Ossigeno
Basic information
Project Title
Ossigeno
Full project title
Ossigeno. System of biofabricated urban furniture to increase biodiversity and air quality
Category
Reconnecting with nature
Project Description
The project proposes a new way of living together in the city, connecting human and not-human. "Ossigeno" is a system of biofabricated and bioreceptive urban furniture, realized in Additive Manufacturing, with the aim of increasing biodiversity in the cities where it is installed and improving air quality, thanks to the fixation of CO2 and the release of molecules of O2 by plants through the process of photosynthesis.
Geographical Scope
Regional
Project Region
Tuscany, Italy
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
We are in a phase of design that not only recognizes a different priority system but additionally acts on it through collaboration with other players in the universe, from bacteria to plants. To do this, the relationship between design and other disciplines must change; they must constantly interact and feed off each other. Following this direction, Ossigeno is an interdisciplinary project in collaboration with biology, which is based on interspecies collaboration and co-creation in order to explore the possibilities of bio-based materials by giving new value to waste from the stone supply chain that from 'waste' could become a new resource adopting a multidisciplinary approach involving microbial biotechnological processes to give new life to waste materials.
A new bio-material suitable for industrial production and in particular for 3D printing, was exploited in order to create with the help of computational design a system of biofabricated street furniture, that is, where natural processes contribute to the creation of the material, with the aim of stimulating spontaneous growth and improving air quality through the fixation of CO2 and the release of O2 molecules by plants through the process of photosynthesis.
In fact, the design integrates the growth of nature, the formal geometries of each element create "microenvironments" and "microclimates" in which natural vegetation can nest and grow, creating an interaction between dynamic green and static gray, resulting in increased biodiversity and a growing ecosystem. Initial colonizers tend to be phototrophs, such as algae and cyanobacteria, requiring only inorganic growth materials. Once established, heterotrophic organisms such as lichens and mosses then follow as a natural succession.
They will also attract "animal" biodiversity, such as insects and birds, creating favourable habitats for insects, with vegetation and shaded areas to survive in the warmer season, and for birds to take refuge and create nests.
A new bio-material suitable for industrial production and in particular for 3D printing, was exploited in order to create with the help of computational design a system of biofabricated street furniture, that is, where natural processes contribute to the creation of the material, with the aim of stimulating spontaneous growth and improving air quality through the fixation of CO2 and the release of O2 molecules by plants through the process of photosynthesis.
In fact, the design integrates the growth of nature, the formal geometries of each element create "microenvironments" and "microclimates" in which natural vegetation can nest and grow, creating an interaction between dynamic green and static gray, resulting in increased biodiversity and a growing ecosystem. Initial colonizers tend to be phototrophs, such as algae and cyanobacteria, requiring only inorganic growth materials. Once established, heterotrophic organisms such as lichens and mosses then follow as a natural succession.
They will also attract "animal" biodiversity, such as insects and birds, creating favourable habitats for insects, with vegetation and shaded areas to survive in the warmer season, and for birds to take refuge and create nests.
Key objectives for sustainability
Among the key objectives of the project in terms of sustainability, there is certainly a Cradle to Cradle approach, giving new life to waste from the stone supply chain through an innovative biological process with low energy consumption and low CO2 emissions to produce the biomaterial suitable for industrial production and 3D printing.
It also responds to Objectives 13 and 15 of the 2030 Agenda by safeguarding and restoring biodiversity in the city through the design of bioreceptive structures, capable of hosting plant and animal species, with a consequent strong impact on the reduction of C02 within the context urban
It also responds to Objectives 13 and 15 of the 2030 Agenda by safeguarding and restoring biodiversity in the city through the design of bioreceptive structures, capable of hosting plant and animal species, with a consequent strong impact on the reduction of C02 within the context urban
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Ossigeno is a series of biofabricated and bioreceptive urban furniture to bring biodiversity back into the urban context, composed of 1 totem, 6 elements and 1 modular tile. All the elements can be arranged in different configurations to create mutant/living installations in which man and nature can relate. Thanks to these structures, the urban context in which they will be installed will have an effective and measurable improvement in air quality thanks to the photosynthesis process of plants and a significant increase in biodiversity thanks to the bioreceptivity of the structures created which, thanks to its design created with the help of computational design and thanks to the properties of the new biomaterial tested, it will accommodate plant and animal species.
In addition to this, another fundamental element is to re-establish our vision of the position of the human being in the universe and recover our relationship with nature, which in recent years man with his activities has irreversibly severed, especially that concerning natural resources and ecosystems the human being will be able to be in harmony with vegetation and nature, rediscovering how essential this is.
