The Vermicondo's container consists of a series of shelves, an important design feature that eliminates the need to muck through worm leftovers. Worms, worm bedding (peat moss or newspaper), and scraps all start at the bottom. The worms eat everything they can find, and when they're finished they move up a layer and leave behind a tray of beautiful organic soil. The top layer of the Vermicondo is a worm-free garden of wheatgrass. The science behind it all is as simple as science ever can be. Micro-organisms eat the waste, and the worms eat the micro-organisms.
Levitt Goodman Architects, known for their great prefabs, decided that worm composters were ugly, and didn't fit in a modern condo, so they designed the Vermicondo, a multi-level condo for worms. "There are no nicely designed worm composters," says Janna Levitt, "just a number of goofy ideas like chalets and cutesy Victorian houses." According to Levitt, the "grab your wheatgrass, make a shake and go" crowd is not keen on cutesy. For that matter, they probably aren't too keen on worms, but worms that come in their own chic highrises just might have a chance. It appears that worms are upwardly mobile, and by designing it in layers, the worms start on the lower floor, eat all the waste there and then move upstairs. To top it all off, like any TreeHugger building, it has a green roof of wheatgrass.
"The Vermicondo not only fits harmoniously with standard kitchen cabinetry, it suits the contemporary style of your environment. A tower of slick back-painted acrylic sitting upon a stainless steel colonnade protects your earthbound flat mates from light and arid conditions while protecting you from the banalities of a typical "green" aesthetic."
"The internal multi-tray design allows for tidy operation; from adding organic waste, self-separating the red wigglers from the nutrient rich worm castings to handy "grey water" collection. Of course an address of this sophistication is topped with a green roof of kitchen herbs or what ever your green thumb desires. Coming full circle the Vermicondo is a connection to the land, often storeys beneath your feet." |
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Vermicondo
