Does anyone design with asthetics or beauty in mind?

[B. Colombo]

Just kinda wondering if incorporating an ap project into the landscape is covered here. I'm not trying to be an ass (it's a natural talent I was born with) but I really dislike the plumbing nightmares I see. Since I kind of threw down on this I'll toss up the first picture and keep em coming as my project progresses with the intention of a minimal indication of something more than planters or a landscaped garden and pond.

The pictures show a modified (split) recycle bin mold I salvaged, modified and 4/5ths buried along with a section of the bin (the cover looking item) that was jammed in it causing its discard. An additional white bin is in the backgroud.  The half piece over the top is being evaluated as a shade and possibly a support for individual planters. Brickwork for walkway and a support base of concrete block for planters is being started with the intention of hiding all evidence of aquaculture or hydroponics.

Looking at a max water volume of about 700 gallons per bin used.

[Carey Ma]

Good :)

[Vlad Jovanovic]

This past week I had the pleasure of sharing the stage at the International GreenFest here in Belgrade with an industrial designer named Rade Kosanovic. (I blabbered about AP, Pee-ponics, bio-ponics as it potentially relates to small scale urban farming). Anyways...Rade is a huge AP fan and had contacted me a while back about a possible aquaponic window garden design...One that didn't look like an industrial accident...This is what he came up with...I think it looks pretty darn good from an aesthetic point of view. 

 If anyone wants, you can see more of his window garden here http://kosanovic.rs/  albeit in it's (first) hydro incarnation...

[Jon Parr]

Cool Vlad, do the wires carry current for induction light rings? I wish he came up with something more clever to drain the pots...

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Yeah those wires/rods carry the electrical current for the lights. Those 4mm drains do work great for the mineral hydro, but my belief is that they are not so hot for AP... and need to be re-thought for an AP app. It takes folks a while to wrap their heads around some of the differences you encounter in any kind of organic-hydro as opposed to mineral inputs. Stuff like bio-slime and whatnot...

[Bob Campbell]

Was anyone able to get past this blue screen?

[Bob Campbell]

I let them know the site was not working correctly.

Thanks for information, I fixed that,

there are some pictures at the link

http://designeast.eu/2012/06/rade-kosanovic-serbian-eco-design/

best regards
Rade

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Thanks Bob, (the darn link worked when I posted it) I talked to Rade today too...I guess the webmaster who host his site is trying to get a handle on it. Thanks for the new link...

If you or anyone out there has some good sources of info on keeping/rearing Australian Red Claws/Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) feel free to post those links here or e-mail the info to: [e-mail]

Any good info would be appreciated.

[Guru Das C Bock]

Charlie Bacon of Ecolicious makes the best looking systems I have seen thus far.  I have taken the concept into my own designs and created my own aesthetic garden that at first glance looks like a normal raised garden.  No pipes, no wires, no plastic. Just a wooden box, plants and gravel. As I live in the desert of the southwestern US I went for a rustic look with recycled lumber.

[James Stratton]

I'm trying to consider aesthetics in the design of my system (currently under construction) but must say that, on a limited budget, function trumps form. I built a 200 gallon FT but had to bury it about two feet into the ground because the main consideration in building my system is that my grandchildren have access to the growbeds. I'll be posting my first pictures after the new year.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Ok Jon, how's this for a clever way to drain the pots..? This is a new design that Rade Kosanovic and I have been working on. It's kind of our "Window Garden 2.0"...There is a commission that will decide which project will get funded. You can vote for our design on this link (if you like) http://www.interfacereconnect.com/competition/entry.php?id=289&...

All you have to do is click on the either 'facebook', 'G+1', 'twitter', or 'in share' (depending on what social media services you happen to use) at the bottom of the links page. That's it. Voting ends April 15th.

The water feed line runs along the top of the curtain...the nutrient filled water runs via gravity down through the curtain and collects in the return line at the bottom...I'm pretty anal about solids and bio-slime, so we're doing this mineral hydro at the moment...some of the other logistics (and space requirements) are just way simpler than with a bio-ponic input method.

Any feedback would be welcome :)

[matthew ferrell]

looks good Vlad.  I'll give you all a vote.

[matthew ferrell]

You covered my only concern with the bio-slime.  I just feel maintenance might be a nightmare if you roots start to travel.