Page 89 - JCAU-5-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Regenerative algal futures

through the cyclical loop, moving to stage one and being failed after 15 days (Detrell et al., 2020a). Resilient design
processed (Figure 3). MELiSSA becomes a closed loop and contingency planning are fundamental for working
bioregenerative system, which could regenerate life in with complex bio-integrated systems. The MarsOASIS
remote conditions. The MELiSSA core goals are the system becomes a precursor for Earth, as it has benefits in
“production of food, recovery of water and regeneration of understanding what is required in terms of contingency
the atmosphere, with a concomitant use of wastes, that is, planning, designing, and how researching Mars as a twin
CO and organic wastes, using light as a source of energy” allows us to see how Earth architectures can benefit from
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(MELiSSA Foundation, 2020). MELiSSA is part of the resilient bioregenerative structures. MarsOasis is being
European Project of Circular Life Support Systems, which further developed with various projects situated in the
is continuously researching into current and future ways Bioastronautics Department at The University of Colorado,
of regenerative life support systems for long-term space Boulder, USA.
missions.
6. Back to Earth
5.2. MarsOASIS
Leading on from Archigram’s futuristic premonition of
MarsOasis is a concept originating from the University the 1960s, there have been many projects that take into
of Colorado, Boulder, researching ways of utilizing consideration algal design in terms of architecture. While
in situ resources for crop production in the Martian there are concepts in adopting algae façades (Elrayies, 2018;
atmosphere (Darnell et al., 2015). The objective is to Talaei et al., 2020; Warren et al., 2023), to date there has
plant crops in preparation for human consumption on not been an implicit type of bioregenerative architecture
the Martian surface. Sunlight and ultraviolet rays are used that has been conceptualized. Previously, living façades
in a greenhouse-type architecture. In a crop production have been at the cutting edge of urban architectures
experiment, Outredgeous lettuce grew autonomously. The (Armstrong, 2016). Algae building technology (ABT) was
motivation came from NASA’s VEGGIE food production used in the BIQ house in Hamburg (2013) and led by a
system, which is a way to provide fresh food in an enclosed team of engineers, architects from ARUP, and the Strategic
system to astronauts on the International Space Station. Science Consulate of Germany for an International
A prototype lunar greenhouse was made by the University Building Exhibition. The building consisted of 200 m PBRs
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of Arizona, with an architecture that has collapsible and (Wilkinson, 2018). A bioreactor façade was built, with the
expandable bellows. The technology inside maintains maximum temperature in the algal broth controlled at up to
humidity, power for LED lighting, and root mats which 40°C (Wilkinson et al., 2017). Building algal-based façades
provide nutrients to the plants (Darnell et al., 2015) The for architectural applications has become increasingly “in
system becomes a space greenhouse allowing for life to vogue” and was perceived to be similar to the way, in which
thrive (Furfaro et al., 2016). biophilic green buildings were previously imagined.
Any project aiming to allow for human life to thrive on The key difference is that algal façades do not encompass
the Martian surface is ambitious, as the challenges of harsh closed loop systems incorporating life support, food,
environments include (and are not limited to) reduced waste, water, biofuel, and energy, which are portrayed in a
gravity, intermittent inhospitable surface temperatures, true bioregenerative system, such as the MELiSSA closed
low atmospheric pressure, absence of a magnetic field, loop system. Bioregenerative algal architecture would
radiation, and wind-induced dust storms. However, Mars encompass metabolic cycles, improving oxygenation of
and several exoplanets do have some positive conditions an environment whilst addressing nitrogen, phosphorous,
that can benefit the harvesting and growing of crops. The and carbon dioxide regeneration. When humans or
MarsOASIS team visualized a system using in situ CO and animals produce urine, the urine should not be considered
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Martian sunlight. Simulation was provided by AcroOptics, a waste product as it contains essential nitrogen and
allowing the team to simulate Martian sunlight for their phosphorus supplies, which could be used for fertilization
experiments. In any space environment, there are many
obstacles that must be overcome. Unfortunately, the PBR @ in plants, as nitrogen is formed in ammonia (Hogle et al.,
LSR algae-based photobioreactor experiment on the 2023). A unique autonomous system has been developed
International Space Station (2019) was functional for only by the Living Architecture project, which is a modular
2 weeks. The premise of the experiment was to assess the selectively programmable bioreactor system wall and
feasibility of axenic cultivation of C. vulgaris for long periods operates through the application of microbial fuel cells
(Figures 4-6).
of time (over 180 days) under microgravity conditions in
space through a hybridized life support system (Helisch Wastewater and air are used to generate oxygen and
et al., 2020). The power source to the engineered PBR@LSR proteins creating a micro-agriculture, using methods of

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.179