Microbe Homes is an initiative to increase awareness of some unseen actors in our everyday lives. Microalgae play an important role in our environment as they absorb carbon and other pollutants through photosynthesis and convert them into oxygen, thereby improving our air quality. Nonsensically, common practice is to do anything we can to keep them at bay.
The 3D-printed terracotta tiles, attached to exterior walls via a grate, provide them with a specially designed home and bring them into the sphere of our perception. The presence of the system allows people to familiarize themselves with the microorganisms and learn to coexist with them. Additionally, the tiles insulate buildings and keep the temperatures in our streets low through evaporative cooling. Microbe Homes is a collaboration between humans and nature. The tiles become a canvas for nature’s work, letting the story of time and the life of microorganisms unfold in front of us.
