A key development in the quest to create sustainable ecosystems in space, this expandable greenhouse prototype aims to generate essential food and oxygen for long-term astronaut travel.

Recently, Peggy Whitson broke the record for longest stay in space (534 days) and astronauts have started growing their own vegetables on the International Space Station. This collapsible growing unit aims to take things to the next level, enabling longer-term settlements on places including the moon and Mars.

Developed by NASA and agricultural researchers at the University of Arizona, the test unit spans 7 by 18 feet. Its primary functions: convert carbon dioxide from crew, support plant photosynthesis. This bio-regenerative approach to life support is an essential system for recycling scarce resources off-planet.

It also takes its queues directly from our own world: “We’re mimicking what the plants would have if they were on Earth, and using of these processes for life support. The entire system of the lunar greenhouse does represent, in a small way, the biological systems that are here on earth.”

But a big trick to the design is simply its portability: materials take up space, so engineering minimal frameworks that will work when the system is expanded is critical to getting space greenhouses into (and out of) orbit in the first place.

Meanwhile, on the ISS, astronauts continue to grow (and consume) plants outside of Earth’s normal gravity, paving the way for a better understanding of how agriculture will really work off-planet in the future.

Designed to float down the Danube river in Europe, the Eco Barge is a solar-powered floating greenhouse illustrating the possibilities of offshoring urban food production.

In addition to growing usable organic produce on the water, the barge has educational components, aiming to host presentations and workshops for citizens of European cities along the river, starting in Belgrade. Growing on the water allows food production to remain local without taking up valuable urban land.

An indoor office and presentation space brackets one end of the barge while the greenhouse is situated at the other, an open space with solar panels sitting in between. Sun and wind power systems generate renewable energy used to power the vessel as well as its on-board irrigation system.

Salt & Water, the architectural and yacht design firm behind the Eco Barge, are known for their floating projects, including a floating hotel concept made up of private yachts. These independent boats share common docks and community spaces, but can detach for explorations as well.

Presented at the 2016 Venice Architecture Bienalle, these new communities are designed to be entirely self-reliant, recycling their own waste, generating their own energy and producing their own food. Urban, suburban and rural strategies are combined in fresh ways that could lead to a new paradigm for sustainable living.

Dubbed ReGen by its creators at EFFEKT, this new self-sustaining community typology grew out of a Stanford University Paper. Thanks to the backing of entrepreneurs, the first pilot is set to launch in The Netherlands this summer with others coming soon to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and planned for China and Africa.

Each village features combinations of homes, greenhouses and public buildings, interconnecting vertical farming efforts with everyday living. Like a dome-free version of some retrofuturistic 1960s vision, the idea is that each village unit is effectively self-contained, able to thrive off the grid without polluting or depending on outside resources.

Unlike other Utopian schemes, however, a great deal of design, science, engineering and money is going into making these work. The housing and community layouts reflect new urbanist sensibilities (such as walkability and density) as well as ruralist traditions (agriculture and access to nature).

Integrated solar power systems provide energy for heating, cooling and electric cars. Community participants share responsibility for water and waste management systems. Fruits and vegetable are grown individually as well as communally. Various housing types are offered, each with adaptable modularity designed around seasonal energy savings and human comfort factors.

“Our modern lifestyle is utterly unsustainable and this calls for more resilient solutions for the future,” explained EFFEKT partner Sinus Lynge. “The technology already exists, it is just a matter of applying science into the architecture of everyday life. ReGen Villages is engineering and facilitating the development of off-grid, integrated and resilient neighbourhoods that power and feed self-reliant families around the world. The time has come to redefine residential real-estate development for the next three billion people coming to the planet.”

A solution for all seasons and regions, the premise is simple: every would-be urban farmer has space, weather and other growing constraints, and yet draws from the same set of essential needs.

For some folks the focus may be raising chickens and a few hardy outdoor plant varieties that can stand the shifts in weather.

