Project Description

The Breathing Machine is a modular, algae-based oxygen pavilion designed as a sustainable intervention within polluted urban environments. It responds to rising air pollution and the loss of green spaces by introducing a small-scale, living air purification system into public plazas, pedestrian areas, and other urban voids. Within a controlled 10 cubic meter volume, microalgae panels absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, creating localized zones of fresh air for visitors.

The pavilion’s Tri-Arch modules are arranged efficiently to fit within the 10 m³ envelope. There are two types of modules: Volume Module 1, repeated three times, and Volume Module 2, repeated four times and a bio-interaction platform, which houses interactive air pump systems. This platform allows visitors to engage with the algae by pumping air manually, circulating CO₂ into the panels, and observing oxygen release. The modular design makes the pavilion simple to assemble, transport, and scale for different urban contexts.

Originally conceived as a circular form to maximize sunlight exposure, the pavilion was transformed into a triangular footprint. This reduces overall area while increasing linear length, allowing for better module arrangement, circulation, and accessibility. The triangular approximation also simplifies construction while maintaining the functional benefits of sunlight capture for the algae.

Visitors interact with the pavilion in multiple ways. Activated surfaces along the algae walls allow pumping, pressing, or tapping, creating airflow and demonstrating the human impact on ecological processes. A viewing wall showcases the algae, making the living system visible and educational. Beneath the pavilion, a base reservoir stores water to nourish and restore algae, ensuring a self-sustaining ecological loop. Flexible, movable curtain-like enclosures contain airflow and oxygen while maintaining visual openness, enhancing both interaction and spatial experience.

The pavilion also integrates bio-energy generation. Algae biomass produces micro-electricity, which can power mobile charging stations and interactive walls, connecting sustainability directly to visitor engagement. Semi-transparent Teflon membranes reduce external noise and visual stimulation, creating a calm, reflective interior where visitors can pause and experience the living system. The combination of interactive floor, algae panels, and bio-energy systems transforms the space into an immersive and educational environment.

Overall, the Breathing Machine merges modular architecture, interactive mechanisms, and living ecological processes into a compact, urban-ready installation. The 10 m³ volume constraint encouraged efficient spatial organization, creative layering, and integration of multiple functions. By engaging visitors physically, visually, and intellectually, the pavilion demonstrates how small, modular interventions can provide clean air, renewable energy, and environmental awareness, highlighting the importance of embedding regenerative biological systems into contemporary urban life.