Plants, People and Music Part 1: Listen for Life

Collage: Plants, People and Music
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt:
Dancing music notes +
People dancing around a tree
Quote Source: Shakespeare On-Line:
Shakespeare Quotations on Music
from Henry VIII, 3.1.4-9 by William Shakespeare

The Connection between Biological Wellness and Music

It goes without saying that humans love music. Why not plants?

We are not the first to pose this question. Since the 1950’s everyone from scientists to botanists to curious students (think: science fair projects) have explored the effects of music on plants.

An online search of common databases will return contrary results, such as "no scientific research has been done" to "many controlled experiments by scientists have been performed."

So, with that in mind, after a fair bit of researching, it does seem that:

1. Music does have a profound influence on the growth of plants; and,
2. Classical music seems to have a much better influence on plants than heavy metal, rap, rock, or even country music.

Why might this be so?

Generally speaking, people know the difference between music people like and beautiful music. That is, while most contemporary genres of music (from rock to RAP, heavy metal, jazz, pop, etc.) might be fun to listen to (or even dance to), they just don’t have the same melodic / harmonic / rhythmic qualities as most classical, choral, sacred, traditional, acoustic music from around the world.

Consider also the kind of music that’s played in spas and during massage, reiki, meditation, and/or yoga sessions. We know intuitively what tones, harmonies, melodies, etc. are relaxing, rejuvenating, etc.

It turns out many professional greenhouses already play classical music for their plants. We doubt they would be doing it if it had no positive effect.

Wo-Built wholeheartedly believes in the healing power of music both for people and plants. That’s why Peapod Life will incorporate sound in new and exciting ways. Stay tuned!


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please see other articles below for more details about Peapod Life:
Peapod Life: Applications for Better LivingPeapod Life: Health and Wellness through Indoor Garden Living Spaces
Affordable Home Additions that Rejuvenate Your Quality of Life: Herbs!
Living with Plants inside an enclosed Ecosystem: Doctor Tested and Approved

You’ve got all the toys for your home; but do you have the fun; the fantasy?

Collage: Beauty & Magic of Natural World
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Fairy with Flowers
Quote Source: Shakespeare Navigators: Puck’s Epilogue to
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by William Shakespeare

Bring the Beauty and the Magic of the Natural World into Your Home

So you’ve got the iPhone, the iPod, the iPad (or the ‘Droids); the sheik brownstone or the shiny new condo with the latest in contemporary designs, colours and textures, complete with a matching set of stainless steel appliances in "the ultimate kitchen." But, do you have the fun? The fantasy?

The summer is nearly over and so is Canadian Stage Company’s production of Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" in High Park.

We cannot imagine a better way to stage the Bard’s famous romantic comedy of errors than outside at dusk. What better backdrop than nature to evoke and the fantasy, mischief and love as lived in the realms of pixies, Puck and the Fairy Queen!

Now, what if you could bring that level of exotic, fun-filled fantasy into your home; your life? You can, with Peapod Life.

Wo-Built’s Peapod Life brings the beauty and the magic of the natural world into your space with magical installations that delight the senses, inspire the mind and rejuvenate the soul.

With the best of contemporary designs and technologies blended harmoniously with the timeless beauty and wisdom of Mother Nature, that feels right and just works, Peapod Life’s indoor ecosystems are beyond stylish …they are downright magical.

If today’s modern world of must-get stuff, cold technologies, hectic efficiency-minded pace, and industrialized urban lifestyle "offends" ... Peapod Life "shall make amends."

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please see other articles below for more details about Peapod Life:
Peapod Life: Applications for Better LivingUrban Farming and Peapod Life: Grow Kids’ Connection to Community, Culture and Curriculum
Indoor Landscapes: Companies See the Light of a whole New Level of "wow, cool!"Fresh Air Indoors: Peapod Life Ecosystem Better Air Quality

Combining Old and New Technology - The New Paradigm for Building?

