Indoor Bubbleponics

Ever wanted to grow herbs and veggies indoors, away from the birds, squirrels, and bugs? I know I have tried and tried; using windows and even grow lights to provide ample light but without results! This led to a research quest of how the experts at NASA plan on growing plants for the cosmonauts.  

(The zucchini plant floating freely in microgravity on the ISS. Credit: Don Pettit)

It was then that I learned about the space-age technology of AeroGarden. Not quite aeroponics, not quite hydroponics, but something in-between that I have read described as Bubbleponics!



In December 2012, I had the opportunity to work at two of three AeroGarden Kiosks in America. I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about the gardens and hear what my customers had to say. All of our units were growing in classic American Malls and the reactions were almost comical. Many people simply didn't believe that plants were real and were compelled to touch and smell if not eat the herbs, salads and tomatoes!

Tomatoes grown in the Chandler Mall!

Interestingly I also had the opportunity to chat with people that were happy owners of AeroGardens for 6+ years and learn about what they grew. I was happy to learn that you can even permaculture an AeroGarden by planting tomatoes, salad greens, and herbs at one time and setting "advanced features" for an indoor homegrown salad bar. Yummy!

Basil is always the first to sprout and will be the first herb to harvest after as little as two weeks. After 45 days the quality and quantity is breathtaking. The thyme was growing over the edge of the base, the basil could be harvested every other day, but what really inspired people as they passed was the smell of fresh herbs. No bugs, no dirt just fresh, aromatic, organic herbs! After two months in the mall I could have opened a salad bar!







As food prices continue to rise I hope that more and more people start growing herbs, vegetables, and even fruit! One person that stopped by the kiosk mentioned that their family uses the AeroGarden to grow transplants for their outdoor garden. They have had so much success that they bought a garden starter system so they could start as many as 60 plants! What a value! If transplants cost $2 each they are growing $120 worth of plants. AeroGardens also do well starting slow to grow plants like lavender and sweet marjoram. The possibilities are endless! Feel free to comment with your own AeroGarden experiments and inspirations.


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Tired of searching endlessly on Amazon for the right plants?

Add some flare to your house by incorporating edible plants!

Phoenix Interior designed by Earthship Biotecture

Amazon.com offers value and in most cases a guarantee on live plants. The banana plants above provide esthetic appeal and nutrients! Visit my amazon store to find the right indoor plants for you. http://astore.amazon.com/architeimprin-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=3

Plants also make simple white rooms into beautiful sanctuaries. My grandmother always had plants growing in her bathroom. As a child it felt like I was showering in the rainforest! The interior below make great use of wall mounted planters; the vines used can be found at most garden shops and are among the easiest to grow. 

Tropical plants can also be used to balance large white walls. These can be substituted for citrus or avocado trees found at my amazon store. 

        


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Earthship Tour

The Earthship World Headquarters is the brainchild of architect Mike Renyolds. After finishing up his architecture degree he began to experiment with “trash” as building materials. These radically sustainable homes have been constructed all over the world in multiple climates. The most modern model, called the Global Model, is used as a visitor center. 

These homes are considered to be “radically sustainable” because they are not tied, in any way, to the typical city grid system. This means that they treat their own sewage: Grey water is used for plants in the built-in greenhouse, and also for toilet water. The toilet water turns into black water, which is flushed out into a solar-powered septic tank. Once treated, the water is sent to a leach field which also provides for plant growth. They provide their own electricity through wind power and solar panels. They provide their own heat, without gas or electricity, by utilizing the greenhouse and solar gain system shown below. Solar gain is the process of constructing habitable environments to utilize the sun’s energy at specific angles during different seasons. 

When Mike Reynolds wanted to created a sustainable home, he had three principles: (quoted from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship)

“…first, it would be sustainable architecture, using material indigenous to the entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the “grid”, therefore being less susceptible to natural disasters and free from the electrical and water lines that Reynolds considered unsightly and wasteful. Finally, it would be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create.”

We were impressed with the style and modernity of these homes - despite being constructed from trash and renewable Earth resources, these homes were a lot more interesting than 99% of the homes being constructed for the ‘burbs in large cities.

The woodwork was stunning, and creativity may be seen in the bottle finishes.

The buildings use passive solar gain to capture heat, & grow plants. 

Here’s the Global Model from the outside.

I am standing on the roof, photographing the water spillway. 

Below is part of the water collection/solar panel system.

Evidently, switching to metal roofs allowed much finer control over water catchment. Atmospheric effects as subtle as morning dew have resulted in usable water for Earthship designs. The metal roofs also melt snow providing usable water in the winter.

Here we see some building materials.

…like tires. Tires, rammed with earth, make up the primary structural exterior walls. This provides a large thermal mass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_mass.

