Microbe Homes is an initiative to increase awareness of some unseen
actors in our everyday lives. Microalgae play an impor- tant role in our
environment as they absorb carbon and other pollutants through pho-
tosynthesis and convert them into oxy- gen, 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 sys- tem allows people
to familiarize themselves with the microor- ganisms and learn to coexist
with them. Additionally, the tiles insulate buildings and keep the tempe-
ratures 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.