Images: Contour Crafting - Concrete is “printed” in layers through a nozzle
that moves around the building site with the help of a gantry;
Those behind Contour Crafting believe it could be used to develop entire neighbourhoods
Source: dailymail.co.uk: Contour Crafting builds house in 24-hours
Credit: Contour Crafting + TEDxOjai

3D printing technology could build a 2500 square foot house in one day, complete with fixtures and fittings

Who could have imagined inkjet printer technology would one day grow-up, off the two-dimensional page and into the world of three dimensions? Scientists and engineers, that’s who.

Now, an engineer from the University of Southern California is looking to grow the 3D printing phenomenon even further—to a size capable of building a house.

Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis calls the process of depositing layers of specially formulated concrete “Contour Crafting.” Combined with incorporated robotic assembly of pre-fabricated mechanical, plumbing and electrical modules, Professor Khoshnevis claims his Contour Crafting could build an entire house complete with fixtures and fittings in under 24 hours.

That may sound far-fetched, but consider the fact that 2D inkjet printers have only been around a few decades. Already, 3D printing is fast becoming the new standard for 3D modelling, rapid prototyping, even custom part manufacturing. So why not scale-up the technology for buildings?

Wo-Built believes we are due for a new building paradigm. It is one of the reasons we are pushing ahead with our Peapod Life initiative. Given finite resources and the incredible waste and greenhouse gas emissions conventional building methods produce, we applaud any approach that pushes the boundaries and encourages new innovation.

Consider the potential of Contour Crafting to lead to the discovery of new, more environmentally friendly and sustainable building materials. Wo-Built can foresee a biotechnological angle to such material development—producing sustainable, durable, even photosynthetic structures that are maintenance free and beyond carbon-neutral.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

 

TEDxOjai - Behrokh Khoshnevis - Contour Crafting: Automated Construction
Published on Apr 28, 2012 by TEDxTalks

links:
contourcrafting.com: Contour Crafting (CC)
Contour Crafting (CC) is a layered fabrication technology developed by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California.

dailymail.co.uk: science & tech: Contour Crafting builds house in 24 hours
The end of the builder? The giant 3D printer that could create a HOUSE in 24 hours
• Printer can create all fixtures and fittings as it creates house layer by layer
• Could be used to build a 2500 square foot house in a day
PUBLISHED: 13 August 2012

gizmodo.com.au: 3D Printer Can Build You A House In 20 Hours: Welcome To The Future
Luke Hopewell, Gizmodo AU August 9, 2012

idesigntimes.com: Amazing Innovations: 3D Printer Can Build a House In 20 Hours
By Jacob Kleiman | August 13, 2012

smartplanet.com: A giant 3D printer builds a livable house
By Amy Kraft | August 11, 2012

core77.com: Contour Crafting: 3D Printing an Entire House
Posted by hipstomp | 2 Aug 2012

wobuilt.com/blog: A New Construction Paradigm for Buildings

Cracks in the Ceiling? Bee Sweet to Houseguests!

Image Collage: Bees’ Home Office
Image Credits/Sources (From Left to Right): Honey Dripping through Cracks in Ceiling & Varney, Ontario Homeowners: WILLY WATERTON /QMI AGENCY,
Microsoft Office Clipart: Bees & Honeycomb
2012 @ wobuilt

Here’s a different take on living in harmony with nature. Is the latest "home invasion" by bees Mother Nature’s way of telling us we need to rekindle a deep reverence for the Queens of the Sun?

The latest incident of home invasion by bees is being touted online as a "horror story" for a Varney, Ontario couple. Two hives. Up to 180,000 bees. Approximately 2,000 pounds of honeycomb, dripping with honey right through growing cracks in the ceiling. A nest of yellow-jackets thrown in for good measure.

David Schuit, an Elmwood, Ontario beekeeper and his helpers were planning on taking down the ceiling in the living room and kitchen on Monday and removing the hives and honeycombs. Schuit exclaimed: "It’s really amazing. Bees are fascinating."

