若山是半畝塘生態開發系列作品，三座垂直綠化的高層住宅，基地位於新竹高鐵特區，呼應高鐵設站之後快速的都市化，人口集中造成綠地消失，生態棲地消失等現象。在人工地盤的基礎上種植樹木，透過錯層陽台將樹種上高樓層，形成建築一道「樹皮層」。首座若山完成於2014年，擁有超過150%的綠覆蓋率，其後若山2（2018）及若山3（2019）分別創造218%及267%的綠覆蓋率，實踐「開發一塊土地還給地球更多的綠」的理想。
想像都市裡的高層住宅就像是一座山，建築的設計規劃形構出山的意象，從地下三層樓到頂頭勾勒出山谷與群峰之想像。設計規劃初期，半畝塘啟動土地踏查，以基地方圓十公里的範圍，調查氣候、生態、植栽、人文等資訊，選擇在地合宜的樹種植進群山意象當中，讓若山擁有非常清晰的土地自明性，並同步設計雨水回收系統形成生態水域空間，復育生態，成為高鐵特區唯一聽得到蛙鳴的社區。
居民入住之後，半畝塘啟動「五年陪伴」，透過定期的綠維養與課程活動，邀請住戶認識生態環境，習得照顧植物的基礎知識，讓若山名符其實是生態社區。根據統計三座若山已經為這城市創造將近兩公頃的森林綠地，其中包含一千五百公噸的固碳量，也同步具備兩千七百公噸的含水量，調節都市極端氣候的強降雨。整體而言，若山系列相當具體地回應台灣都市人口集居的困境，試圖提出緩解都市熱島的解決方案，在半畝塘的開發思維中視為「城居」原型，是舒緩都市集居的兩帖藥之一。
（封面、下圖一、圖二為若山1，下圖三、圖四為若山2，下圖五、圖六為若山3）
The Urban Mountains is a series of environmental friendly architecture projects by BMT. Three vertical green high-rise condo buildings located at the Hsinchu High Speed Rail special district is BMT’s answer to the rapid urbanization of the area. Concentration of population caused green landscapes and wildlife habitats to disappear. By planting trees on artificial grounds and utilizing split-level balcony to plant trees onto higer floors, the vegetation created a layer of green skin on the architecture. The first building of The Urban Mountains is completed in 2014 and has a green coverage ratio of 150%. Its sister buildings that followed: The Urban Mountains II (2018) and The Urban Mountains III (2019) achieved green coverage ratios of 218% and 267% respectively. The Urban Mountains series realized the philosophy of “giving back more greenery for every land developed.”
Imagine every high-rise building in the city is a mountain. During the planning and designing phase of The Urban Mountains, the buildings are envisioned to be a mountain, subsurface levels are the valleys, and the roof tops are the peaks. At the early stage of planning, BMT initiated field research in a 10-kilometer radius around the construction site. The field research collected information of the local weather, ecosystem, plants, and local culture. This information allowed BMT to select suitable trees for the vision of the urban mountains. The research also gave The Urban Mountains a very clear understanding of the local land. At the same time, BMT designed a rainwater collection system to create an ecological waterscape for the restoration of wildlife, making The Urban Mountains the only community in the Hsinchu High Speed Rail special district that can hear frogs croaking.
After residents moved into their condos, BMT initiated a Five-Year Companionship program that invites residents to learn about the ecosystem and the environment through regular landscape maintenance classes and events. Residents can learn the basics on how to take care of plants, making The Urban Mountains a truly ecologically minded community. According to the statistics, The Urban Mountains have created nearly two hectares of forest and green space for the city, which translates to 1,500 tons of carbon fixed. At the same time, The Urban Mountains can hold 2,700 metric tons of water content, which can serve to regulate cloudbursts in extreme climate. Overall, The Urban Mountains series have responded to the problem of Taiwan’s concentrated urban population, and attempted to provide a solution to alleviate the issue of urban heat island. In BMT’s development thinking, this series is viewed as a prototype for future city dwelling, and is one of the two solutions to urban settlement.
