Creating an Urban Cloud Forest for Amazon with Fog Humidification

Site Design

The three intersecting spheres range from three to four stories in height and take up over half of a city block. They house over 40,000 plants from 50 countries, sculpted into the architecture. Open spaces allow trees to grow as high as 49 feet, and “living walls” of plants are woven into mesh, creating vertical gardens that replicate the biodiversity and vertical stratification of forests. Visual effects are also incorporated using MeeFog to add dimension, highlighting the natural elements. Amazon obtains most of its plants from Teufel Nursery, a nearby satellite greenhouse. A MeeFog system installed in the nursery facilitates seedling development, plant propagation, and healthy plant growth. The MeeFog system generates a high volume of ultra-fine droplets that evaporate quickly, providing the perfect environment for the plants to grow until they are ready to be transported to the Spheres.

Installation

The domes must be kept at 72°F with 60% relative humidity to provide an ideal environment for the plants and trees. Mee Industries provided a fog system with controls to perfectly maintain the needed humidity. The system uses a high-pressure pump to direct water to an array of intricately placed impactionpin nozzles. Amazon was looking for a system that would keep energy needs low and they found that MeeFog humidification systems are extremely energy efficient. By taking advantage of the adiabatic process, existing heat in the air evaporates the water droplets. Compared to steam, compressed air, or ultrasonic systems, MeeFog systems yield substantial energy savings.