modular greenhouse system
Open Building Institute
the modular greenhouse system is a library of module designs that can be assembled to create a variety of greenhouse configurations: small or large, attached to a house or standalone, for commercial production or household use.
Modules include building components—such as walls, doors, and roof—as well as a series of aquaponic, organoponic, animal, fungi, algae, and microbe components (not all shown).
door
wall
roof
chicken coop
vermicompost
grow bed
fish pond
grow tower
potato box
small / standalone
large / attached
building modules
goals
low-cost
simple to build
made w/ accessible materials
energy efficient
low maintenance
wall and door modules - made of standard dimensional lumber and polycarbonate glazing - are low cost and simple to build.
8x4’ modules are first built on the ground then assembled like lego blocks to form the building’s walls.
wall and roof modules include sliding vents at the bottom (walls) and top (roof) for airflow and cooling.
a greenhouse attached to the south side of a house provides passive solar heating to both buildings.
a hydronic system - powered by a firewood stove - heats the fish ponds in the greenhouse and the air above them.
first install
factor e farm
attached greenhouse
november 2015
goals
enable four-season food production with minimal work and input
provide passive solar heating to attached house
mushroom & greens towers
chicken coop
strawberry troughs
fish ponds
sand & compost beds
vermicompost
citrus
trees
layout of attached greenhouse at factor e farm
Concept only. Additional growing modules will be used. Not shown: compost tea maker, black soldier fly rearing, and redworm towers.
the ecosystem
goals
low input
high output
self-sustaining
self-replicating
low maintenance
citrus trees
potato box
worm compost
chicken droppings and hay bedding fall into the worm compost below the coop.
the chickens eat (some of) the worms, vegetable scraps and black soldier fly larvae.
worm castings are used as medium to grow plants for humans, chickens, fish, and worms.
fish eat duckweed, worms and black soldier fly larvae. fish waste provides nutrients to the plants.
duckweed troughs
grow towers
fish ponds
grow beds
drawers on vermicompost towers allow easy harvest of compost
compost tea maker provides foliar spray for pest management
black soldier fly composter produces larvae to feed fish
mushrooms grow on straw-filled towers. after harvest, this protein-infused straw can be fed to worms and black soldier fly larvae. immature mushrooms and mushroom waste can be fed to fish and chickens or used as fertilizer / seed starter.
aquaponics
plants grow on towers and troughs. water circulates in a closed loop through fish ponds and plant receptacles.
fish waste in water feeds plants. plants filter water for fish.
organoponics
worms transform fruit and vegetable scraps into compost. plants grow on compost-filled raised beds.
inputs*
outputs
hay
waste
* Recurring inputs, after initial install.
firewood
eggs
fish
vegetables
fruit
mushrooms
algae
modules used
in this install
Credits
Conceptual 3D models of greenhouses created by the The Open Building Institute in Sweet Home 3D.
All plant, tree and dog 3D models by the Sweet Home 3D community.
Chicken 3D model by Kednar via BlendSwap.
All icons by the Noun Project community: Woman icon by the AIGA Collection; Chicken icon by James Keuning; Egg icon by Chiara Rossi; Lettuce icon by Gregory Sujkowski; Worm icon by Nick Kinling; Poop and Barrel icons by Chicabubble; Fish icon by Jens Tarning; Weed (duckweed) icon by Juan Pablo Bravo; Larvae icon by Anton Gajdosik; Rain icon by Edward Boatman; Trash (biological waste) icon by Magicon; Algae icon by Sarah Mautsch; Strawberry icon by Muharrem Fevzi Çelik; Firewood by Ilya Kolbin; Hydronic Heat icon by Nesdom Booth; Water Dispenser (compost tea maker) and Mushroom icons by Creative Stall; Bucket icon by Austin Condiff; Leaves (in vermicompost) icon by Erica Carter, Soil (in vermicompost) icon by Shawn Erdely, Sun icon by National Park Service Collection; Hay icons by Addylord.