Forecast Assignment #1: Old + New Tech = Grow your own home!
Analysis
Thinking about the growing cars idea, I wondered, Why not buildings? I love the idea of owning something organic that can change and be customizable to your needs. This uses an old technique called pleaching--the interweaving of living and dead branches through a hedge. This is an amazing idea because of the naturalness of it. Humans and their homes would live in symbiosis. We breathe out carbon dioxide which plants convert to oxygen, which we then breathe in.
FAQ
1) The global impact, national impact, and local / personal impact.
Self-sustaining. Waste become food for the home, lessening pollution. The home would be customizable to your growing family. Maybe you need more rooms because you have a new baby on the way. Maybe you need a comforting environment for someone in therapy. And as your children grow, so do their needs and so do their rooms!
2) Forecast the range of impact over the short term (the next 2 months to 2 years), to the long term (next 20 years to 20 + decades).
I think this will happen in the next 20+ years. The idea is there. Models are there. But we are still learning how to tweak at a genetic level.
3) What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest positive impact on the future?
Affordability. If this project isn't affordable to everyone, I don't see how it can become prominent enough to last.
4) What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest negative impact on the future?
Like the bio cars, it's built in a natural process but still involves coding DNA. There is still so much to understand about tweaking at a genetic level. To live in a home that has sketchy coding could be dangerous.
5) Which region of the future does this related closest most to or does this fit in between – or perhaps a region of the future you’d like to define for yourself?
Biotech.
Questions for you
What else could we be growing instead of building?
Do you see any problems I haven't thought of?
How soon could you see this happening? Do you ever see this happening?
Would you want to own one yourself?
What do you think about the models for the "Fab Tree Hab"? (above photos)
What else could we be growing instead of building?
Do you see any problems I haven't thought of?
How soon could you see this happening? Do you ever see this happening?
Would you want to own one yourself?
What do you think about the models for the "Fab Tree Hab"? (above photos)
Why grow something to build when we have everything we need already? Maybe instead of looking into the future and understanding genetics just to tweak them, why not look to the past. Understand what's what done in the past - before colonization occurred. http://study.com/academy/lesson/pre-columbian-civilization-north-american-indians-before-europeans.html
ReplyDelete#foodforthought
I tend to agree with Lucie. New technologies, especially on the genetics level, require a highly specialized workforce and division of labor. And as a nation, we tend to value new solutions that generate a profit (that goes to the already affluent). I can't imagine bio-houses would be accessible to the poor. And what if civilization didn't exist? Who would maintain and implement the bio-houses?
DeleteI think traditional ways of building and shelter and some more recently developed forms of earth shelters — ones that use local, natural materials are more sustainable in the long-term.
Of course using these forms of shelter on a mass-scale requires a huge cultural shift, though.
I think it is a cool idea, I agree that it is a slippery slope with modifying DNA. If something goes wrong what does that mean for the homeowner? I also would like to see how something like this can become affordable for all people, if it can be done image what that means for low income families. It gives everyone a chance to be a homeowner.
ReplyDeleteI agree on it being a cool idea, I would love to see this affordable as well. I can't help but think about the guidelines as to where these houses can grow and what regulations they would have. Let's say that this is an alternative to affordable housing for low income families- which would be great!! However what if people decided to grow their house where ever they wanted and started to build on illegal terms. Such as if people wanted to live next to their families and friends and started to create their own colonies. How would we be able to accommodate their needs and those of society so that they can work together? I guess this would go more into the legality/logistics category or terms and conditions. Still a great idea nonetheless!
ReplyDeleteI agree on it being a cool idea, I would love to see this affordable as well. I can't help but think about the guidelines as to where these houses can grow and what regulations they would have. Let's say that this is an alternative to affordable housing for low income families- which would be great!! However what if people decided to grow their house where ever they wanted and started to build on illegal terms. Such as if people wanted to live next to their families and friends and started to create their own colonies. How would we be able to accommodate their needs and those of society so that they can work together? I guess this would go more into the legality/logistics category or terms and conditions. Still a great idea nonetheless!
ReplyDelete