Cocoa plants aren’t just used to make chocolate and buildings become more flexible.
Now, an international research team has developed a design concept from which humans, animals, plants and organisms such as microbes could all benefit.
The idea is to cover houses in several layers. Each of them is tailored to the needs of the organisms within.
Humans, for example, live in the inner room, while the outer layers are given over to nature. Digital planning tools help optimise living conditions for all inside.
Whatever is useful for humans should also benefit other organisms so that we can all live and grow in harmony.
These CO2-absorbent hedgerows, meanwhile, would benefit any neighbourhood.
