by Benedict Hobson, dezeen
In this movie Marco Poletto of EcoLogicStudio claims the integrated algae farm and cladding system his practice will showcase at the 2015 Milan Expo could be used to power cities in future.
London architecture practice ecoLogicStudio's Urban Algae Canopy, which was unveiled at the 2015 Milan Expo, is a pavilion made from an ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) skin that has been adapted to grow algae inside it.
"It takes an existing architectural technology and readapts it to host microalgal cultures," Poletto explains in the movie, which was filmed earlier this year at ecoLogicStudio's London office. "It becomes a living, bio-digital shelter."
The system works by pumping oxygen and a solution of water, algae and nutrients through the ETFE cushions. The rate of the algae's growth inside the system will vary with the strength of the sun, Poletto claims.
"The sunnier it is the faster the algae will grow," he says. "They will become darker green and the pavilion will become less translucent, increasing the shading potential. So you can imagine this as an architecture that co-evolves with the season and with the environment."
The Urban Algae Canopy was part of the Future Food District curated by Carlo Ratti Associati. As well as providing shade, the algae was regularly harvested to be eaten. (dezeen)