So, a sticky situation that was easily four years in the making, which could have ended much worse, seems well on its way to a finding a sweet resolution. All’s well that ends well. Get the whole story at cnews.

Like so many such stories, this one will buzz its way around the ‘Net, Twitterverse and inboxes for a while before vanishing into popular-consciousness oblivion. In six months’ time, it will at best be recalled as an urban legend.

This is the real "horror" of the story. Bee colonies are collapsing around the world. From fatal parasite infestations and disease epidemics to over-use of toxic pesticides and GMO crops, the very existence of nature’s most critical pollinating creature is in jeopardy. The "Queens of the Sun" are facing dark skies ahead, indeed.

It doesn’t help that our monoculture agricultural practices see tens of thousands of bee colonies shipped from one end of North America to the other each and every year to pollinate immense crop fields. This practice not only puts tremendous stress on individual hives, but allow for intermingling of colonies that would otherwise be separated from one another by tens of thousands of miles. The result? Contagions and parasites once contained to specific geographic locations infect colonies across the continent in one convenient step (thanks to human beings).

Maybe by bunking with humans, the bees are trying to tell us something. Maybe it’s because they know humans won’t be throwing their own home on the back of a flat-bed truck to drive thousands of miles. Maybe it’s because they know some humans are smart enough not to spray high concentrations of toxic substances in their house.

In other words, maybe the bees are trying to express how they like the same things we like: brightly coloured sweet smelling flowers; safety and security for their family; the chance to live and work in peace and harmony; freedom from tyranny and slavery. They’re reminding us our ancestors used to revere and respect them as sacred.

Are we saying you need to invite bees into your home? It’s not that far-fetched an idea. New Yorkers recently fought for their right to keep bees in the city. Even the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto has its own rooftop hives. With Peapod Life indoor ecosystems, there is definitely an opportunity to include nature’s most precious pollinators.

For more information on hive collapse syndrome, the importance of local permaculture and how to "bee sweet," for the sake of all creatures, we recommend the excellent, award-winning documentary, Queen of the Sun.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

youtube.com: Queen of The Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? - Official Trailer [HD]
QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound,
alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel,
director of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN.
Official Film Website: http://www.queenofthesun.com
Uploaded by Collectiveeye on Feb 11, 2011

Find related articles and links:
cnews.canoe.ca: 180,000 bees invade Ontario home
Honey dropping from the ceiling
By Scott Dunn, QMI Agency July 29, 2012

owensoundsuntimes.com: news local: Invasion of the honey bees
By Scott Dunn, Sun Times, Owen Sound July 29, 2012

intelligencer.ca: News Ontario: Honey pit: Ontario house a honey pit
by scott.dunn@sunmedia.ca July 29, 2012

globalpost.com: Honeybee house anything but a home sweet home
Canadian woman finds 180,000 bees, 2,000 pounds of honey in attic.
by David Trifunov July 30, 2012

ctvnews.ca: 80,000 bees found inside Ontario home
80,000 bees, 100 kg of honey, found inside Varney, Ont. home
The Canadian Press, July 30, 2012 + 18 Comments

Living with Plants inside an enclosed Ecosystem: Doctor Tested and Approved

Living with Plants inside an enclosed Ecosystem: Doctor Tested and Approved

Screenshot: Professor Iain Stewart lived for two days in a glass box
Source: london24.com/news/health: Doctor proves plants
hold the secret to life - by locking a man in a box
by Kate Ferguson, Reporter Saturday, February 18, 2012
Image Source: london24.com/news/health

A professor in the U.K., Dr. Ian Stewart, has gone to the extreme to prove just how vital plants are to our survival. For two days, he lived in a glass box with nothing but plants.

The experiment was the brainchild of Dr. Daniel Martin, a Consultant with Royal Free, who decided to replicate an experiment first conducted by 18th Century chemist Joseph Priestly—an experiment which would prove the existence of photosynthesis.

"Although, he did kill the first mouse,” Dr. Martin said of Priestly’s experiment which consisted of a mouse in a bottle.

