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Extreme tree houses
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Digg thisLike Joachim, Konstantin Kirsch believes that living trees can make ideal building materials. He planted this "treedome" in 1992 using two tree species in the Sorbus family. The research project sits on his wooded property in Central Germany, where the largest tree structure is 31 feet in diameter. Kirsch is working on a 427 square foot treedome made from a giant sequoia.
Larger dwellings could be built by planting small rooms like this one near each other, then encouraging them to grow together. In theory, a household living in such a structure could use its wastewater and compost to feed the roots of trees, helping the walls and roof to grow. Health benefits include fresh air from the oxygen given off by the trees, which absorb carbon exhaled by the inhabitants.
Credit: Konstantin Kirsch
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