Vermicondo: Worm Composter By Levitt Goodman
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.23.06
Levitt Goodman Architects, known to Treehuggers 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. From The Star: "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. ::Levitt Goodman via ::The Star
"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."
Looks nice. My big problem with the recycling bin vermicomposter I use is cleaning the castings from the worms.... not all that fun. This design appears to remove that hassle... wonder how much it is.
If you have cats, how about growing catgras on top?
Kitchen herbs is a great idea, too.
Where can you buy it? I love the design concept. I love making composting instyle.
Vermicondo
I'm interested in this but can't seem to find where I can buy it or the price. Anyone know?
Tom
Send me a message
I found it at Worms.com, but it's pricey: $1500.
http://www.worms.com/store/worms-prod/worm-bins/vermicondo.html