Obviously, the 21st Century human redo at the Eden Project in Cornwall had a few safety measures in place, with Dr. Martin observing levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Still, most of the oxygen was sucked out of the box before the experiment began.

The public could watch as Professor Stewart exercised to increase CO2 for the plants, who in turn produced O2 for the good Professor. All in all, the simple indoor ecosystem went for two days.

Why stop at only two days? Living in a small oxygen-deprived box surrounded by plants makes for an interesting scientific experiment — and a pretty cool stunt — but at the end of the day, is pretty extreme for the average individual / family.

The real purpose of the exercise must have been to illustrate the value of plants on the vitality of humans. In other words, their effect on the vitality of our interior environments: livability and quality of interior space.

No matter what you live in today, Peapod Life has options to bring indoor ecosystems into your space to create extreme comfort, beauty, health and wellness, even food security ... without having to go to extremes.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Extreme Comfort without going to Extremes:
Peapod Life is Comfortable and Livable 365 days a year!
2012 @ wobuilt + peapodlife

links:
bbc.co.uk: Scientist starts plant-only oxygen test at Eden Project
A scientist is spending 48 hours sealed inside an airtight chamber breathing in oxygen produced solely by plants.14 September 2011
dailymail.co.uk: Living in a box: Scientist to spend 48 hours in an airtight container with 160 plants to keep him alive
By Ted Thornhill, Updated: 8 September 2011
edenproject.com: Scientist to be sealed plant-filled “bell jar” at the Eden Project for BBC photosynthesis experiment
14 September 2011
facebook.com: How Plants Made The World - Taken at Eden Project, Cornwall, UK
By BBC Scotland - Updated about 10 months ago
hamhigh.co.uk: Doctor proves plants hold the secret to life - by locking a man in a box
by Kate Ferguson, Reporter Saturday, February 18, 2012

Green Success: Attendees of Live Green Toronto Festival give indoor ecosystems two green thumbs up!

Photos: Wo-Built Shares Its Latest Innovation for Peapod Life
Live Green Toronto Festival – where green hits the streets!
Toronto's largest celebration of all things green!
Saturday, July 21, 2012 @ Yonge-Dundas Square
and all along Yonge Street, from Dundas to Queen
2012 @ Wo-Built + Peapod Life

• At the @LiveGreenTO festival at Yonge and Dundas showing off the indoor eco system for condos and apartments. #Toronto
• @peapodlife @LiveGreenTO Festival Lots of visitors. Great. Come & see us here on Yonge. Unveiling of condo version of indoor eco system.
• Wow. Visitors 2 @LiveGreenTO festival who stopped by our booth loved the Condo @Peapodlife. Join the fun. Lots 2 see at the event.#Toronto
• @LiveGreenTO festival still in full swing. What a great day for unveiling Peapod Condo @peapodlife
• @wobuilt tweets July 21, 2012

This past weekend Wo-Built attended the annual Live Green Toronto Festival on Yonge Street. Many ecology and sustainability-oriented companies, non-profits and agencies were out to showcase their products and services to the community.

Wo-Built was also present to showcase its latest innovation for Peapod Life: mini self-contained ecosystems designed for condos, apartments and other smaller spaces.

Peapod Life indoor ecosystems consist of aquaponics and include plants and optional living walls encased in attractive glass and wood enclosures. Timers and other supporting technologies ensure the systems are kept at the right temperature and humidity, with a constant stream of water recirculating throughout the unit.

Plants and select wildlife keep the system in perfect balance and practically maintenance-free.

Wo-Built had a Peapod Life demonstration unit on hand and the response was overwhelmingly positive. People loved the look and really liked the benefits of fresher air and a living system for their home.

The Live Green Toronto Festival was proof that Peapod Life really is desired by the general public, and will soon be available via the peapodlife.com website.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Extreme Heat and Drought: two more reasons for taking charge of your life with Peapod Life

Photo: Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering
most of the country lie flat on the ground Monday, July 16, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Seth Perlman
Source: Yahoo! News: Drought worsens crop damage, raising world food, fuel worry

It’s official: North America is experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in decades. It is being widely reported that the impact on food prices will have a major impact on an already beleaguered economy.

