What if your windows could photosynthesise? London-based design practice ecoLogicStudio has created Photo.Synth.Etica, a “biocurtain” that captures one kilogram of carbon dioxide per day – the equivalent of 20 large trees. The carbon-neutral biocurtain uses microalgae to capture carbon dioxide from polluted air and produce oxygen. “It is a new kind of urban symbiosis,” says co-founder Claudia Pasquero.
As the Sun’s rays shine through Photo.Synth.Etica, the microalgae photosynthesise: polluted urban air enters the bottom of the curtain and gradually rises to meet the cyanobacteria cells in the living cultures. These consume the toxic particles so that the air is cleaned as it rises, while also sequestering the carbon and producing oxygen, which is released at the top. “The curtain interacts with the air of the environment in which it is embedded,” Pasquero explains. “It acts as a medium that allows the air to flow through and trade CO2 with the microalgae before escaping the system.”
The curtain is designed to be hung from the side of a building. It is composed of 16 modules, each 2m x 7m, and made from two layers of transparent bioplastic, which are welded together to create pockets of microalgae suspended in a biogel medium. This results in a bright green, snake-like pattern that becomes luminescent at night. Thanks to robotic and digital fabrication methods, the algal density of the biocurtain’s pockets can be altered across the facade, depending on an environment’s C02 level and the amount of shading required. This way, ecoLogicStudio can control the system and create a gradient that responds to different microclimates.
The designers envisage the curtain being applied to new buildings, but it can also be retrofitted to existing facades. As the curtain is lightweight and does not require heavy substructures when installed, it could be used to sustainably renovate 80s office blocks, for example. “A more affordable version is in development that will target the large distribution and warehouse market,” says Pasquero. “The aim is to cover the large surfaces of malls, distribution hubs, data centres and other large ‘shed’ typologies.”
Depending on the complexity of the system and the material used, the biocurtain costs around €300 (£270) to €2,000 (£1,800) per square metre. The organic biomass that the microalgae produces as a waste product can be harvested for use in bioplastics or sustainable textiles such as microbial cellulose.
Photo.Synth.Etica is the result of ten years of research, with the first prototypes available this year. “We are searching for early adopters who are willing to test the system on their buildings and plan to have four or five facades up and running by early 2020,” says co-founder Marco Poletto. Ultimately, the designers’ vision is to rethink buildings as synthetic organisms, which are able to grow into the context they are placed in and benefit the surrounding environment.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
