cesare griffa architetto

WaterLilly 2.0 a system to populate architectural surfaces

Waterlilly 2.0 is a system for cultivating microalgae on architectural facades. The photosynthetic activity of microalgae is much more intense than that of more complex vegetable organisms, resulting in a greater capacity to fix CO2 and increased O2 production. The nutrients needed for fertilization are rich in nitrates and phosphates, normally present in the waste water from domestic use.

While growing in an urban environment, microalgae purify air and water.

Microalgae grow to saturate the water solution. At that stage, they need to be collected and the biomass obtained can be used for the production of proteins for the food industry, omega 3 and amino acids for the nutraceutical industry, cosmetic and pharmaceutical molecules, bioplastics and biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Meanwhile, the culture starts again, and within a few weeks you can proceed to a new crop.

Credits:
design by Cesare Griffa with Matteo Amela, Federico Borello, Marco
technical support: Environment Park Spa (Turin, Italy),
biological support: Fotosintetica & Microbiologica srl (Florence, Italy).