Designers claim that plants not only provide a beautiful alternative to other materials used in construction, they also offer additional benefits, including noise reduction, natural cooling, air conditioning and a psychological boost to those who use the buildings.

CNN: Green walls: the growing success of 'vegitecture'

In his brilliant 1991 design for Frankfurt's Commerzbank, the tallest office building in Europe, he brought off the seemingly impossible feat of building a supertower that could use natural ventilation (as against fuel-gobbling air conditioning) during 60% of the year.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia