From Bosco Verticale to the Bullitt Center: How Green Architecture Could Shape Asheville

When we talk about sustainability, most people picture solar panels or efficient HVAC systems. But globally, architects are taking the idea of green building much further by transforming entire skylines, neighborhoods, and ways of living. Two projects, Milan’s Bosco Verticale and Seattle’s Bullitt Center, offer lessons Asheville could adapt as our city explores the future of green building and sustainable design-build.

Bosco Verticale: A Vertical Forest in Milan

Milan’s Bosco Verticale, meaning “Vertical Forest”, is an apartment building which integrates 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 plants into a high-rise apartment building, which cannot be removed by tenants.

The intent of this is to add the beauty of nature to a barren city, to improve air quality, as well as reduce noise, regulate temperatures, and create habitats for birds and insects in the middle of a dense city. 

However, the building’s appearance might outmatch its actual environmental impact. The true environmental impact of the building is something we will begin to explore here.

The cons of High-rise VS Mid-rise

The Bosco boasts that it has a smaller footprint because it takes up a smaller amount of land on the ground, and therefore theoretically can house more people.

In practice, High-rises require far more concrete and steel than smaller buildings of 6 floors or less. Steel and concrete are carbon-intensive materials, which are huge environmental costs.

High rises also need deeper foundations and more complex structural systems to handle wind and seismic loads. 

Additionally, High-rises may appear dense, but It has been discovered that mid-rise buildings of 4-8 floors can actually house more people than clusters of glass high-rises.

High-rises require big setbacks, plazas, parking garages, and wide streets to handle traffic. On top of this, elevators, lobbies, and circulation cores eat up a lot of interior space.

Mid-rise buildings are built close together, often with small courtyards or shared green space. They create efficient floor plans with minimal wasted space, and have no huge parking or setback requirements. As a result, the net density (people per acre) can actually be higher.

Pros about the Bosco

Residents seem to enjoy the impact of the trees in their homes. One of the first residents, Simona Pizzi told Houzz “When I arrived in September 2014, the plants were much shorter; in a year, they’ve grown incredibly, and in spring the flowers are wonderful. For us, our relationship with the vegetation is one of admiration and enjoyment.”

Even if the Bosco isn’t the world most sustainable building, it has become a symbol of nature in design. It illustrates the potential of architecture to begin to heal the valley between city life and sustainability. It invites conversation of sustainable living into the room.

 It is undeniable that the building is striking in a city with little foliage. It also integrates groundwater and recycled greywater to feed the irrigation system, equipped with rooftop solar panels to supply the energy needed to pump water to every floor. Which is a promising beginning in large cities, where sustainability has been rarely considered in the world of architecture. 

What the Bosco can teach Asheville

If Asheville is to take notes from this, it could mean that our buildings can also be more human-sized and more population dense without ever needing to build skyscrapers. We can also incorporate more plants and greenery, greywater harvesting, and solar into construction.

The Bullitt Center: A Green Building in Seattle

On the other side of the earth, Seattle’s Bullitt Center is often called “the greenest commercial building in the world.” Completed in 2013, it was designed to last 250 years. The Bullitt is a commercial office building that demonstrates what high-performance sustainable design can do in a typical urban commercial context.

Its roof hosts a massive solar array that produces more energy than the building consumes by harvesting a whopping 242 KW. This is more than the building consumes, and it has a remaining surplus of 30%.

Rainwater is captured, filtered, and reused. Composting toilets process waste on-site. Every material was vetted for toxins, creating a healthier environment for occupants. It imploys FSC-certified wood, which is designed for a long lifespan of 250 years.

Additionally, the Bullitt is a Mid-rise building, rather than a high-rise, which significantly lowers its environmental impact, and improves density as we discussed in the analysis of the Bosco.

The Bullitt Center is a cultural catalyst. Tenants choose to be there because it aligns with their values. Students, policymakers, and international delegations tour it weekly. The building has shifted conversations in Seattle about what “normal” construction should look like.

 

Implications in Asheville

Asheville is already known for its progressive spirit, strong community values, and deep connection to the environment. As the city grows, Asheville architects and design-build firms have an opportunity to create green commercial spaces that become iconic and boost tourism.

Biophilic Design in Downtown: Imagine mid-rise office and mixed-use buildings wrapped in greenery, cooling the streets in summer and boosting biodiversity.

Energy efficiency: Projects modeled after the Bullitt Center could set a new bar for sustainability. The possibility of net-positive energy, zero waste, and clean water systems becomes increasingly available.

Economic Ripple Effects: Just as in Milan and Seattle, landmark green buildings in Asheville could attract tourism, investment, and talent. They’d position Asheville as a leader in sustainable architecture across the Southeast.

Community Impact: Green commercial spaces don’t just save energy, they create healthier, more inspiring environments for the people who live and work in them.

The Bigger Picture

Bosco Verticale and the Bullitt Center show that ambitious design can be transformative. For Asheville, embracing a sustainable building approach could mean more than lowering emissions. It could mean creating buildings that embody our values: resilience, creativity, and respect for nature.

If Asheville architects and design-build teams lead the way, Asheville can become a model for green building in the Southeast just as Milan and Seattle have become models worldwide.

The question isn’t whether Asheville can afford to innovate. It’s whether we will be pioneers of the green building shift, or if we will wait until it is commonplace.