees, such as cork oaks, rare Torrey pines, and magnolias.
[04:29.66]One very large, old cork oak sits in the center of the property. 
[04:36.16]At first, the owners did not like the look and said they wanted the tree gone. 
[04:43.17]One of the company's partners, Grant Kirkpatrick, had to persuade the homeowners to keep it.
[04:51.59]Kirkpatrick explained he succeeded by pointing out that the tree was "a 300-year-old antique that should be featured rather than removed."
[05:04.22]The driveway on that property also offers a calming design.
[05:10.83]A black pine tree rises up from the driveway like a piece of natural art. 
[05:17.72]In addition, views from almost every window in the house feature the beautiful nature outdoors.
[05:26.75]Okada says she suggests people do not plant a full-size tree in their home without first seeking expert advice.
[05:38.45]She notes that a living tree will only do well if certain conditions - such as air, light and soil - are right.
[05:49.22]Okada added that a living tree "...needs to be supported by proper infrastructure to stay alive and avoid home damage."
[06:02.03]She also urges people to heavily research a tree's natural environment to avoid drawing in unwanted pests.
[06:13.22]Kirkpatrick noted that planting a tree indoors can be difficult.
[06:19.60]He explained that at least 1.2 meters of soil depth is needed, along with lots of natural light and the right temperature.
[06:32.51]Kirkpatrick said he worked on one property that experienced a serious fire in 2016.
[06:40.90]His team decided to use parts from one of the burned manzanita trees in the interior design. 
[06:50.62]The piece was painted black and placed inside the property. 
[06:56.57]He said it now represents an eye-catching, natural art piece.
[07:02.73]I'm Anna Matteo.