Peapod Life believes the time may be approaching when individuals and families will have to rely on themselves to ensure they have ready access to fresh produce and other foodstuffs. And, as admirable as urban and rooftop gardening efforts are, they can do little without Mother Nature’s cooperation.

Indoor ecosystems by Peapod Life benefit from a controlled environment all year ‘round. Peapod Life ecosystems are sheltered from extreme heat and cold, and constantly re-use and recycle their own water and nutrients, requiring a fraction of the inputs of traditional agriculture.

Because Peapod Life is not a greenhouse or a solarium but shares useable living space, the ecosystem’s environment is your environment: there is no disconnect between your life or your Peapod Life. This maximizes efficiency and ensures conditions suitable to produce food are constantly maintained.

The type and quantity of produce you can grow with Peapod Life depends on your existing indoor space and/or the availability of space to build a Peapod Life addition.

Contact Wo-Built, The Vision Builder, to see how your residential and/or commercial property can be upgraded with Peapod Life. Take charge of your life and future food security today.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Sharing Our Vision of Peapod Life at Food Forward

Photos: Wo-Built Shares Its Vision of Peapod Life with Food Forward
Urban Agriculture: Foodie Drinks - Eglinton-Lawrence Edition
May 29, 2012 at Zito's Marketplace, 210 Marlee Avenue, Toronto
2012 @ wobuilt.com

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share.
It was a great evening, wonderful food and company.
A special thank you to Orla Moylan Hegarty for inviting us.
We loved hearing everyone's great community initiatives.
See you all at the next Foodie Drinks.
~ Wo Built

They say there is great beauty and wisdom in simplicity…in that which is elemental.

On Tuesday evening, Wo-Built joined Food Forward’s event held at Zito’s Marketplace, 210 Marlee Avenue, Toronto.

The venue was packed with a diverse group ranging from members of the local community to social entrepreneurs to individuals from across the GTA. Their common cause: a sincere interest in eating healthy, organic, local, sustainable, community-empowering food.

Picture it: in the heart of a gourmand’s paradise, an outstanding spread of homemade snacks courtesy of Zito’s Marketplace, delightful hobnobbing with foodies from the community … what better place for Wo-Built to talk about Peapod Life?

Speakers included Cousellor Josh Colle, member of the Toronto Food Policy Council, and Susan Poizner, founder of Growing for Green, Community Orchard and Backyard Sharing initiative.

Attila Lendvai, VP of Strategic Development, gave a lively and interactive talk on behalf of Peapod Life, highlighting the very simple fact that human beings “are what we eat.” And all five elements go into growing food: earth, wind, fire, water, and space. Ergo, “we too are those five elements.”

As opposed to legacy approaches to building which focused on sheltering people from the elements, Peapod Life embraces the fact that we are those elements. Quality earth, wind, fire, water and space are essential to our survival and well-being, and so they are essential to Peapod Life as well.

We know, for instance, how important natural light is to us; that artificial light is less than healthy. The same goes for fresh air; clean, vitalized and revitalizing water; vibrant, beautiful space that is calming yet invigorating—not unlike a forest, meadow, or just about any other outdoor natural environment.

This elemental approach means Peapod Life operates on a level so primal, so fundamental to the well-being of living things, it creates indoor spaces that are literally full of life: unmatched in terms of their ability to support productive, peaceful, healthy living.

