A sprawling rooftop garden with a drainage system for watering and a solar-paneled roof are seen May 22, 2008, at the SmartHome exhibit on the grounds of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The goal of the exhibit, which runs through January, is to show visitors that saving energy and conserving resources are within reach of ev-eryone.

從這張攝於今年5月22日的照片可見芝加哥科學工業博物館正在展出的智慧屋不規則伸展的屋頂花園，上面有一套澆水後的排水系統和太陽能板屋頂。這項展覽明年一月結束，目標是向參觀群眾展示節能和保護資源，對每個人都是舉手之勞。

The bathroom tiles are recycled wine bottles. The hardwood floors are sustainable bamboo. And the sprawl-ing garden gets sprinkled with rainwater collected in 300-gallon barrels. From its recycled plastic deck to its solar-paneled roof, everything in and about the 232 square meter home on exhibit has been designed to show the public how easy it can be to incorporate environmen-tal sustainability into their own abodes.

這幢智慧屋浴室瓷磚用回收酒瓶再製。硬木地板是可永續使用的竹子。屋頂蔓延的花園用300加侖大桶收集雨水後澆花。從回收再製的塑膠平台到太陽能板屋頂，在這幢占地232平方公尺的智慧屋裡裡外外所展示的一切，都是為了向群眾展示，結合住家和環保永續發展多麼輕而易舉。

In fact, green housing is growing even while the overall housing market is suffering. This year, green building is expected to represent 6 percent of the residential con-struction industry, according to a survey conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics for the U.S. Green Building Council. That's up from just 2 per-cent in 2005.

事實上，雖然一般美國房市慘跌，綠化節能屋仍不斷成長。麥格羅希爾建設研究分析部為美國綠化建築委員會所進行的調查顯示，今年環保建築預期將占住宅營建業的6%，這只比2005年高2%。

The modular home uses less than half the energy and a third of the water of traditional homes, includes a kitchen with a countertop composter and a sink made from con-crete and fly ash-- a byproduct of burning coal. Water from the bathroom sink is diverted to the toilet, where it is used for flushing. A bicycle in the children's bedroom must be pedaled for 30 minutes to charge a battery to power video games.

這幢組合屋使用的能源，不到傳統房屋一半，使用的水也只有三分之一，包括廚房料理台上的堆肥桶，水槽則是用混凝土和燃煤的副產品「飄塵」打造。浴室洗臉盆的水可以轉而用來沖馬桶。孩子臥房一輛腳踏車必須踩30分鐘才能為一個電池充電，提供電玩電源。

David Johnston, who owns an international green building consulting firm in Boulder, Colorado, said the exhibit is a great way to educate the public about green possibilities, but he hopes that the home's ultramodern ar-chitecture doesn't leave visitors with ``the impression that green building has to be modern, weird, solar, ugly.'' Anne Rashford, the museum's SmartHome project manager, said nobody expects that people will try to recreate the exhibit home. But we hope people will make informed decisions when they're building, when they're renovating.''

在科羅拉多州圓石市擁有一家國際綠化建築顧問公司的強森說，這項展覽可以教育民眾環保的所有可能性，但他希望，這幢智慧屋超現代的建築不致給參觀者「留下印象，以為綠化建築一定很現代、怪誕、太陽能和醜陋。」博物館負責智慧屋計畫的經理安妮‧拉希福德說，沒有人會期望有人也試著去建一幢樣品屋，但我們希望大家在決定蓋房子或整修房子時能參考這些資訊。」