Comments on: FROG’S DREAM: McMansions Turned into Biofilter Water Treatment Plants

By: Lowry Pei

Lowry Pei — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:50:50 +0000

I think this plan is brilliant in several ways. For one, it recognizes that the coming unsustainability of suburbia (due to the costs, including CO2 emissions, of transportation) is an opportunity as well as a problem. For another, it recognizes the critical importance of water and the power of wetlands to purify it. It relies on the self-organizing capability of natural systems — and by the way, I think fish such as carp could hold down the mosquito population by eating their larvae. Even the toxic materials present in the houses may not prove an insurmountable problem. If you dig deeper into the use of wetland ecosystems for water purification (e.g. John Todd and OceanArks), you will find that even heavy metals can be removed by such means. The supply of drinkable water is one of the critical limiting factors on every human effort, and it will only be moreso. We will have to get better and better at purification in order to maintain a decent supply. For a fascinating proposal to use wetlands in an urban setting, see this link: http://www.urbanlab.com/h2o/. This design idea proposes the creation of “Eco-Boulevards” — longitudinal wetlands — that would purify Chicago’s wastewater and storm runoff.

One of the main things to understand as we head into a speedily changing future is that the vacant lot is not vacant. What has been abandoned is not useless, if we only understand where its new usefulness lies. Our human economy needs to become a collaboration with nature rather than what it has been, an effort to make nature a subordinate part of a human economy.

By: Joshua Price

Joshua Price — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:28:27 +0000

I think water should be our biggest concern at this point. Your project addresses one aspect of it. I like the comment about mosquitos–I guess we’ll just see a spike in bat populations, right? In my feeble opinion, focus should be on these types of projects–in an imperative type of way. In addition, I think John Lyle was on to something by bringing food production to the mix. Regenerative design is the only way to go, and it needs to be spread throughout the globe on multi-multiple small scales–it’s own microcosm if you will. Permaculture is a term that should be in our every day vocabulary. Kudos to you and your forward thinking. Let’s see if we can fix this whole deal.

By: Re-imaging suburban ecological function « Freshkills Park Blog

Re-imaging suburban ecological function « Freshkills Park Blog — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:03:55 +0000

[...] of the current home foreclosure crisis and rising energy costs. The competition’s cheeky winning entry posits the transformation of abandoned suburban mansions into wetlands and water purification [...]

By: Maureen Sutton

Maureen Sutton — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:55:47 +0000

Reference Paul Stamets’research on using mycelia to transform toxic materials, mold, petroleum run-off, oil spills. Perhaps mycelia could solve many of the problems associated with these homes’ eventual decline into masses of decaying, toxic building materials.

By: Casa Coisa « Ponto Eletrônico

Casa Coisa « Ponto Eletrônico — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:47:40 +0000

[...] competição que desafiou arquitetos e afins para dar nova utilidade para lugares abandonados, foi Frog’s Dream: McMansions Turned into Biofilter Water Treatment Plants. O projeto oferece uma forma de filtragem natural de água pras cidades vizinhas. Massa, né? [...]

By: cho

cho — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:49:53 +0000

hey I really got impressive your work
I just wanna know why do you decide to leave the houses?

Im doing this kind of work,so i wonder, thanks

By: Mini-Mansions Reclaimed as Wetlands - PSFK

Mini-Mansions Reclaimed as Wetlands - PSFK — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:03:42 +0000

[...] box stores and mini-mansions) for more efficient uses. The grand prize went to Calvin Chiu’S Frog’s Dream: McMansions Turned into Biofilter Water Treatment Plants. It’s a design that turns bloated mini-mansions into wetlands, providing an organic [...]

By: veronika

veronika — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:01:15 +0000

I think these houses would have had to be built very solid in order to even “maybe” work. However most suburban developments are built with the cheapest materials and are not made to last. Has this person considered the crazy amount of mold that would form as result of exposing the houses to water, considering most are wood frame construction and the exterior is covered with wood panels containing formaldehyde? This project would create an extremely toxic environment not only to humans but animals too (from the mold and formaldehyde exposure)…thus making this project no feasible on any form or shape. The last thing we need is to make more plans that create more problems. i get the idea that there was an emphasis on ” the crazier the idea the better”for the competition but this isn’t even that crazy…its just thought out well plain and simple.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:08:09 +0000

I am a really surprised this won. It doesn’t address the issue that a huge majority of people what to live in the suburbs. The contest is Reburbia not Noburbia. I dislike McMansions as much as everyone else here, but I don’t think this creates a replacement for the current suburbs in which people would want to live.

Poor choice by the judges.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:01:02 +0000

Despite the lack of good design and sustainable techniques that went into building these McMansions, they have already been built. The carbon emissions generated from the concrete, wood, other materials, and transportation have already made their contribution to our environment. Abandoning them while people are still building new structures (however “green” they are) is still irresponsible. True sustainability is using what we already have before we create something new. A better use of these structures would be to divide them up into multiple units for low cost housing and perhaps plant trees in their front and back yards to help combat the carbon emissions.