This article was taken from the February 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Algal architecture is on the rise: in early 2013, Arup unveiled an algae-powered building in Hamburg with a "bioadaptive" façade; and researchers in Barcelona are developing biological concrete that uses microalgae. Cesare Griffa, a Torinese architect, is taking a more networked approach: "I believe that we can achieve good performances by working on single components so they collaborate to build a distributed intelligence, rather than building a top-down system," he says. His WaterLilly project is a series of photobioreactors for the home -- he calls them "responsive architecture components".
Each WaterLilly has an electronic nervous system made up of sensors, controllers and actuators: when their owners approach, the unit reacts by boosting light and CO2 bubbling, increasing the algae's metabolism. Griffa accordingly likes to think of his microalgae as "timid organisms who do not disdain company".
Griffa created the first WaterLilly in 2012, with the bioreactor pictured. He wanted to bring together algae culturing and urban farming (algal biomasses can be processed to produce carbon-based molecules for use in energy and food). Recently, he created small-scale DIY starter kits for consumers. Next, he's working to replace plastic components with biomaterials and to grow the small-scale components to cover entire façades. "We are boosting the algal community."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
