algae

Algae are the oldest plant organism on earth and at the same time the basis of our life. 3.5 billion years ago, they were the first species to photosynthesise, and it is this metabolic process that is the main reason for their importance an numerous potentials to us and our environment. Although algae are actually quite ingenious and offer these numerous potentials, they have not yet really arrived in our everyday lives. Not only the direct use, but above all the appreciation towards the organism is missing. In the algae project new forms of cultivation for the microorganisms were explored. Using 3D printing of clay, a special surface was created on which the algae grow adherently in the form of a biofilm. This not only brings some advantages to the process of algae cultivation, but at the same time offers completely new possibilities for application and integration. To illustrate this principle, a column-like, free-standing object has been created, through which algae cultivation can be integrated into various spaces and environments without major, invasive intervention.

What happens when we orient our design and the design process first towards an organism?

The starting point of the project are the algae and due to that a lot of the research on the theoretical and practical side revolves around the organisms. What are their needs, requirements and possibilities? Only the next stage is about the relationship between microorganisms and humans: What can coexistence look like? What goals should an interaction between the two pursue? What potentials can be used mutually? On the basis of these considerations, the design parameters were formed, which are oriented primarily to the needs and requirements of the algae, and secondarily to the requirements of human interaction and integration. Once these parameters and their hierarchy had been clarified, the concrete design process was bound to begin. The recurring question in the process is: at which point is which actor taken into account and why? Are the organism and its needs always in the foreground and is the design therefore also primarily oriented towards creating the best possible environment for it? Or is the focus more on the final product and its integration into the human environment and the design requirements this entails? Are there any compromises that can be found here?

How can we create a new way of living together?