Archinect
anchor

Grow Your Own Home

garpike

MIT's Mitchell Joachim along with Lauren Greden and our own Javier Arbona have teamed up to design a home that you grow. Read about the Fab Tree Hab here. And see video in the Pop Sci arcticle here.

 
May 1, 07 5:19 pm

any plans for a Fab Tree Hab out of bamboo?

May 1, 07 5:32 pm  · 
 · 
garpike

Do they have strong roots? Maybe bamboo could be used if the pleaching needs some help.

May 1, 07 5:38 pm  · 
 · 

hmm, that's a good point. I was just thinking of how dense it is and how quickly it grows. But then again, when you wanted to use it for the exterior walls, you might have a hard time keeping it out of the living room...

May 1, 07 5:49 pm  · 
 · 

and for those that like to wander around their house naked, bamboo has some razor sharp leaves that will leave nasty little cuts in not so discreet areas

May 1, 07 7:41 pm  · 
 · 
mdler

mmm...nakedness

May 1, 07 7:42 pm  · 
 · 
Starland Vocal Band

Wow. A home that only takes "several decades" to complete. Fascinating.

May 1, 07 8:25 pm  · 
 · 
binary

sort of like old dirt........think about it

May 1, 07 9:17 pm  · 
 · 
Apurimac

if mines gonna be out of bamboo, ill get a panda to clean house so i can walk about naked

May 1, 07 10:12 pm  · 
 · 

the bamboo that grows in my back yard is hard as anything to pull out, so the roots must be sort of decent. and it does grow quickly - like new shoots in new places every day.

the idea of trying to control something that's basically grass sounds daunting.

May 2, 07 7:48 am  · 
 · 
French

is it a genetically egineered house?

May 2, 07 8:57 am  · 
 · 
French

if so, it will probably be forbidden in europe anyway...
Unless you can proove that it doesn't contaminate other houses... er plants sorry

May 2, 07 8:58 am  · 
 · 

the possibilities are endless...



more

May 2, 07 1:36 pm  · 
 · 
garpike

I like the "emergency leaves" at the top.

May 2, 07 9:23 pm  · 
 · 
garpike

Is there a Pett?

I found a Petpu.

May 2, 07 9:24 pm  · 
 · 
WonderK

People for the Ethical Treatment of Pumpkins? Yes!

May 2, 07 10:06 pm  · 
 · 
Yumtoder

Sources & References for Fab Tree Hab

Ahadu Abaineh. 2002. Tree House, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (p. 60-61). The Architectural Review: Emerging Architecture. AR&D Awards 2002. December Issue.

Nicholas A. Ashford. 2002. Incorporating Science, Technology, Fairness, and Accountability in Environmental, Health, and Safety Decisions. Adapted from "Implementing a Precautionary Approach in Decisions Affecting Health, Safety, and the Environment: Risk, technology alternatives, and tradeoff analysis" in The Role of Precaution in Chemicals Policy, Favorita Papers Jan 2002. Freytag E et al (eds). Diplomatic Academy, Vienna, pp. 128-140.

Alan Axelrod. 2001. The Life and Work of Thomas Jefferson. Alpha Books. Indianapolis, IN.

Adrian D. Bell. 1991. Plant Form: An Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology. Oxford University Press. New York. Excavated Rhizome System (p. 130).

Janine M. Benyus. 2002. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Harper Perennial.

David J. Brown, Ed., 2004. The HOME House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing, MIT Press.

Alexander Carse. 1792. View of the Willow Cathedral. Watercolor.
RIBA Library Drawings Collection.

Paul Cooper. 2001. Living Sculpture. Mitchell Beazley.

David Clark. 2003. Ultimate Treehouses. Running Press Book Publishers.

Roger Dean. 1975. Views. Dragons Dream.

Dennis Dollens. 2005. Digital-Botanic Architecture: D-B-A. Lumen Books.

Dennis Dollens. 2004. Genetic Architectures / Arquitecturas geneticas. SITES; Bilingual edition.
Rudolf Doernach. 1987. Pflanzen-Hauser Biotektur. Panorama Verlag. Munchen, Germany. Brunnen-Sitzlaube (p.77).

Rudolph Doernach, Fall 1989 "Biotecture - Special Section: Plants as Teachers". Whole Earth Review.