Peapod Life ... it’s really quite elementary.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Photos: Wo-Built Shares Its Vision of Peapod Life with Food Forward
Urban Agriculture: Foodie Drinks - Eglinton-Lawrence Edition
May 29, 2012 at Zito's Marketplace, 210 Marlee Avenue, Toronto
2012 @ wobuilt.com

And even more pictures from this Food Forward Foodie Drinks night:

Screenshot: facebook.com: Food Forward Events Photos
Foodie Drinks - Eglinton-Lawrence Edition
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
credit: http://www.facebook.com/groups/foodforward

 

Air Quality 10x Better than Outdoor Air for a Better Quality of Peapod Life

Image: Indoor Ecosystem from Peapod Life can achieve 10x Better air Quality than Outdoor Air

Another humid day in Toronto, another air quality warning in effect.  As the city waits with bated breath for a good downpour to refresh the city’s air, let’s take a moment to consider the implications.

We all know the importance of having fresh air.   

We know how stuffy and unpleasant indoor spaces can become and so we open doors and windows in our homes and install expensive HVAC systems in our commercial buildings to either get fresh air inside or process recirculated air to make it seem fresh.

Given the air quality warnings we receive on a regular basis from the city, the methods we use to get fresh air indoors should raise a few eyebrows.  How fresh is that air, after all?

What if you could achieve air quality ten times better than that available outside, with no HVAC system?  This is the magic of utilizing nature’s air purification system, ecosystems, indoors.

Peapod Life works with technologies and methodologies developed over decades by experts in the fields of indoor ecosystems.  These deceptively simple systems allow Peapod Life to create fully integrated indoor garden living spaces that are a step above potted plants or typical living walls. 

You wouldn’t want to live in a green house, precisely because of the poor air quality!  Unless you change the soil seasonally in your house plants, you’ll find they (and you) don’t do so well after a while.  

Soil is alive.  Eventually it dies.  Then it starts to decompose.  Thanks to fungus, mould, bacteria, etc., rotting soil releases putrid gases and noxious fumes that are anything but “fresh.”

One reason why the air seems so fresh in nature—especially forests—is because of proper ecosystems.  Soil dies in nature, too.  But rather than dying all at once as in a potted plant, it dies similarly to human skin: continually, constantly being renewed as it dies.  The ecosystem itself is alive.

This is Wo-Built’s approach to living structures: buildings that support life…all life…Peapod Life.  Our indoor ecosystems support vibrant, living growth media continuously regenerating itself, in turn supporting healthy plants that clean the air and feed the other elements of the complete living system. 

The result?  Commercial installations using the same methods and technologies employed by Peapod Life have achieved indoor air quality ten times better than outside air.  Just imagine what it would be like living, working and/or playing in air so fresh; in space so alive.  

It’s just another aspect of what we call Quality of Peapod Life.

Indoor Landscapes: Companies See the Light of a whole New Level of “wow, cool!”

Image Montage by Wo-Built: Indoor Landscapes
Image Credits: Travels with Zen-Aida + Plantscape - Interior Plant Service, Indoor Office Landscaping

Companies are beginning to embrace the notion of indoor landscapes with more enthusiasm, and it’s no wonder why. The business case is compelling; the players impressive; the wow-factor seductive.

eFig, a U.K.-based non-profit trade association of interior landscapers, have collected a number of reasons why organizations of all sizes and types should invest in professionally installed and maintained plants. Their list of benefits cites various researchers and studies that back up each claim.

The benefits of indoor landscapes to business begin with making a positive impression in reception and sales areas, to reduction in stress, sickness and absenteeism in employees, and an increase in overall productivity. But business leaders should be weary of that word: maintained.

There is something else at work in the mad rush to green interior spaces. It has something to do with what you might call the “wow, cool!” factor; not to mention landscape designers’ determination to “turf” existing notions of what’s “doable” indoors. Consider the following installations.

Image Montage by Wo-Built: “Turf” your notions about what’s “doable.” Above Left: Grass floor key part of Hassell’s design for PTTEP’s new 46,000 sqm Headquarters. Read More: http://www.hassellstudio.com/en/cms-projects/detail/pttep-headquarters Image Credit: http://www.hassellstudio.com/cms_images/230_02-02-2012_8366.png;

Above Right: Grass walls by Heather Ackroyd & Dan Harvey transform church. Read more: Living Grass Walls Completely Cover the Interior of London's Dilston Grove Gallery! | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building Image Credit: http://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/04/dilston-grove-Ackroyd-harvey-grass-walls-537x402.jpg

That’s all well and good, but there’s a problem. Plants are alive. And, like all living things, they are dependent on their environment. Traditional / conventional buildings are notoriously “sick.” Adding some plants may improve things on one level, we may be creating more problems than we know.

