Page 83 - JCAU-5-3

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Bioregenerative algal architectures

Ramandeep Shergill*
Department of Bio-Integrated Design, Faculty of the Built Environment, The Bartlett School of
Architecture, University College London, London, United Kingdom
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Regenerative Architecture)

Abstract

Contemporary biospheres will be needed in terms of life support in the face of climatic
consequences of the Anthropocene and to sustain future space travel. For life to
flourish on Earth and beyond, key elements are required — including carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous — which need to regenerate through
physiochemical alliances and symbioses with other life forms. Bioregenerative systems
are defined as artificial ecosystems, which are made up of intra-relationalities with
various species including higher plants, microorganisms, and animals. In this paper,
bioregenerative architectural habitats are considered a solution for a planet that faces
substantial ecological damage and for the likelihood of multiplanetary inhabitation
in future. Mutually beneficial systems incorporating working with microalgae in
conjunction with bioreactor technologies could constitute a means of survival on
a damaged planet or to help start multiplanetary colonies. This paper illustrates the
potential of a non-anthropocentric, bioregenerative life support strategy working
with various microalgae species. Past- and present-related bioregenerative systems
are reviewed and future applications of microalgae enhancing a sympoietic alignment
*Corresponding author: (collectively producing systems) of the human and nonhuman with microorganisms
Ramandeep Shergill
(ramandeep.shergill.19@ucl.ac.uk) are considered. Future alliances with microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris, are proposed to
work within bioregenerative systems on Earth and in space. This paper clarifies how
Citation: Shergill, R. (2023).
Bioregenerative algal architectures. the combination of technology, speculative architectural design and microalgae can
Journal of Chinese Architecture and enhance carbon dioxide mitigation, furthering gaseous exchange for life support,
Urbanism, 5(3):179. enabling human and nonhuman species to flourish in harsher environments on
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.179 Earth and beyond low Earth orbit.
Received: March 14, 2023
Accepted: August 16, 2023 Keywords: Microalgae; Ecological impact; Photobioreactor; Carbon dioxide mitigation;
Published Online: September 7, 2023 Sympoiesis; Biological in situ resource utilization
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution- 1. Introduction
Non-Commercial 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all The human body is intrinsically connected to the biosphere it is surrounded by (Margulis,
non-commercial use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, 2008; Haraway, 2016). On Earth, the biosphere is made up of intra-relationalities and
provided the original work is relies on the connectivity of sympoietic systems. Natural systems on Earth consist of
properly cited. crucial relationships with plants, animals, and gaseous exchanges, which actively co-exist
Publisher’s Note: AccScience in planet Earth’s overarching biosphere. Without the inherent connected make-up of
Publishing remains neutral with the ecological system, the human and nonhuman would find it difficult to function.
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Gaseous exchange — in terms of carbon dioxide and oxygen between plant and animal
affiliations. species — is conducive to the flow of life. Respiration and photosynthesis are essential

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.179