From the Series
The Eco-pod proposes to stimulate the economy and ecology of downtown Boston through the installation of a temporary vertical algae bio-reactor and public commons. A collaboration between Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Squared Design Lab, the pods will serve as bio-fuel sources and micro-incubators for flexible research and development programmes. An on-site robotic armature (powered by the algae bio-fuel) is designed to reconfigure the modules to maximise algae growth conditions and to accommodate evolving spatial and programmatic conditions in real-time. The open, reconfigurable structure also makes provision for a network of vertical public botanical gardens between the pods. Although still in experimental development, micro-algae is one of the most promising bio-fuel crops, yielding over 30 times more energy per acre than any other fuel crop, while also sequestering CO2 through photosynthesis.
