London-based ecoLogicStudio is an architectural and urban design practice specialized in environmental design, urban self-sufficiency and building integrated nature. One of their newest project installations is the urban curtain for Climate-KIC, the EU’s most prominent climate innovation initiative. The curtain is called Photo.Synth.Etica and was built to capture CO2 from the atmosphere.

 

 

The urban curtain Photo.Synth.Etica captures approximately one kilo CO2 per day, which is an equivalent to that of 20 large trees. It envelopes the first and second floor of Printwork building’s main facade, located at Dublin Castle. Composted of 16, 2×7 meter modules, each one functions as a unique photobioreactor – digitally designed and custom made, it uses daylight to feed the micro-algal cultures and releases luminescent shades at night.

 

 

EcoLogicStudio explains the process as such: „Unfiltered urban air is introduced at the bottom of the Photo.Synth.Etica facade and, while air bubbles naturally rise through the watery medium within the bioplastic photobioreactors, they come into contact with voracious microbes. CO2 molecules and air pollutants are captured and stored by the algae, and grow into biomass. This can be harvested and employed in the production of bioplastic raw material that constitutes the main building material of the photobioreactors. To culminate the process, freshly photosynthesized oxygen is released at the top of each facade unit of Photo.Synth.Etica, and out into the urban microclimate.“

 

Living micro-algal cultures

 

Explanation a bit too intense? The shorter version: efficient bio-design that does good things for the world and our life quality, not only very useful, but well accomplished design-wise.

 

 

The serpentine design of the modules optimizes the carbon sequestration process. Climate KIC is committed to promote new models and ideas attractive for urban areas to solve the global climate crisis. Furthering that, the Photo.Synth.Etica project tries to symbolically embody a parallelism between the monetary carbon trading market and the transactions carried out by the molecules.

 

 

The urban curtain could be integrated into existing and newly designed buildings, functioning as an innovative shading system.

 

Living micro-algal cultures

 

Smart cities, smart homes, vehicles, robotic factories and others are part of futuristic scenarios in fighting climate change – however all of them need an architectural re-framing to produce beneficial societal crossways.

 

Visit ecoLogicStudio’s website to learn more about the newest designs and innovations.