Have you taken a peek inside a Habitrail lately? Try to look past the rigid bisphenol A-laden walls and focus more on the fact that its whiskered occupants need not lift even a single foot to exist happily and contendedly. Their wonderously self-contained, candy-tinted translucent plastic universe can be likened to the original concept of a sustainable city. Home to lucky mice and fluffy hamsters and everywhere, their hallowed tunnels runneth over with everything that their tiny little hearts could possibly desire. From comfortable bedding and perpetually replenished vittles to an endless supply of fresh water, all of their basic needs are magically within reach. Unlike humans though, rodents do not run on a resource deficit.

Humans have long consumed far more of Mother Nature's resources than what can be comfortably offered on a continuous basis. In a truly sustainable society however, we need to strike a balance between what our society genuinely needs while also respecting the resources of future generations. The Dutch term "Oogst," which stands for harvest, is a three part agricultural project devised by creative agency Tjep. that addresses this issue. In an effort to create "synergy between production processes in agriculture..." and address "energy consumption and waste production in the residential sector," they came up with three distinct sustainable farming models that can provide its residents -- much like the rodents referenced above -- with the all of the basic necessities that they could possibly need under one roof. Requiring just solar and wind to power its self contained systems, all three of the Oogst concepts serve to reconceptualize how we can live, work and become one with Mother Nature.

Oogst 1 Solo is a single residential structure containing:

• a cross-shaped floor plan, including kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom and storage
• rooftop solar and wind energy powered systems
• a built-in greenhouse for fruits and vegetables
• all CO2 converted to oxygen via greenhouse plants
• chicken coop for protein sources
• mini recycling station

Oogst Community 100 sustains a minimum of 100 resident-farmers with:

• similar technology to Oogst 1 Solo
• a central greenhouse for residential food needs
• farmland to sustain cattle

Oogst 1000 Wonderland fulfills the needs of 1000 people daily with:

• a self-sufficient farm
• restaurant serving food harvested from adjacent fields
  hotel offering free room to farmers when they work the land
• toilets which compensate users Euro 0.50  per visit (cleverly linked to a bio-gas energy system)