Tag Archive for 'greenhouses'

Inhabitat: Origami Greenhouse!

Morning All!

Jackson here.

Last month, SuperForester Andrew and I were having a discussion about greenhouses.

Specifically, we were wondering when someone is going to “apple-ify” the concept of the greenhouse, and by that I mean, rethink the interface between customer and greenhouse. Make it so you go online, pick how many people you want to feed, how much energy you want to expend, prices, models, etc. A garden as an appliance. Make it beyond easy.

We were saying ideally you would order your model, then sit and wait. Your greenhouse arrives, fully stocked with seeds, fertilizer, and growing medium. You simply unfold it, plug it in, and add water.

Six weeks later the flow of veggies, herbs and fruit begins and your grocery bill begins shriveling up.

Yeah, we said. That would be heavenly.

It seems some folks are thinking along similar lines, check out this lovely post on inhabitat!

“Dutch designer Daniel Schipper created the foldable greenhouse for city gardens and rooftop terrariums. Made from recycled plastics, the greenhouse roof folds up flat for easy storage and transience. The base is also made from recycled plastic composite and its lack of framework or support materials makes it a minimalist no-fuss appliance.

Schipper’s foldable greenhouse has been causing a stir in the Netherlands and he searches for a production partnership to bring it to the global market. It’s just one of many innovative creations from his Amsterdam studio which focuses on concept, research and design having completed. Many of Schipper’s projects emphasize sustainability, functionality and fold-ability.”

Origami recycled-plastic greenhouses?!

We’re sold!

Here’s to hoping Daniel finds someone to partner with soon, because the world needs more vegetables. And definitely more greenhouses.

Love to all,

-Jackson

UK Builds Giant Greenhouse!

Fresh veggies all year round! Good thinking.

“On the chilly Isle of Thanet in Kent, England, farmers are placing 220 acres of land under glass so they can grow vegetables all year round. The greenhouse, when completed, will house 1.3 million plants and increase the UK’s crop of green vegetables by 15%. Called Thanet Earth, the project will be a series of 7 connected grenhouses with a relatively small carbon footprint. And nothing grown inside Thanet Earth will ever touch soil.”

” Says the UK Guardian:

“Growing hydroponically, in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil, allows the suspension of the crops at waist height rather than ground level, for ease of picking . . . The site’s developers say they have taken steps to ensure the environmental impact, considering the scale of the operation, will be minimised. The huge reservoirs, which will capture rainwater and recycle the water in which the crops grow, will allow the site to be self-sufficient from May to September, draining nothing from the local utilities. The 32MW generated by the combined heat and power system, uploaded to the National Grid, will offset significant costs from the site, while some of the CO2 produced by the burning gas will used to enrich the glasshouse atmosphere.”"



via io9.com