In 2014, roughly 35% of all American households, or 42 million homes, were participating in gardening, up from 17% over the last five years. Thanks to an unlikely organization, the percentage of indoor gardeners will probably increase from 2017 and beyond as well.
Ikea, the furniture manufacturer behemoth, has developed a do-it-yourself indoor spherical garden.
According to Architecture and Design, the large, indoor product known as “the Growroom,” was designed and developed inside Ikea’s Space10 innovation lab by two Danish architects. Staying in line with Ikea’s award-winning culture, the Growroom was conceived out of a goal to create positive social change in the world.
“It is to support or everyday sense of wellbeing in the cities by creating a small oasis or ‘pause’ – architecture in our high-paced societal scenery,” said Space10 developers, “and enables people to connect with nature as we smell and taste the abundance of herbs and plants.”
The Growroom is a multi-tiered spherical garden that was specifically designed to produce enough food to feed the average neighborhood. Ikea made the blueprints and plans available as a free online download in hopes of encouraging people around the world to build a Growroom for their own cities, neighborhoods, and homes.
“Local food represents a serious alternative to the global food model,” added Space10 developers. “It reduces food miles, our pressure on the environment and educates our children of where food actually comes from.”
EcoWatch reports that currently, there are plans to build Growrooms in Taipei, Taiwan; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Helsinki, Finland; and San Francisco, California.
“Standing tall as a spherical garden, it empowers people to grow their own food much more locally in a beautiful and sustainable way,” said Growroom designers.
In addition to the step-by-step diagrams provided via the online download, to build a Growroom, 17 pieces of plywood are required, along with a rubber hammer, metal screws, a drill, and a CNC machine.