Living walls costing tens of thousands of dollars in plant replacement costs; putrefying soil having detrimental effects on indoor air quality; inappropriate water usage causing more harm to plants than good. Interior landscapers will say anything is doable—even maintainable—but is it really sustainable?

Wo-Built loves “wow, cool!” And we would never have created Peapod Life if we didn’t believe in the benefits of indoor landscapes and healthier spaces. But we also know life comes with strings. We don’t overpromise. And with all-glass designs, you can count on the fact that transparency is our business.

Peapod Life is unique. It’s not about forcing living landscapes into sick buildings or dead spaces in the hopes of healing or resuscitating them. We build autonomous living spaces from the ground up, with an eye on creating fully integrated indoor ecosystems that are beautiful, cost effective and sustainable.

Peapod Life is based on biomimetic design & build philosophies. Our mission is to create sustainable indoor ecosystems supported by living structures that maximize the benefits for all life, especially our clients. Forget about what’s doable. See the natural light of what’s actually livable. Peapod Life.

Yeah, with Wo-Built, you could say it’s time for a whole new level of “wow, cool.”

Attila Lendvai VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Get Peapod Life™ Indoor Garden Living Space for your Non-Profit or Community Organization at Cost

Peapod Life designs indoor garden living spaces for many applications.
Ask us how you can acquire Peapod Life™ at cost for your group, non-profit or other organization that serves the local community. 2012 @ peapodlife.com

"Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let's stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another."  

- Anne Raver Source: Quotes Daddy

Peapod Life™ is announcing an exciting offer for non-profit and other community groups in the Greater Toronto Area. Now you can get Peapod Life for your organization at cost.

As part of its community outreach program aligned with a social mission to increase food security for suburban and urban neighbourhoods, Peapod Life is offering organizations an opportunity to build fully useable community spaces that have integrated indoor vertical gardens, solar power and more.

The urban gardening movement is experiencing a renaissance in Toronto. Peapod Life supports all efforts to green rooftops and utilize other available green spaces. Our approach to healthy living brings the benefits of fresh air, natural light and organic gardens indoors, 365 days a year.

 Peapod Life recognizes the need for indoor community centres for neighbourhood gatherings, meetings, young people, learning, spiritual development, meditation and worship, and a host of other uses. We believe such centres are ideal for Peapod Life’s approach to living structures that support life.

Be it the slow food movement, urban garden sharing, or food swapping programs, we believe Peapod Life represents the ideal space for grassroots initiatives revolving around food security and healthy living.

Imagine your neighbourhood or community with its own Peapod Life building, providing essential space for young and old alike to participate in whatever activities near and dear to their heart, at the same time producing organic fruits and vegetables all year round.

Peapod Life is committed to the future of neighbourhoods and communities: with strong bonds and grassroots efforts to improve everyone’s standard of living: from energy and food security to health and overall happiness and well-being.  

That’s why we are offering Peapod Life to not-for-profit and other community groups at cost.

Contact us for more details.

 Attila Lendvai VP of Strategic Development  
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Urban Farming and Peapod Life: Grow Kids’ Connection to Community, Culture and Curriculum

Collage: Children’s Lives Enriched with Gardening Images Credit: MS Office Clip Art

"Students in a mostly Latino high school in Chicago improved their grades in science and the eating habits of an entire neighborhood with a program that began by installing greenhouses on the roofs of the school buildings and spread to one of the main parks in the city.”
Read more: Fox News Latino

This report Urban Farming Improves Nutrition in Chicago Neighborhood by Fox News Latino in the U.S., indicating the positive impact of urban gardening on kids and their community in Chicago is just the latest evidence in support Peapod Life’s push into education. 

