Museum of Science and Industry

Sustainable design isn't just about minimizing our impact on the environment; it's also about enjoying it.

From the ground up to the roof, Smart Home’s landscape design demonstrates an eco-friendly aesthetic with systems that sustain and replenish the environment: green roofs, Ipê decking, rain barrels, bioswales, porous paving and rain gardens.

Journey into Smart Home Park, the landscaped area around the home, and you will find smart gardening techniques like native Midwest plantings, container gardening, and a new vertical garden with automated watering. Also new this year: a "pizza" garden, with peppers, onions, tomatoes, basil and other vegetables grown in "slices" of earth. Not to mention, the bees are back in town: two hives with 60,000 bees help pollinate the plants, provide honey and a little extra buzz.

The University of Illinois Extension Horticulture, Environmental and Green Educators train volunteer master gardeners who plant and maintain the Smart Home's gardens. These gardeners are available to answer your questions on select Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. See their website for more information.