Plant biomes in a clay pit
Eden Project
Giant domes in a former clay pit create homes for plants from the tropics and from warm temperate regions such as the Mediterranean.
Scientists at Eden
In the short-term the scientists at Eden face the challenge of maintaining healthy plant growth in the vast greenhouses while controlling pests and diseases.
In the longer term the aim is to work with other scientists all over the world to increase our understanding of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources leading to a sustainable future for all.
Materials for lightweight domes
Each dome is an intricate network of steel rods bolted together to form hexagons and triangles with the occasional pentagon.
Tough sheets of 'windows' of a polymer combining the best properties of polythene and the non-stick plastic PTFE. The chosen polymer is ETFE (ethylenetetrafluoroethylene-copolymer), forming inflated 'pillows'. ETFE has a long life. It lets through all the sunlight that plants need for growth while being non-stick, self-cleaning and weighing less than 1% of the equivalent area of glass.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 25 April 2003
