Vertical Garden Terrace Harvests Rainwater

This interesting concept came from Ontario College of Art and Design Student Michael Tampilic, who designed the vertical garden, dubbed the Vert, to promote sustainable water consumption.

The idea is simple - the terrace is connected to a downspout of a house's gutter system and water is stored in a large tank. The water is then delivered to the plants over a long period of time through cotton wicks that transport the water via capillary action (so no electric pump needed). This not only saves you from using public utilities but takes care of your plant watering duties as well. It is also an ideal solution for arid locales where it may only rain once a month or so. Although the Vert looks like it is designed for outdoor use the concept could easily be adapted for indoor plant watering and probably other applications as well.

The Vert has been entered in the Rocket 2008 Industrial Design Graduation Show and Competition where Tampilic describes his creation:

Vert is a rain terrace: a rainwater harvester and vertical garden. This project establishes sustainable water practices through the harvesting of rain, and brings the advantages of a living wall to the backyard through vertical gardening. Vert alleviates a homes reliance on public utility systems while beautifying unused vertical space.

[via AzSustainably]