HYDROPONIC PERGOLA AS AN EXAMPLE OF LIVING FURNITURE IN URBAN LANDSCAPE

Current city centres are evolving in their utilities into functional and public uses. It makes necessary to provide urban population with living green places to use while they are out of their homes. Since city centres are already developed, it is very difficult to find out the way to obtain more garden surfaces, usually limited to the historical gardens of the cities. Besides this, traditional gardening is not sustainable, due to the high water consumption. On the other hand, xerogardening is an alternative that usually does not generate the levels of vegetal covered surface or natural shade desired in this kind of urban areas. The use of hydroponic techniques with recirculating nutrient solution to design new models of urban furniture means a new way to enjoy the profits that traditional gardening offered, as for example natural shade, vegetal covered surface or green urban landscape, with none of its disadvantages, as they are the high water waste or the need of specifically prepared soil. The aim of the project was to develop a model of urban furniture with minimum water consumption using compatible ornamental plants with recirculating techniques. The model of an hydroponic pergola is an example of urban furniture, able to build urban landscapes using living plants, to provide green areas with all the benefits that citizens expect.