House Like a Tree

In the Spring of 2009, The Wall Street Journal asked William McDonough + Partners to envision a sustainable home of the future. Using nature as a source of inspiration and guidance, the team set out to design a home that functions like a tree.
The house uses sunlight to generate energy, cleans water, sequesters carbon, provides natural habitats, and produces oxygen and food. In order to accomplish this, several nanotechnologies are incorporated into the design. While these technologies are conceptual, some are already in early development today. As with a tree, the house accrues positive environmental benefits over time. When the uselful life of the house is over, its materials are designed to be easily disassembled to return as safe nutrients for human industry or the biosphere in Cradle to Cradle cycles.