Spotted: Much of the focus on the use of nature to capture carbon has remained above ground – on forests and trees. But ecologist and climate scientist Dr Colin Averill argues that the role of an “entire galaxy” below our feet has been ignored. Soils are made up of millions of species of bacteria and fungi and this microbial biodiversity is essential to healthy plant growth – and efficient carbon capture.
Dr Averill’s team in the Crowther Lab at ETH Zürich has spent years documenting fungi’s impact on tree growth, finding that restoration of underground fungal communities can significantly accelerate plant growth and carbon capture. To develop this concept further, Dr Averill founded Funga, a startup that plans to restore fungal biodiversity to accelerate carbon sequestration in forests.
Funga will use DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence (AI) to generate profiles for a healthy fungal microbiome in around 1,000 different forests. This will help it identify the right combination of wild fungi in each location to achieve accelerated tree growth and the highest amount of carbon sequestration. Funga will also establish around 1,000 hectares (about 2,500 acres) of forest and soil fungal communities – creating an ‘ideal’ environment for carbon removal.
Funga has recently closed a $4 million (around €3.8 million) seed funding round and is working with forest landowners and the foresters to make fungal microbiome restoration a reality.
A growing number of researchers and innovators are focusing on the role of microbes, and especially fungi, in cutting carbon emissions and moderating climate change. Springwise has spotted the use of fungi as a meat replacement, and the application of biome science to create heat-resistant coral.
‘green massage’ Shanghai Madang Road store – Entering ‘green massage’ Madang Road, is like entering the “Rabbit Hole” in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Inspired by the Mad Hatter’s quote “There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery…”, your reality shrinks and shifts as you enter this fantasy forest. The process gradually disconnects your tired body from reality.
Architizer chatted with Creative Director Kuang Ming(Ray) Chou and Lighting Design Director Vera Chu at Vermilion Zhou Design Group to learn more about this project.
Architizer: This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?
Kuang Ming(Ray) Chou & Vera Chu: Massage services are very common in China, but the experience space always looks similar. We tried to jump from the typical oriental design and based on the brand thinking, with a new way to give the consumer a different atmosphere to experience massage service in every “green massage” space. In the end, to relax and treat every tired body and soul.
What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?
“green massage” is a chain brand based in Shanghai that has many experience spaces, some being very close to each other. The client’s demand was to keep the same brand DNA and exploring new customers.
“green massage” Madang Road is located in “THE ROOF”, the architecture was designed by Jean Nouvel, and the architecture attracts many people who visit. But “green massage” is on the second underground floor, we have to stand out to attract consumers. That’s why we create the “rabbit hole” entrance. “Curiosity”, and “exploratory” to the new consumers, also a freshness to members.
What drove the selection of materials used in the project?
“green massage” is on the second underground floor so the humidity is a problem, and also fire prevention is what we are concerned about. And we still want guests to feel relaxed in the whole environment, so the material must be the sense of soft, even visual.
In what ways did you collaborate with others, and were there any team members or skills that were essential in bringing this Award winning project to life?
We intend to create a fantasy space based on our concept, so we choose “Nan Paper Art” as our collaborator. The paper material gives a soft sense that can fit our design and also can be malleable to make a huge size floral garden.
And this is the first time that their creations added lighting design, for them that’s a new inspiration, and for us is a great experience to enrich the whole design.
Were any parts of the project dramatically altered from conception to construction, and if so, why?
Even though not everything is so satisfactory from conception to construction, embracing change and figuring out the solution is the designer’s mission. Finally, we are so lucky to have good results.
How have your clients responded to the finished project?
In the beginning, the client has their concern, but eventually, they trust our profession. The result shows the consumers, the actual space users had very good feedback and increased the business.
What key lesson did you learn in the process of conceiving the project?
We have to believe what we do, dig into who is the actual user in every space then provide their actual need.
How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?
The design concept is the matter, every design is a new breakthrough, to observe, find out the key problem then solve them. The lighting design in this project was involved in the very early design phase, and it become the key design tone.
HomeForest, an app that uses smart devices to bring the restorative effects of nature into the home, has been named as the winner of the inaugural Davidson Prize.
The contest called for ideas for how the home can adapt in response to the rise of home-working, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Selected for the £10,000 prize ahead of two other finalists, HomeForest explores how technology can be used to bring the wellbeing effects of biophilia into the home, particularly for people who are living in cities with limited access to green space.
It aims to recreate the experience of “forest bathing”, a practice of walking in nature to restore mental wellbeing, known in Japan as “shinrin-yoku”.
HomeForest offers the experience of biophilia to those living in cities
The project was developed by architects Haptic, visualisation studio Squint/Opera, sound designer Coda to Coda, bio-design specialist Yaoyao Meng and poet LionHeart.
Their concept imagines a “digital toolkit” that works with mobile and connected home devices, mapping a user’s home and their daily habits in order to create a digital twin of their living and working environment.
It then overlays sensory experiences “such as the call of birdsong, the smell of rain and projected imagery of a forest canopy” into the home, to create the feeling of a natural environment.
The system uses mobile and connected home devices to understand the user and their home
The system would integrate an air-quality monitor, ASMR-stimulating audio and gobo lighting, allowing it to follow both the natural rhythms of the day and the changing seasons.
“Inspired by research on the positive wellbeing benefits of biophilia and in particular the concept of forest bathing, HomeForest’s digital toolkit works with perception and sensory stimulation to conjure a sense of boundary-less nature in the home,” said the project team.
It offers sensory experiences to create the feeling of a natural environment
Launched in 2020 by the Alan Davidson Foundation, the Davidson Prize is an annual award to explore different aspects of the home through the lens of design. It was set up on the wishes of its namesake, architectural visualisation pioneer Alan Davidson, before his death from motor neurone disease in 2018.
HomeForest was selected for the inaugural edition of the prize by judges included architect Alison Brooks, Narinder Sagoo of Foster + Partners, designer Thomas Heatherwick, Dezeen columnist Michelle Ogundehin and Museum of the Home director Sonia Solicari.
Brooks said the project was “like us playing music which feeds our soul”.
“HomeForest brings a more immersive, sensory connection to nature which I find super interesting,” she said.
The system follows both the natural rhythms of the day and the changing seasons
According to Marie Chamillard, a representative for the Davidson Prize, the project would have resonated well with Davidson.
“He was an early adopter of all things digital, he loved trialling new things that would blend discreetly into his home and enhance the atmosphere. He would have absolutely used this,” she added.
