BIOLUMINESCENT
3D PRINTED PANELS

The purpose of this facade system is two-fold. First, harnessing the naturally occurring light of bioluminescence to produce a building facade with a glowing electric blue light which requires no electricity. Second, utilizing algae as an air purification system to help clean the air and combat climate change. Algae absorbs CO2 and produces most of the world’s oxygen, around 60%. The aim of this facade system would be to achieve a regenerative system where the algae recycles the waste products of CO2 gasses and pollutants in cities and in turn produces oxygen and cleaner air.

 

Multiple 3D printed PLA test prints were conducted by 3 main control methods:
1. Manipulating the number of control points

2. Changing the location of control points in the x, y, and z direction

3. The duplication and layering of control points. Increasing the number of control points increased the density of the branching pattern.

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Achieving the maximum amount of algae within the facade is crucial to the purpose of the facade, more algae results in increased CO2 removal. Tests were rated based on their capacity to produce oxygen and remove CO2. The focus was to analyze the resulting surface area and volume of the 3d designs. These are both important because the volume increases the amount of algae which can be in the facade. However, it is important to consider the surface area too, as the algae thrives primarily on the surface level, where it has most access to sunlight.