For others, perhaps in colder climates, built-in storage compartments (that helpfully double as benches) and miniature greenhouse spaces may be the essential or desired accessories.

A series of wooden slats rhythmically wrap the exterior, creating both material continuity between sections as well as a way to hide joints between separate pieces in plain sight.

The currently-built prototype features dark-stained natural wood and examples of most of the potential modules, demonstrating their feasibility. It includes the wired outdoor area and indoor coop for chickens, for instance, as well as a planter and a secret storage bench section.

(Check out our complete collection of 70 Amazing Houses from Around the World.)

Most of us see our homes as our own personal sanctuaries. Home is a place where you can let loose, be yourself, and walk around in your underwear whenever you please. But for people who live in glass houses, home is more like a fish tank. While some of these glass houses seem impractical for everyday living, others serve a very real purpose. Greenhouses are constructed of glass to harness the power of the sun for growing plants. Whether they are meant for people or for plants, these houses made of glass are visually stunning. Also check out our complete collection of 70 Amazing Houses from Around the World.

(image via: Mirage Studio 7)

Arguably the most famous glass house is the Glass House designed by the late architect Philip Johnson as his own residence. When it was completed in 1949, it was hailed as a triumph in glass architecture. It continues to be a well-loved example of superb design, and in 1997 it was declared a national landmark. Located in New Canaan, Connecticut, the Glass House is now open for visitors to explore.

(image via: World Architecture News)

This striking home is located in a forest in the Japanese town of Karuizawa. Its solid glass walls are punctuated with bands of wood that both connect it to and separate it from the surrounding forest. The building site itself was a dark and uninviting space, but the architects managed to make this incredibly beautiful home look perfectly in sync with its surroundings.

(image via: Wikipedia)

The glass house in Christiania, Copenhagen, proves that high-powered architects are not the only ones who can build beautiful glass structures. This building was constructed from salvaged materials and the exterior glass walls are composed of old windows. The old window frames add character and charm to the home. Since glass houses can often appear cold and clinical, this is an interesting take on building glass walls.

(image via: apike)

The tropical greenhouse on the man-made Japanese island of Yume No Shima (Dream Island) is a magnificent example of how beautiful greenhouses can be. The structure is composed of three domes that tower over the landscape of this former garbage dump which was reborn as a park in 1978. The domes have been open since 1988 and today house impressive examples of greenery like giant bamboo and carnivorous plants.

(image via: Architecture Week)

Another glass house that has achieved some measure of fame is the Farnsworth house. Built by famed architect Lugwig Mies van der Rohe in the late 1940s, the home was commissioned by prominent Chicago doctor Edith Farnsworth. The gorgeous house was a feat of modern design, but it was the subsequent legal battle between the homeowner and architect that focused the public’s attention on the structure. The Farnsworth house is now a national landmark open for tours.

(image via: Bartimaeus)

The Botanical Garden in Curitiba, Brazil, is home to this massive greenhouse. It was modeled to resemble the Crystal Palace which once stood in London. In operation since 1991, the gardens and greenhouse have become one of the most popular attractions in Curitiba.

(image via: Erin Cromwell)

The Maison de Verre (House of Glass) in Paris is a graceful and memorable example of modern architecture using glass. When the property was purchased in the late 1920s, the tenant of the top floor refused to sell their home. The new owner placed the top floor on jacks and demolished the lower three levels to make room for the Maison de Verre’s construction. The interior features of the house move and glide to create a fluid living space that can be changed at will. The Maison de Verre is a French treasure, and to this very day architecture students around the world are assigned to study it.

Amazing Houses 1: Beach and Lake Houses

Amazing Houses 2: Cliff and Mountain Houses

Amazing Houses 3: Condos and Townhomes

Amazing Houses 4: Cheap and Crowded Houses

Amazing Houses 5: Greenhouses and Glass Houses

Amazing Houses 6: Haunted Houses and Hotels

Amazing Houses 7: Lighthouses

Amazing Houses 8: Dog and Doll Houses