vincent callebaut plans 'rainbow tree' residential tower for the philippines

paris-based architect vincent callebaut has revealed plans for a primarily residential, mixed-use building in cebu — one of the largest islands in the philippines. built from timber, the 32-story, 115-meter (377 feet) tower has been designed with verdant balconies capable of accommodating a diverse selection of plant life. callebaut titled the project ‘the rainbow tree’, a name that references the eucalyptus deglupta — a colorful tree native to the region.

all images courtesy of vincent callebaut architectures

callebaut’s ‘rainbow tree’ is a staggered geometric stack of 1,200 prefabricated timber modules. this element of the scheme directly references ‘nipa huts’ — indigenous nomadic houses made of natural materials from the forest. this modern interpretation of the ancient typology will be built using cross laminated timber (CLT), a material that requires much less energy than concrete or steel, and does not generate greenhouse gases.

the tower’s basement contains 120 parking spaces, while the first (ground) floor accommodates a catering restaurant, a co-working space, a lobby, and space for parked bicycles. the second story includes further co-working spaces with floors three to six offering 160 spaces for electric vehicles. the seventh and eighth stories accommodate a pool, spa, and fitness center.

floors 9-31 contain 13 apartments per floor, with an urban ‘sky farm’ — producing fruits, vegetables, and algae — found on the 31st story. the roof boasts 1,650 square meters (17,760 square feet) of photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. finally, a farm of 16 axial wind turbines with magnetic levitation generate electricity without noise pollution.

it is estimated that the 30,000 plants, shrubs, and trees planted on the tower will capture 150 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere before transforming it into oxygen through natural photosynthesis. read more about the project on vincent callebaut’s website, and see other projects by the architect on designboom here.

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project info:

name: the rainbow tree
location: cebu business park, island of cebu, the philippines
architect: vincent callebaut architectures
type of development: mixed-use residential, condominium with retail and serviced apartments
number of apartments: 300 units
sustainability certification: LEED gold plus – BERDE 4 stars (established by the philippine green building council)