Life The Living Machine
In the glossary of David E. Miller’s recent study of new and green directions in regional architecture, Toward A New Regionalism, there is a description of this thing:
A Living Machine™ is:
a wastewater treatment system composed of a series of tanks teeming with plants, trees, grasses, algae, koi and goldfish, tiny fresh-water shrimp, snails, and a diversity of microorganisms and bacteria. Each is a different mini-ecosystem designed to or break down waste. The process takes about four days to turn mucky water crustal clear, It is chemical free and odor free (except perhaps for the sweet fragrance of flowers).The only problem I have with this machine is that its mini-ecosystem sounds like the condition for breeding bilharzia rather than producing fresh water. But my knowledge on such matters is limited to a few classes in high school. Maybe it’s good to drink what this machine makes and bad to put your foot into it.
We reported on this book first! At least give us props!
http://iheartseattle.typepad.com/heart/2006/06/architecture_fi.html