Algae-Coffee [Infra]-Sculpture

Jie Jin, Deon Cham, Heyu Lu

This research project is investigating the reinvention of urban infrastructure in the Post-Covid era. It aims to decentralise the existing infrastructural system that mainly serves the purpose of mass consumption. Hence, we propose a new type of “infra-sculpture” that can be localised, visualised, and popularised in the built environment. The idea intends to change how the public perceives infrastructural system, thus raising public awareness of current consumption practice and [bio]diversity. Three concepts are proposed to drive such a change: By localising infrastructure, it creates an infra-sculpture that is self-sufficient at the community level, which will reduce demands from central supply. By visualising infrastructure, it informs transparency, which exposes its operation to better understand the process and mechanism, hence educating the public on how the city operates. Finally, by popularising infrastructure, it fabricates an integrated urban infrastructural landmark that celebrates the new social paradigm: diversity creates resilience.

We propose two types of infra-sculptural systems: energy self-sufficient system using algae, and waste recycling system using wasted coffee ground. These two systems interconnect and coexist with one another, forming a self-sufficient ecosystem that is renewable and recyclable in terms of water and waste.

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Fig.1. A flowchart diagram of self-sufficient ecosystem of the algae desalination system

With Melbourne currently facing freshwater shortages, the establishment of algae-desalination infra-sculpture will substitute freshwater with desalinated greywater for daily activities such as gardening, car-washing, and toilet flushing. Seawater will be desalinated in the algae-towers near the coastline of Melbourne Bay and transported to the inner-land communities through its network. Concurrently, the byproducts of the desalination will be converted into electricity and heat, together with the biowaste as energy supply for the waste recycling infra-sculpture in the adjacent neighborhood. To achieve self-sufficiency, the algae-tower is coupled with the energy-dependent waste recycling system. Networks of the algae-towers set their initial desalination processors near the coast and gradually expand its infrastructural networks according to the needs of the community and the locations of the waste recycling infra-sculpture.

Ultimately, this proposal aims to echo the concept of coupled urban-natural systems. By creating a new set of self-sufficient infrastructural ecosystem, it decentralises the existing infrastructural framework with the localised, visualised, and popularised infra-sculptures. We challenge the current status quo of infrastructure and envision a self-sufficient and zero-waste infra-sculpture.

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Fig.2. The system networks illustrating the commensal relationship between the two infra-sculpture systems and the urban footprint.