Patrick Dougherty. Dixie Cups (1998) and Headstrong (2002). (http://www.stickwork.net/dougherty/main.html).

Colin Duly. 1984. The Houses of Mankind . Thames & Hudson.

Lynne Elizabeth and Cassandra Adams (Eds). 2000. Alternative Construction: Contemporary natural building methods. Wiley. New York, NY.

Axel N. Erlandson. 1957. “Tree circus” photo essay. Life magazine, Jan. 14, pp. 16-17.

Axel Erlandson. The Sycamore Tower (image). (http://www.arborsmith.com/treecircus.html).

Karl Von Frisch. 1974. Animal Architecture. Harcourt.

Terunobu Fujimori. 2003. “Dandelion House”. Taipei Times. Sun. April 20th
(http://tampopo-house.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/).

David Hancocks. 1973. Master Builders of the Animal World. Harper Row.

Kurt Herran. 1955 (1933 Czechoslovakia). Living Fences. Permaculture Journal, no. 8.

Fredric Hobbs. 1980. Eat your house: Art eco guide to self-sufficiency distributed Mayfield Pub. Co.

John Johansen. 2002. Nanoarchitecture: A New Species of Architecture. Princeton Architectural Press.

Marcel Kalberer. 1999. Das Weidenbaubuch. Die Kunst, lebende Bauwerke zu gestalten. (The art to arrange living buildings). At-Verlag.

Konstantin Kirsch. 2002. Naturbauten aus lebenden Gehölzen (Buildings of nature from living wood). OLV Organischer Landbau Verlag. Auflage: 3., vollst. überarb. Aufl.

Paul Laffoley. 1999. Architectonic Thought Forms: A Survey of the Art of Paul Laffoley, 1968 – 1999. Austin Museum of Art.

Marc-Antoine Laugier. 1755. Primitive Hut. (image).

Marc-Antoine Laugier. 1985. An Essay on Architecture (1753). Hennessey & Ingalls.

George Louis Le Rouge, 1976. Les Jardins Anglo-Chinois. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France/ Connaissance et Mémoires.

W. Barksdale Maynard. 2002. Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850. New Haven Yale University Press.

Gordon Matta-Clark. 1971. Untitled (Tree Forms). Pencil, black ink and colored markers on paper. (image).

Giuliano Mauri, 2001. Cattedrale Vegetale. Arte Sella. Trento in Italy. (Installation).

Edwin A. Menninger. 1967. Fantastic Trees. Viking Adult.

Barbara Nemitz. 2000. Trans Plant: Living Vegetation in Contemporary Art. Cantz Editions.

Frederick D. Nichols and Ralph E. Griswold. 1978. Thomas Jefferson Landscape Architect. University Press of Virginia. Charlottesville, VA.

David Nash. 1996. David Nash: Forms into Time. Academy Editions, Kgp Pub.

Jean Perreal. 1516. The Alchemist Talking with Nature. (image).

Mark Primack. 1978 “Botanic Architecture”. CoEvolution Quarterly. Spring.

Mark Primack. Pleaching. (http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/good_wood/pleachng.htm).

Richard Reames. 1995. How to Grow a Chair: The art of tree trunk topiary. Williams, OR: Arborsmith Studios.

Richard Reames. 2002. Arborsculpture- Solutions for a Small Planet. OR: Arborsmith Studios.

Richard Reames. Red Alder Bench (image). (http://www.arborsmith.com/).

Bernard Rudofsky. 1987. Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture. University of New Mexico Press.

Charles Simonds. 1975. Growth House. Charles Simonds: [an exhibition at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, June 11-July 17, 1977]. Buffalo Fine Arts Academy.

J. T. Smith (1766-1833). Hovel in Chelsea. (image).

Laura Stein. 1996. Smile Tomato, Paradise Now: Picturing the Genetic Revolution. Exit Art, New York, NY.

Nancy Jack Todd and John Todd. 1994. From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. North Atlantic Books.

John Todd. Living Machines, Inc. Open Aerobic Reactor. (http://www.livingmachines.com/htm/machine.htm).

J. Scott Turner. 2000. The Extended Organism: The Physiology of Animal-Built Structures. Harvard University Press.

Simon Velez. Grow Your Own House Simone Velez and Bamboo Architecture. 2000. Vitra Design Museum.

