Biomaterials refer to building materials derived from living organisms such as fungus, animals, and plants. The main topic of this book is plant-based materials and how environmentally friendly they are, which is why more and more designers and architects are using them. This is because they reduce the embodied carbon footprint of structures and products by providing cruelty-free manufacture, being mostly biodegradable, and storing CO2 during their useful lives.
Certain resources, like wood and hemp, can be utilized unprocessed, while other materials, like food waste, mycelium, and algae, are usually combined with other materials to create composites that are valuable. One such Bio-material with a lot of potential in the design industry is Algae.
The word “algae” refers to a broad category of mostly aquatic photosynthetic creatures. This includes kelp and seaweeds, which combined store and sequester more carbon than land plants and are the primary oxygen providers in water. In order to create bioplastic polymers that can be used in place of fossil plastics, algae are frequently treated.
EcoLogicStudio purifies the air within a children’s enclosed playground using algae
The AirBubble play pavilion by EcoLogicStudio employs algae in solar-powered bioreactors to absorb carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. The 52 bioreactors positioned around the pavilion’s perimeter, according to the London-based studio, are able to filter all of the inside air on a daily basis, keeping pollution levels below WHO standards. While children’s play triggers the gear
that pumps liquid through the bioreactors, solar energy powers the photosynthesis that the algae use to purify the air. AirBubble’s play equipment includes spheres that bounce, ropes, and pedal pumps. An air pump in the timber deck ensures the bioreactors receive the necessary aeration when kids aren’t around.
“This playground needs two sources of power: solar energy and kids’ instinctive drive to explore and to play,” said EcoLogicStudio co-founder Claudia Pasquer. The photosynthesis that the algae use to clean the air is powered by solar energy, and the gear that pumps liquid through the bioreactors can be activated by the play of the kids. AirBubble’s play equipment includes spheres that bounce, ropes, and pedal pumps. A wood deck air pump ensures that the bioreactors receive the necessary aeration when kids aren’t there. “We wanted to create a new kind of playground that was at the same time fun, safe and educational for all kids. We wanted to channel the power of play towards making meaningful social and ecological changes to our cities” said Pasquer. According to the studio, this setting is also appropriate for an outdoor school since the sounds of the city outside are muffled by the soothing white noise produced by the bioreactors bubbling.
Timber was used to reduce the environmental impact of construction; paired with the impacts of the algae, AirBubble will be carbon-negative throughout its life cycle. The amount of air pollutants within the building has been brought down by AirBubble to levels that are safe according to WHO guidelines, based on data provided by EcoLogicStudio. All of this is made possible by the algal cultures, which need to be harvested once a week in order to lessen their concentration and provide space for fresh development. The system is characterized by Paasquer as “self-sufficient and very resilient”.
Prometheus Materials creates building blocks with cement made from algae
Prometheus Materials, located in Colorado, has created masonry blocks using a substance that resembles low-carbon cement and is cultivated from microalgae. The substance used to make the blocks, which grow in bioreactors and replicate like coral, is comparable to organic cement and satisfies ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) requirements. Utilizing sunshine, saltwater, and carbon dioxide, biomineralizing cyanobacteria were cultivated to create this bio-cement. To generate a low-carbon construction material with mechanical, physical, and thermal qualities similar to concrete based on Portland cement, this bio-cement was mixed with aggregate to make the blocks. As an alternative to Portland cement, which relies on clinker derived from burnt and crushed limestone and is a major source of carbon emissions, the bio-cement might be manufactured in large quantities. The carbon is discharged into the environment while the calcium, an essential component of cement, is separated by this process. To collect the biomaterials needed to make the blocks, the business is making use of infrastructure that is already in place. First created in response to a request from the US Department of Defense to envisage sustainable materials, the substance was created by professors at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). Masonry blocks are the initial use of the material, and Prometheus Materials was founded in 2021 to make it accessible to the general population.
Algae as a Biomaterial has a lot of potential in the construction industry with great potential that could unveil numerous possibilities towards creating a sustainable environment and living conditions for the present and future generations. Apart from the above-given examples, Algae is also used to produce Bioplastics which can be used in packaging, the fashion industry to create Bio bio-degradable dresses, low-impact algae bricks, Algae grown Limestone, Fabrics and much more. Bio-based substitutes for materials with high structural emissions must be accessible and simple to manufacture. Nevertheless, despite the impending difficulties, they present countless opportunities; given the rapid advancement of technology, it may not be long until these lead to a more hygienic constructed environment.
References:
- Camilla Ghisleni “What are Biomaterials in Architecture” (2022). Biomaterials in Architecture [Online]. (Published on 24 August 2022). Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/987658/what-are-biomaterials-in-architecture#:~:text=In%20the%20field%20of%20construction,be%20transformed%20into%20useful%20composites [Accessed on 13 April 2024].
- Rima Sabina Aouf “EcoLogic Studio uses algae to purify air inside enclosed playground for children” (2021). Algae as a Bio material [Online]. (Published on 27 Sept 2021). Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/27/algae-filled-airbubble-ecologicstudio-purifies-air-design-architecture/ [Accessed on 13 April 2024].
- Be Dreith “ Prometheus Materials uses algae-based cement to make masonry blocks” (2022). Algae as a Bio material [Online]. (Published on 7 June 2022). Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2022/06/07/prometheus-biocomposite-cement-blocks/ [Accessed on 13 April 2024].
- Valeria Monty “From Bio Materials to Load-Bearing Structures: Fungi, Algae and Tree Forks” (2022). Biomaterials in Architecture [Online]. (Published on 23 August 2022). Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/987455/from-bio-materials-to-load-bearing-structures-fungi-algae-and-tree-forks [Accessed on 13 April 2024].
