SYMBIONT
BETWEEN NATURE & TECHNOLOGY,
AMPLIFYING BOTH
Symbiont is a system that fosters the growth of micro algae to purify the air of indoor working spaces based
on the idea of symbiosis creating mutually beneficial relationships between humans and micro-organisms.
TECHNOLOGY
Through photosynthesis microalgae consumes the carbon dioxide we exhale. As a by-product, it produces oxygen.
Symbiont can purify the air of a 20m2 room with 3-4 occupants, producing the same amount of oxygen
as 36 medium sized plants.
INFO
WHAT:
Graduation Project of the double masters
Global Innovation Design
WHERE:
Royal College of Art & Imperial College
WHEN:
Jan 2017 - Jun 2017
AWARDS:
Award for Work Futures
Award for Inclusive Spaces
Exhibited at the Science Museum of London
Design & Research - Andriana Nassou
Science - Dr Irina Harun, Imperial College
INSIGHT
According to the UN report today there are 28 mega-cities worldwide and by 2030, 41 are expected to be formed with 1 in 3 people living in urban centres.
WE, THE INDOOR GENERATION
We spend 90% of our time indoors. The air we breathe in the places we live and work, is often 5 times more noxious than walking on the street.
Prolonged exposure to high CO2 levels negatively affects our physical and mental state.
OPPORTUNITY
With the current rhythm of population growth there is the need of rethinking the way we are going to live in the megacities of the future to ensure our wellbeing. Clean air in outdoor and indoor spaces is crucial for our physical and mental health.
Micro algae made the planet earth viable for humans 3.4 billion years ago by transforming the high in CO2 atmosphere into a highly oxygenated one.
Symbiont is a living structure that uses the same tools to purify the air in the indoor working spaces of our megacities.
THE PROCESS
USER RESEARCH
Through user research with quantitative and qualitative methods, I gathered data from both employees and employers to validate the concept and design the service which is part of.
Questionnaire sample: 80 employees, 10 countries Interviews: 6 employers, 2 algae experts
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
I collaborated with bioengineers from Imperial college and UCL to conduct a scientific experiment to monitor the algae growth. The experiment validated the sufficient growth rate of algae in non controlled environments, the effectiveness and efficiency of the concept.
