Choose between a Tree and a Canopee

Are you old School or new ways?

Considering options to transform your cityscape into a more vibrant and greener place? You would probably have thought of planting trees. In this article, we dive into old and new ways of dealing with urban greening and their pro and cons blowing the traditional boundaries between Urban Greening, Placemaking and Green Architecture Trees have long been synonymous with urban greenery, offering shade, oxygen, and habitat for wildlife. They're natural, time-tested solutions that enhance the aesthetics and well-being of urban environments. However, their growth requires space, maintenance, and time to reach maturity. That goes without saying that you need to make space in an already saturated underground for the roots to grow. People often forget that there is no shortage of choices, ranging from traditional tree planting to cutting-edge innovations like the Canopee. In this article, we'll delve into the characteristics of both and explore how each contributes to urban transformation.
Comparison
A Tree
A Canopee
Core concept
A tree is planted in deep soil. It is the most natural solution you can have to add green, shade and cooling in a city.
A Canopee is a perfect feature between Horticultural knowledge and Technology. It can bring all the benefits of a tree where you can not plant it. It is made with a fibreglass structure on which wine plants grow thick and even bring green, shade and cooling in an architectural and predictable way.
Cooling effect
The leaves of the tree act not only as a shading tool but also as a natural cooler by what is called evapotranspiration.
The wine naturally acts as the leaf of a tree to create evapotranspiration.
Gathering effect
From old times, trees have been gathering spaces where people met and hung out. It is a natural landmark!
Acting as a unique landmark, the Canopee can emphasise the gathering effect by enhancing a place for people to chill. Options include benches and tables around the structure.
Greening and Wellbeing effect
More Nature is linked to better physical and mental health. Basically, it makes the people happier! It also makes your city or your school more attractive... People are thriving for more green areas!
The Canopee mimics the trees' health benefits.
Resistance
Trees can be very resilient depending on the type. But with violent winds, it can be a higher risk.
Engineered to resist natural risks such as potent winds so that the Free-Standing Canopee moves just when you want it!
Sustainability
A tree makes it even in terms of carbon footprint quicker than any other element of your Urban transformation.
It takes 5.5 years for a Canopee to become Carbon Neutral. How do we achieve that? By using a structure made in Australia and sustainable materials such as fibreglass.

Roots, Installation, Costs?

Comparison
A Tree
A Canopee
Anchoring and roots
The root system in the healthy tree can extend up to 6-12 times the distance of the canopy. It can damage pipes and result in soil compaction, and soil level changes.
The roots are constrained in a pot. The pot has been engineered to provide enough space for the plants to fully grow.
Installation
You need a few days to dig under the existing surface. This requires specialized machines.
You need less than a day to install a Canopee. If you choose the Free Standing Canopee, no anchoring is needed so the installation can be done in a few hours without any heavy machines.
Growth
A tree with a medium or moderate growth rate adds half a meter of height each year. After a few years, the green cover equals the one of the Large Canopee.
3 to 4 years for the Large Canopee to be fully covered 2 to 3 years for the small Canopee
Maximum height
It depends on the species you choose but it can go from 2 m to 15 m or more. The sky is the limit!
3 m for the Small Canopee 5 m for the Large Canopee
Predictability
The beauty of nature is also its unpredictable behaviours. From its branches to its roots, it can grow in its own way. It would be suitable for parks and places with a lot of spaces available.
The key feature of the Canopee is to control the final shape of the plants and their roots. The wine grows predictably along the fibre-glass shape. It is suitable for cities with space constraints, especially within streets and paths.
Modularity
It is hard or impossible to move a tree. Once planted, you usually need to cut it if you want to get rid of it.
The Free-Standing Canopee offer a fully relocatable modular structure that can be refitted as many times as you need. The Standard Canopee however need to be anchored in the ground.
Shade
The Shade effect appears after a few years when the green canopy is developed enough.
It’s like a tree! But we added an option called instant shade featuring shade sail tech that adds a shaded area instantly of the size of the Canopee.
Green Cover
A 5-meter tree provides around 50 square meters of shade (depending on the type of tree)
20 square meters for the Small Canopee50 square meters for the Large Canopee
Lighting
You can add on the existing branch but you need them to develop enough which takes a few years.
You can add on it as soon as installed, making it instantly shine at night!
Cost
$150-$2.5k depending on the height
$20k-$35k depending on the size
Removal cost
$300 – $3000
$300 is the price of a forklift rental for a day. This is all you need to move the Free-Standing Canopee.
Needs
Living in the soil, it can benefit from the natural nutrients and water from the rain.
As it lives off the ground, it needs watering done effectively thanks to integrated water tanks that you should fill every two weeks. It also needs nutrients 2 to 4 times a year.

the three questions you need to answer

Can I dig into the ground?

  • YES! You have the choice! A Tree would be a good solution if you have no further constraints.
  • NO! You should think about the Free-Standing Canopee. It would mimic the benefits of a tree without digging.

How permanent I want it to be?

  • NO LIMITS! Well, you can go all the way with a tree that can last decades! The Canopee can last as well and should resist for at least 15 to 20 years.
  • I AM NOT SURE! The Canopee is the solution. It can be tested in a place and then relocatable as many times as you want.
  • TEMPORARY! You won't have the time to see a tree growing, but you can go for a Canopee. In fact, some events hosted Canopees with integrated plants... for a day, for a week, or for a year, the Canopee may be the perfect solution.

Is it a dense place?

  • YES! The saturated underground of cities scape can embody risks for the roots. The unpredictable branches can reach the electric cables... If you want to have a predictable integration of Nature both underground and on the ground, we would advise you to go for the Canopee!
  • NO! If you have the space, feel free to run for a classic tree. The old school is still great!