ENGAGED MATERIAL/
PHENOMENAL URBANISM







 

Algenosphere


 Mehek Usman, Niki Gotzev, Aarav Shroff

Air-Purification Of Toxins Via Vacuum-formed Algae Growing Panels Within A Dual-Layer Timber Gridshell;   

Abstract
The communities of East Harlem have historically faced some of the highest numbers of air pollutants in all of New York City, with long-term effects such as asthma and lung-related chronic illnesses continiously impacting the livelihood of the community today (EJNYC). We believe that algae, a fast-growing microorganism, along with sunlight and water, can sequester the pollutants in the air efficiently. The algae, living in a site responsive panel assembly system with a cross-braced wooden structured, receives pressurized polluted air via a trompe pump systempowered by flowing water from the East River. The panels themselves form a topographical needs-based system that stretches across the River’s walkway, providing clean air, seating, and shade to passers by. This large-scale system aims to generally improve the air quality and provide clean oxgen to those using the Harlem River path. 


Why the Harlem River Drive Walkway?

The Harlem River Drive walkway is a site largerly disconnected from the rest of East Harlem, lacking the infrastructure and amenities for people to comfortably convene and connect with their community. There is a clear potential espite its potential to provide much needed relieffrom the bustling streets of NYC and cool river air. East Harlem has the highest rates of PM 2.5 & Ozone related ER Visits in all of New York City (EJNYC Report, 2024) due to nearby and incoming contaminants from the south. The combination of these pollutants, in house adulterants, smoking, and the demographics of East Harlem that make these communities more vulnerable than the rest. Along with this, the lack of treecover and high levels of NO2 in many areas of East Harlem and especially the esplanade amplify the damage that these pollutants cause to the locals’ healths and overall well being.

The Problem
The Harlem River Drive walkway is a site largerly disconnected from the rest of East Harlem, with the area as well being surrounded by multiple sources of pollution plaguing the health of the city and especially those of East Harlem. These pollutants include;

PM2.5 particles: Small particles that can settle far into the lungs, resulting in long term lung damage deriving from commercial cooking, vehicle emissions, and building boilers
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): high temperature combustion particles, incredibly common.
Ozone (O3): Nitrogen oxides that come in contact with prolonged sunlight. Short term exposure can lead to shortness of breath.

Consequence: The listed pollutants have resulted in the most visits to the ER in East Harlem vs any other region in NYC (EJNYC REPORT). These pollutants have plagued the area for a long time, and due to the lack of attention from the government, have managed to infiltrate the livelihoods of the people living in East Harlem, with it having some of the highest rates of Lung Cancer, Childhood Asthma, amd more. 


The SolutionAlgae as a living organism housed within architecture assemblies has the phenomenal property of capturing said pollutants, harmful particles, and converting them into fresh oxygenated air at a rate stronger than trees with out necessitating  disrupting the site with  preparation for large scale


The Photobioreactor as an Assembly Component Hosting Algae as an Air-Purifier:

  1. Sources of Polution include Harlem River Drive, I-87, power plants, and idling trucks at nearby logistic hubs
  2. Airborne CO2, NOx, and other compounds in PM2.5 particles are inhaled by the algae
  3. Sunlight enters panels, powering photosynthetic algae process to convert the CO2 and other molecules into nutrients
  4. The  algae is  in a flowing system constantly being fed polluted air into its water and exhaling purified oxygen 
  5. Turbulence of flowing air created via trompe (powered by the East River’s flowing water system keeps algae circulating 
  6. Photobioreactor can be integrated into various components of public spaces (i.e. fences, walls, lamp posts, canopies) as urban armatures; opening and providing new spaces for gathering.


Experiments

Producing and Testing Spirulina Cultivation to Measure Benefit Algae Growth:
In order to grow and experiment with algae, the initial test was set up as simply as possible: providing an algae culture sample with an LED light + turbulence via a mechanical system (aquarium pump) in an open tank. The tank was fitted with a mesh screen to prevent large contaminants from entering, and fed every other day after the 48 hour grow period.

AQI Testing:Air quality testing was conducted via an air quality monitor over 25 minutes testing for PM2.5, PM10, AQI, and base factors such as temperature and humidity, in a non-controlled environment and based off of proximity. What was revealed was an exponential decay in the critical values (AQI, PM2.5, and PM10), a steady rate of HCHO at 0.01, and a gradual decrease in temperature and an inversely increasing humidity.

The Conclusion: PM2.5, PM10, and AQI levels see a significant decrease when placed in proximity to the open algae culture. The next steps will require a more controlled test, with the algae transferred into a closed container, and a controlled chamber for the air quality monitor.


Material System Design/Development

Variating Structure, Assembly, and Passive Intake Systems

 The Trompe: The final goal of the system is to be entirely passive, so the next set of tests involved passive strategies that could help provide turbulence to the algae system. While there are other methods of simply generating hydraulic power/ using public flowing water sources, this is the most passive system that can be developed, meaning our project will likely need to be along the river.

Tests were performed both through physically and digitally, with CFD tools acting as the main source of parametric tests. Results found a positive result in particle disappation at a high concentration with physical tests resulting the same; air being displaced through the top tube into the algae.




Assembly (Mockup)
The new material system utilizes a diagonal gridshell structure to provide organization and structural integrity to the system.

We used the live physics engine Kangaroo to resolve structure effectively through form finding, followed by panel inflation based on the amount of light recieved per each panel’s needs to regulate temperature and growth. The inflation was done parametrically through direct results from Ladybug sun studies into Kangaroo. 
 
The gaps naturally found in the gridshell act as intake and exhaust paths for the piping to move through, concealing it entirely in alternating directions.



System Details

1. Steel bracket connection holds the gridshell form in place, with developed scale and sizing depending on size of the load and intervention


2. The nozzles are designed to sit within the material system assembly, and can be interchanged depending on program and form, in order to provide wide scale oxygen or immediate oxygenated relief.


Urban/Financial Speculation

Calculating Economic Benefits to East Harlem Community
Harvested algae can be exchanged at local delis and cafes to be converted to biochar (a soil fertilizer, fuel, or concrete additive). The carbon sequestration can also prove finanially beneficial as carbon emissions become increasingly taxed. The revenue was calculated for the growth period of the algae (approx 240 days).



Final Prototype: Pratt SOA

 Presentation of the Mock-Up and Research to a Review Jury 


Mock Up Construction



Case Studies: East River Esplanade

Arraying Interventions along the FDR Drive’s Abandoned Points



In order to clean the air and provide clean, healthy oxygen to the community in East Harlem, the AlgenoSphere system should be integrated along a significant length of the River. The system undulates and changes in its global form as the needs along the river change, providing shade, seating, and storage, often taking the most abandoned and disrespected sites adjacent to the river.
Site Plan of case studies along the esplanade






Darrick Borowski
Visiting Associate Professor

dborow64@pratt.edu
darrick@dba.nyc
718.399.4305

http://darrickborowski.com
http://are-a.net
http://materialphenomenal.com

IG:

Mycoshield:
Mycellium

 Sarah Cawley
Brianna Martinez-Burns
Saahir Lakhani

Algenosphere:
Algae

 Aarav Schroff
Nicolas Gotzev
Mehek Usman Terraflow:
Terracotta

 Brynn Lucky
Vaughn Carson
Olivia Su

Urban Osmosis:
Hydrogel

 Zophia Li
Tia Thomspon
Kyle Fish