...and cans. Cans stacked like bricks with concrete form interior walls, exterior planter beds, and are unique expressions of the architect and his crew.

A very unique, one-of-a-kind windmill was generating power for another Earthship still in construction. Vertical windmills are great for any environment, they can handle strong winds and catch small winds. For more details and drawings visit http://earthship.com/Systems/vertical-axis-wind-power-generation-final-product.html

This Earthsip is called “EVE”, and is a revolutionary strategy to eliminate impoverished conditions for communities in 3rd world areas currently reliant upon difficult and unsustainable infrastructural conditions, including food, energy, and community activities.

From www.earthship.com/eve : “The economy is a game. This game should be about nonessential things (motorcycles, computers, televisions). A person feeding their family, staying alive, having shelter… that should not be subject to an economy. We should have truly sustainable villages that provide a life independent of the economy… and what better way to create them than to have a building prototype that doesn’t need any utilities, produces food, is made of recycled materials and is easy enough to build, that unskilled people can do it. The whole EVE concept embodies an education that can be shared around the world. People can come for short or long periods of time, live here super cheap in terms of a rent payment and everything else is provided. They can eat here, they can drink here, they will have all of the basic essentials of life here. We’ll have flat screen tvs and high speed internet which are essential to some. We will have so much of what people need here that they won’t have to take trips in to town as often. We will be providing in our own “insignificant economy”, the things that people need, in a green and sustainable way.”

The architecture reminds some of architect Antonio Gaudí’s work. Specifically, Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_g%C3%BCell

We were both incredibly happy to see such a direct response to the world’s economic and infrastructural deficiencies. 

From afar, one can make out the community at large. The buildings are partially covered by earth, and blend into the landscape. This is yet another poignant example of coexisting harmoniously with the natural environment.

For information on visiting the Earthship World Headquarters, and staying overnight in one of the Earthships, visit www.earthship.com.

This is the most intelligent, sustainable, affordable, and customizable house design that I know of today.

 For those that want to be self- sufficient, sustainable, or just have a beautiful, comfortable GREEN house. This is your house!
For an overview, with snow on the ground this house was growing tomatoes, beets, lettuces, banana trees, tropical plants, and mushrooms. It is made with tires, cans, concrete, plaster, metal, glass, wood, and is compatible with our high technology lifestyle. Their website also has a large HOW-TO section and videos on you-tube. 

Enjoy building!

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Uncomfortable Chairs are Ancient and you deserve a pillow.

Ever sit in an uncomfortable chair and wonder why it was even produced?  This is the obituary of uncomfortable design, be it Industrial, Interior, or Graphic Design. Nonetheless uncomfortable chair design has perished, it has slipped between the floorboards of high-rise apartment buildings, it has faded out with craftsmanship and should finally be slain by the assembly line and the informed.

• Origins of chairs as we know them today. Chairs through time represent craftsmanship, culture, tools, status, and lifestyle. 
  
  
  
  
  The first and oldest chair that one can view in art comes from the Sumerian city of Ur (in modern day Iraq). For those history buffs, Ur was a costal city with relics about 5,800 to 8,500 years old. From the ruins of Ur is an illuminating piece called the “The Standard of Ur.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Notice the seated figures. (I should note that perspective comes during the Renaissance and thus four chair legs are represented like the domesticated cattle).
  
  
  Later examples come from The Giza in Egypt.
  
  (photo soure: TourEgypt.net)
  
  
  The “Chair of Hetepheres” would blend with any gold interior in a modern setting. Yet compare this royal chair to those found
  in your living room and you will feel like a Queen of Egypt.
  
  
  Why do we still have chairs that feel rooted in antiquity instead of the overstuffed French royalty?
  
  
   Industrialism!
  
  
   A designer that embodies industrialism is Michael Thonet.
  
  
  
  (photo source:  smow)
  
  
  His bentwood technique enable chairs to be mass produced GLOBALLY! (http://www.thonet.de/en/history-of-a-furniture-brand.html). A classic is his Thonet 214, which just celebrated 150 years. 
  
  
  Hardly batting an eye the assembly line replaced wood furniture with metal. Metal in chairs is a luxury of the late 1920s to present. For those interested in the complexities of tubular steel check out 
  Timken's great introduction. In furniture design metal raised the bar of simple and elegant construction, stunning examples of the modern era such as Mies van der Rohe's design of 1927.
  
  
  
   (photo source: Thonet) 
  
  
  Just about the only combinations of the industrial age, the study of ergonomics, and comfortable cushioning are chairs like these. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Indeed, these are the thrones of the 21st Century!
  
  
  Enjoy the fruits of your ancestors labor.