A recent design probe from Philips called Off the grid: Sustainable Habitat 2020 is exploring the possibility of using sensitive textile skins on buildings to create energy independent structures.
The probe explores the integration of electronics and bio chemical functionalities into the inert material of the built environment. This future habitat shifts from the current state where the building surfaces are benign inert materials only used for construction and shielding purposes, to sensitive functional skins that are alive and act as membranes to harness energy. A membrane creates a strong link between the interior and exterior of the habitat, used as a transporter of air, water and light, taking buildings off the grid.