Built Environment

Buildings account for 40% of global energy use and 25% of water consumption. The Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture hopes to change that.

Imagine a small house whose exterior is covered with planters full of ripe radishes, carrots, and lettuce. Indoors, another wall of plants stretches floor to ceiling. Their microbe-rich roots capture harmful air pollutants. If you touch the plants, beneficial microbes cross to you, possibly prompting a subtle shift of your own microbiome toward better health.