A Tour of the Radix Center

Today Kathleen and I biked to the Radix Center for a tour. It was sunny and 38°, perfect weather for a ride.

Inside the massive structure it was over 80°. Everyone shed layers. Scott gave us some background on his family and their work, and the center itself. Then he launched into a very detailed account of what they were trying to accomplish in our “urban” environment. I was very impressed by what’s happening there, so I’ll gush some details.

The entire building faces south to make the most of the available sunlight. The plastic facing the sun has two layers, and is almost corrugated- the air trapped in the middle provides better insulation.

The aquaculture system is marvelous. There’s a 900 gallon tank with native species of fish. They produce nitrogen, which is good for plants. There are some plants floating at the surface of that tank. Water from there drains into a smaller tank, which grows more plant life. The plant life there is expected to be food for the fish, eventually, but for now it just filters toxins from the fish. There’s a pump that takes water from there back to the top, where there’s a shallow “stream.” There are stones and watercress is growing. So the fish produce nutrients for the plants, and they eat some of them, and we eat some of them. It’s kind of self-sustaining, which is the point. The fish are okay in cold water, so the water doesn’t have to be heated. The number of fish is kept low so that if the pump fails, they don’t die in their own filth. I feel like I’m doing a poor job explaining a complicated system. You should go get the tour.

There are bunnies. They are not just cute- they produce warmth, and compost, and they can be eaten. They survive in chillier temperatures. Sometimes they get out of their enclosure, and they do some damage. They will be moved outside in the summer.

There’s an indoor compost heap. We didn’t even know what it was until he told us. It doesn’t smell, like most people think compost does. Probably because it’s being done correctly. They produce some incredibly rich looking soil from it. And it’s internal temperature was 120°, so it’s like a natural heater.

We got to go upstairs, where the dinosaurs are, and Scott explained some of their plans for vertical growth. Which made me think of these, and these.

I’m definitely interested in this. Some of the things they do, I do as well. Like collecting rainwater for plants. But there’s a lot of stuff that just isn’t practical for me, like composting for a garden when we live in a second floor apartment. The opportunity to go somewhere (by bike) and learn something interesting and get my hands dirty is very appealing. I’m interested in attending workshops and volunteering.

The Radix Center gives tours (by donation) on the last Sunday of every month at 1pm. More photos here.