In addition to this, another fundamental element is to re-establish our vision of the position of the human being in the universe and recover our relationship with nature, which in recent years man with his activities has irreversibly severed, especially that concerning natural resources and ecosystems the human being will be able to be in harmony with vegetation and nature, rediscovering how essential this is.
Key objectives for inclusion
Ossigeno is a series of biofabricated bioreceptive structures designed in collaboration with living microorganisms to create an environment in which humans and non-humans can live in harmony and try to reconstitute the human-nature bond which, due to the devastating actions of man in recent years, has been severed.
Ossigeno therefore responds to the vision that nature is no longer just a source of inspiration, but is also a living or active material to be grafted into products to give rise to hybrid objects, increasingly complex, adaptive, flexible and therefore suitable for the mutability of contemporary living. The world desperately needs new design thinking, we need interdisciplinary teams that design not just for humans, but for the rest of the living planet.
Ossigeno therefore responds to the vision that nature is no longer just a source of inspiration, but is also a living or active material to be grafted into products to give rise to hybrid objects, increasingly complex, adaptive, flexible and therefore suitable for the mutability of contemporary living. The world desperately needs new design thinking, we need interdisciplinary teams that design not just for humans, but for the rest of the living planet.
How Citizens benefit
The beneficiary citizens were involved through a series of interviews. The interviews were carried out in the city of Florence and the objective was to understand how sensitive these people are to the issue of biodiversity loss and how ready they are to imagine a world in complete harmony with non-human living beings, in order to restore -establish that man-nature bond now severed precisely because of human actions
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
The innovation lies precisely in the process that led to the creation of the Ossigeno concept. In fact, thanks to a biological process it was possible to give new value to waste from the stone supply chain.
As regards the product created (a series of bioreceptive structures) the innovation lies in the bioreceptivity of the shapes, in fact without human intervention and without particular maintenance these structures will welcome vegetation which will contribute to bringing biodiversity back to the city and consequently to improve air quality thanks to the photosynthesis process.
As regards the product created (a series of bioreceptive structures) the innovation lies in the bioreceptivity of the shapes, in fact without human intervention and without particular maintenance these structures will welcome vegetation which will contribute to bringing biodiversity back to the city and consequently to improve air quality thanks to the photosynthesis process.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The project fits at the intersection of two disciplines, biology and design. It was precisely the interdisciplinary collaboration between these two that first allowed the development of a biomaterial biomanufactured by living organisms and then the creation of an application concept in the urban context to increase biodiversity and improve air quality. In particular, biology was fundamental in the Design Tinkering sessions in which the material was tested within a biological laboratory. Clearly, without the scientific knowledge of biology we would not have developed the process that allows us to give new value to waste from the stone supply chain.
Methodology used
The innovation lies precisely in the process that led to the creation of the Ossigeno concept. Thanks to a biological process it was possible to give new value to waste from the stone supply chain.
As regards the product created (a series of bioreceptive structures) the innovation lies in the bioreceptivity of the material and shapes, in fact without human intervention and without particulate maintenance these structures will welcome vegetation which will contribute to bringing biodiversity back to the city and consequently to improve air quality thanks to the photosynthesis process.
As regards the product created (a series of bioreceptive structures) the innovation lies in the bioreceptivity of the material and shapes, in fact without human intervention and without particulate maintenance these structures will welcome vegetation which will contribute to bringing biodiversity back to the city and consequently to improve air quality thanks to the photosynthesis process.
How stakeholders are engaged
Currently, given that the project is a concept, the interested parties have not been involved in the design and implementation of the project.
Global challenges
It responds to Objectives 13 and 15 of the 2030 Agenda by safeguarding and restoring biodiversity in the city through the design of bioreceptive structures, capable of hosting plant and animal species, with a consequent strong impact on the reduction of C02 within the context urban
Learning transferred to other parties
The biological process can be replicated in other places, but for sustainability reasons it is also possible to think of reproducing it using stone waste originating from that geographical area. With this, however, new tests would be necessary to understand its characteristics and how these, together with the microorganism, influence the final result of the biomaterial.
Unlike the process, the technology and products of the Ossigeno series can, in the future, be replicated and installed in different parts of the world to bring biodiversity back to cities, improve air quality and consequently increase the health and well-being of citizens
Unlike the process, the technology and products of the Ossigeno series can, in the future, be replicated and installed in different parts of the world to bring biodiversity back to cities, improve air quality and consequently increase the health and well-being of citizens
Keywords
biodesign
bioreceptive design
nature
urban design
biomaterial (biofabricated material)
