Statement about the Research Content and Process

Description

Photosynthetic architecture suggests that a non-anthropocentric mode of reasoning and deployment of cutting-edge technologies based on digital and biological intelligence could be at the core of urban design. Powered by solar energy, photosynthetic architecture aims to integrate living microalgae and artificial intelligence within architectural systems to re-metabolise carbon dioxide (CO2) and pollutants from the urban atmosphere and increase levels of visual interaction between pollutants, microorganisms and urban dwellers.

Questions

1. Can the urbansphere develop a symbiotic relationship with the natural biosphere?

2. What material contribution can photosynthetic architecture make to renew the relationship between the urban condition and biosphere?

3. What is the role of large-scale 3D-printing techniques in the realisation of photosynthetic architectures?

Methodology

1. Cross-disciplinary engagement with marine biologists, algae farmers, interactive designers, computational experts, manufacturers and city municipalities in the development of 1:1 testing of wetware, software and hardware;

2. Welding, laser cutting, 3D printing and lab-grade glass modelling to evolve the hardware design and functioning;

3. Lab-based and onsite material testing of microalgae mediums to achieve balanced growth in the architectural context;

4. Testing and coding of software to measure environmental variables and record performance data.

Dissemination

This series of photosynthetic projects has had wide press coverage and has featured in more than 500 printed and online articles over the past five years. Notable interviews with the author include the BBC News (2019) and CNBC (2019). Print and online articles have featured in publications including Architectural Design, Domus and Wired, amongst others. Urban Algae Folly was shown at Expo Milano 2015, which was visited by 22,200,000 people; BioTechHut and H.O.R.T.U.S. Astana were exhibited at Expo Astana 2017, which was visited by 3,997,545 people.

Project Highlights

The individual projects have won various awards. H.O.R.T.U.S. ZKM and The Urban Algae Folly were awarded Best Digital Design 2016 by IDEA TOP Shenzen and PhotoSynthEtica Dublin received an honourable mention in the Fast Company awards in 2019. Further to this, Pasquero featured in Wired’s 2017 Smart List, where ‘tech’s biggest names pick the stars of tomorrow’, for her work with bioarchitecture, specifically citing Expo Milano 2015. Pasquero was the head curator for the Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2017.

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4 H.O.R.T.U.S. ZKM, 2015. The SuperTree (detail).