With temperatures rising and heatwaves set to intensify, coupled with dwindling biodiversity in cities across the world, there is an urgent need for a rethink in urban development. Devised in a three-way collaboration between Stefan Diez’s industrial design studio Diez Office, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), and urban greening specialists OMCºC, Vert is an experimental proposition for a modular structure that can address both issues.

Over the last decade and a half, AHEC has presented a host of experimental structural projects that showcase innovations in hardwood, such as hardwood CLT. Vert continues this important work, this time focusing on highlighting the potential of red oak glue-laminated timber (glulam).

“Vert offered a tangible solution for urban greening, integrating sustainable materials and modular timber construction to create a multifunctional space. The idea perfectly aligned with our commitment to sustainability and our mission to highlight red oak’s structural and environmental characteristics, inspiring the design and architectural community to consider it as a valuable material option.” – David Venables, European Director for AHEC

Having previously supported Stefan Diez in his teaching work, AHEC and the Munich-based designer began exploring the possibility of collaboration at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen in 2023. For several years, Diez Office had been working with OMCºC on their urban-greening solution that would reduce the carbon footprint of the city in the process. This is the role typically performed by trees, but in an era of acute climate change, climbing plants can be more effective as they grow many times faster, require less root space, and can be ‘harvested’ annually to be turned into biochar or recycled as raw material for the generation of energy.

“The structure performs as a ‘Greening Machine’, while also making urban spaces more harmonious and pleasant to live in from an aesthetic point of view. We wanted Vert to break the monotony of our urban environment.”– Stefan Diez, Director & Founder, Diez Office

Vert is projected to cool the surrounding airspace by as much as 8ºC, cast four times more shade than a 20-year-old tree, and produce as much biomass as an 80-year-old lime tree – all through the use of climbing plants grown over the course of a single summer.

“The project is intended to inspire urban planners, architects and designers to address climate change and, above all, to work together to develop interdisciplinary solutions. We want to show that you can implement large-scale greening even in the enclosed spaces of the inner city. Our aim is to create a beautiful place for LDF: a cool, shady, flowering, rustling, buzzing place where you can be close to nature, a garden for insects and people in the middle of the city – somewhere that does you good.” – Nicola Stattmann, Director & Founder, OMCºC

This project aligns with London’s ambitious climate goals, including the Mayor's directives to increase tree cover by 10% by 2050. Vert presents a blueprint for sustainable urban development in the age of climate crisis, blending innovative design with environmental stewardship to create liveable, resilient and biodiverse urban spaces.