Structures made from trees, without the cutting down part

Using trees to make stuff isn’t a new idea … in fact it is one of the oldest. Also not new is the idea of shaping trees into objects. But there is a project underway that puts a whole new twist, literally, on the idea of making structures from trees.

 

The novelty of it is that the trees will be grown in the shape desired – like the ultimate topiary, only useful. Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the company Plantware are partnering up to grow structures from trees on a commercial scale – structures including bus shelters, playgrounds, and even houses.

There are already aeroponics pilot projects happening in the U.S., Australia and Israel, through which trees are grown in the air so that they have shapeable “soft roots.” The project hopes to take the technology to bigger-than-a-bread-box levels, creating sustainable, eco-friendly structures.

It’ll take awhile to see the new technology in action, since trees take a while to grow, but we will indeed start seeing a few structures like park benches, gates, streetlamps and so forth grown out of trees.

Via physorg; photo via Plantware