Houses Woven Out of Trees Proposed

By Tracy Staedter, Discovery News

Jan. 20, 2006— Growing a home from living trees instead of building a home from felled timber is the goal of an architect from the __Massachusetts Institute of Technology__.

Mitchell Joachim, part of the __MIT Media Lab's Smart Cities Group__, along with ecological engineer Lara Greden and architect Javier Arbona, propose a home that is actually an ecosystem.

The Fab Tree Hab goes beyond sustainable housing and so-called green design — building with materials that have a low impact on the environment and human health.

"Not only does it do zero damage, but it will hopefully clean the air," said Joachim.

The habitat is based on an ancient gardening method known as __pleaching__, which weaves together tree branches to form living archways, lattices or screens.

In Joachim's vision, the exterior of the living house is shaped over the course of several decades into a protective crisscross of vines, interspersed with soil pockets and growing plants.

He proposes constructing windows manufactured from soy-based plastics that would __flex with the home as it grows__.

Water would be gathered in a roof-top trough and circulate by gravity through the house, where it would be used by the inhabitants, filtered through a garden, and purified in a pond containing bacteria, fish, and plants that consume organic waste.

A composting system would treat human refuse. Water would also serve to hydrate the plants and the tree itself, which would give off water vapor naturally during transpiration and cool the shelter.

The Fab Tree Hab would also rely on the sun for heat. Large, south-facing windows would absorb warmth in the winter, while windows located on the shady side at ground floor would draw in cool breezes during hot months.

"The living house would be the holy Grail of this art form," said Richard Reames, an Orgeon-based arborsculptor and author of "How to Grow a Chair."

Reames uses grafting and pleaching techniques to grow living chairs, benches and tables.

Joachim's dream is to plan an entire community based on the living house design, but before that can happen, he will need to conduct a year or two's worth of sociology and feasibility studies.

In the meantime, he is currently designing a house in California that will be constructed from 50 percent recycled and reconstituted materials and 50 percent living elements.

The project is called MatScape and Joachim sees it as an experimental step toward the ultimate living house.