You’ve got to admire scientists who think outside the box to come up with interesting ideas which may or may not catch on. These living tree root structures may one day be houses outside of which Al Gore would be proud to park his Toyota Prius. “The concept of coaxing living trees into useful objects, sometimes called tree shaping, arborsculpture, living art or eco-architecture, isn’t new. But now engineers and plant scientists from Tel Aviv University have taken their leafy designs to the next, and more practical and playful, level. Pilot projects under way in the United States, Australia and Israel include streetlamps, gates and playground structures made entirely from trees, as well as hospital park benches that grow their own foliage for shade.” There’s no doubt that the idea is cool, but I think it will be a long time before it moves from benches and lamp posts to single family homes.