Overcrowding is a problem in many schools, and given the choice between building new greenhouses and new classrooms, most schools would probably opt for applying shrinking budgets to more learning space. Peapod Life gives educators a third option: indoor garden learning spaces. 

The connection between children and gardening is both elemental and elementary. I certainly remember working our family’s three-quarter acre lot in the summertime, not to mention countless trips to “pick-your-own” farms. It was a connection to the earth that I’m sure has served our generation well.

The National Gardening Association has “been working to renew and sustain the essential connection between people, plants and the environment” for over 35 years, and have a website dedicated to children’s connection with gardening: www.kidsgardening.org. 

One cannot help but wonder how urbanization and modernization are adversely affecting future generations, as children become less in-tune with the natural world, and more connected to artificial, synthetic and/or virtual representations of reality. Certainly, Jamie Oliver seems to think so. 

Peapod Life’s idea of combining an indoor garden space with a fully functioning learning space counters the disturbing trend highlighted by Jamie Oliver and others. It gives children living in urban centers a taste of living and working the land, an authentic connection with life. And this is only the beginning… 

Studies have shown that focus and attention improve dramatically with the presence of plants. Peapod Life’s indoor garden learning spaces could offer parents and educators a natural remedy for ADHD and behavioural problems, as opposed to over-medicating children. The healthy organic food they eat will help counter the negative neuropsychological impacts of MSG and other excitotoxins present in processed foods. 

Finally, no matter what their cultural origin, children deserve to connect with the best traditions of their past, including native dishes, ingredients, flavors, and recipes… and by connect I mean prepare from scratch. Peapod Life gives them the chance to grow, harvest and prepare authentic meals from scratch.  

Attila Lendvai VP of Strategic Development 

Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build - Creators of Peapod Life

Peapod Life: Applications for Better Living

Collage: Applications for Better Living Images Credit: MS Office Clip Art 

“Gone are the days of dead structures providing shelter for living things.  Now is the time for living structures that support life…all life…Peapod Life.” – Our Motto

So you know Peapod Life builds indoor garden living spaces, right? And you probably also know we can build you a Peapod Life extension and/or addition to your home. Great! But is that it? Is that the limit of Peapod Life’s technology? Far from it.

Peapod Life designs indoor garden living spaces for many applications: residential, commercial, institutional, public, non-profit. Its standardized modular bio-structure can be scaled, configured and customized with any combination of plants and enabling technologies to accommodate your social, environmental and economic needs.

Let’s consider some building applications for Peapod Life:

Residential: Build your entire house or cottage using Peapod Life’s biostructural indoor ecosystem. Add an affordable guest suite to your home and show your guests how much you care for providing them a healthy space. Move your kitchen inside a Peapod.

Health & Wellness: Stress reduction is the key to health, happiness and productivity. Invigorate your health and wellness program, practice or business by adding Peapod Life to your building. Give your employees, patients or customers an on-site sanctuary space like no other: cafeteria, lounge, exercise room, yoga/meditation studio, relaxing spa/treatment room, and much more.

Hospitality Industry: Hotel, restaurant, lounge, café, tea-room, banquet hall…imagine patrons enjoying organic fare grown and picked before their eyes as they enjoy the Peapod Life courtesy of your business.

Education: Plants stimulate the senses, improve concentration and make for a better environment. Add indoor organic gardening part of your curriculum: teach valuable life skills and instill a renewed sense of “connection” for future generations. More advanced students? Think hydroponics.

Community / Not-for-Profit: Imagine a communal space that can be used in a myriad different ways, 365 days a year, all the while contributing valuable electricity and organic food to the community. Meeting hall, meditation centre, food share/swap site, recital hall…imagine a living space supporting your community.

At Peapod Life, our motto is pretty simple: gone are the days of dead structures providing shelter for living things. Now is the time for living structures that support life…all life…Peapod Life.

Attila Lendvai VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

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