Jon Warnes. 2001. Living Willow Sculpture. Search Press.

J. F. Wiesener. “Maple of Ratibor.” circa 1815. (image).

Arthur Wiechula. Wachsende häuser aus lebenden bäumen entstehend (Living trees grow into homes). 1923-28 Paul Zimmermann, Berlin.

Peter J. Wilkin. 1999. Growing Home. (http://www.geocities.com/heartland/oaks/4769/ent.htm).

May 4, 07 4:52 pm  · 
 · 
WonderK

Trees are smarter than people, aren't they? Well done, Trees. :o)

May 4, 07 4:55 pm  · 
 · 
Yumtoder

CNC technology channels the growth direction via prescribed template forms.
No genetic modification and no nano-tech.

May 4, 07 4:55 pm  · 
 · 
Yumtoder

United States Patent Application 20060096168
Kind Code A1
Golan; Ezekiel May 11, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method and a kit for shaping a portion of a woody plant into a desired form


Abstract
A method of shaping a portion of a woody plant into a desired form is provided. The method is effected by providing a root of a woody plant, shaping the root into the desired form and culturing the root under conditions suitable for secondary thickening of the root.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventors: Golan; Ezekiel; (Tel Aviv, IL)
Correspondence Name and Address: Martin MOYNIHAN;c/o ANTHONY CASTORINA
2001 JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY, SUITE 207
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
US


Serial No.: 963689
Series Code: 10
Filed: October 14, 2004

U.S. Current Class: 47/4
U.S. Class at Publication: 047/004
Intern'l Class: A01G 7/00 20060101 A01G007/00

May 4, 07 5:00 pm  · 
 · 
WonderK

Joachim and the Fab Tree Hab were featured in a program on the Sundance Channel called big ideas for a small planet: build. Check it out, some of the other usual suspects show up in the show as well.....

May 13, 07 10:06 pm  · 
 · 
vado retro

i pity the fool who dont grow his own home.FOOL!

May 13, 07 10:24 pm  · 
 · 
treekiller

trees- welcome and thanks for the great biblio!

I almost pursued growing buildings as my thesis, instead I looked at infrastructural ruralism... this thread almost makes me think I'll do another thesis just for the hell of it.



talkin' bout growing- my garden if finally sprouting! the fava's are well ahead of all the other veggies, but finally seeing some action from the string beans, lima beans, speckle beans, spinach, cauliflower, and chard, now I gotta figure out what's wrong with those carrots half sprouted but haven't done much for the past week or two... my neighbor handed me two tomato plants yesterday!!!, so they're in and surrounded by basil seeds and the peppers that just got sown too. oh the long awaited echineachia (cone flower) have shown themselves (yeah!)... still waiting on the butterfly plant (Asclepia) but that takes 20-25 days to germinate....

May 14, 07 12:56 pm  · 
 · 
WonderK

The Fab Tree Hab got an honorable mention in Newsweek.....

May 31, 07 11:58 am  · 
 · 
SDR

Joachim was on Colbert this morning. When I broke in he was talking about vehicles, in addition to the buildings. Inflated car, helium-blimp bus (passengers sit in seats suspended above the pavement on drop-cords). . .

May 11, 09 2:15 pm  · 
 · 
hillandrock

The French had mastered this kind of idea... oh, about 800 years ago. I think it is called espalier.

It was originally used to make pitchforks, table legs and some other things-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arborsculpture -- has a little further info.

Applying for a patent over "how to make trees grow into shapes" is ridiculous. I'm not a big fan of the patent system for this reason. Eventually, it's going to be a barrier to progress. I know that one of the reasons why trash incineration, syngas recovery and sewer sludge waste-to-energy conversion isn't as popular is that GE owns now just about every single patent out there for it. And they're using these patents to sell out-of-the-box power plant systems.

I don't know how such simple things can be "owned" by any means.

May 11, 09 2:31 pm  · 
 · 
SDR

Some strange stuff here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yA0i_qMD3U&feature=related

May 12, 09 1:51 pm  · 
 · 
SDR

. . .you can turn off the sound if it helps. . .

May 12, 09 1:53 pm  · 
 · 

Block this user


Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?

Archinect


This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.

  • ×Search in: