Michael Jantzen’s Eco-Aquaponic House is a cylindrical steel structure that creates a self-sustaining environment for growing fish and plants – waste generated by the fish is used to fertilize the crops. The building is equipped with glass and shade screens that rotate to adjust to different weather conditions. During hot weather the shade screens can be pulled around the plants to prevent overheating, while in the winter two insulating sections are positioned to protect the plants and fish from the cold.
The trays with the plants are located around the perimeter of the interior, while the fish tank takes up the central space of the building. Large tubes filled with heat retaining material absorb heat from the sun during the day to help regulate the temperature of the space.
A large solar array mounted into a sun tracking platform takes care of most of the building’s power requirements and provides lighting for the fish tank. With its solar generator and sustainable systems for growing plants and fish, the house is a finely tuned machine for producing organic food.