Student Designs Algae Buildings That Cool and Clean the Air

Imagine walking past a glowing green tree on your street that produces as much oxygen as a small forest while pulling carbon from the air.

That vision is becoming reality in Western Australia, where Amin Mirabbasi has spent three years designing buildings that integrate living microalgae into their walls and structures. The PhD student at Murdoch University's Algae Innovation Hub believes his home state offers perfect conditions to make this sustainable architecture mainstream.

The concept sounds like science fiction, but the benefits are tangible. Microalgae capture carbon 10 to 50 times more efficiently than regular plants while growing rapidly and producing substantial oxygen. Mirabbasi's photobioreactor panels filled with water and microalgae also absorb heat and filter sunlight, dramatically reducing indoor temperatures.

In testing, his designs showed they could significantly cut cooling costs during Western Australia's scorching summers. Less air conditioning during peak hours means real savings for residents and businesses while reducing energy demand on the grid.

Mirabbasi has focused much of his research on mining accommodation units, those prefabricated buildings workers call home in remote areas. His algae-equipped dongas use the living panels as passive solar control systems that shade the structure, absorb heat, generate oxygen, and purify the air. He believes the futuristic aesthetic offers exhausted workers a mental break from harsh conditions.

Beyond mining camps, his designs include algae-filled bus stops, shelters, and artistic installations for urban spaces. Tubular photobioreactors could line walkways and building exteriors, creating visually striking public areas that bubble with life. LED lighting can illuminate the green cultures at night, turning infrastructure into living art.

His most ambitious creation, the Urban Algae Tree, mimics nature directly. The tree-shaped prototype provides shade, captures rainwater, and runs entirely on solar power it harvests itself. Each tree holds 1,500 liters of culture medium and can produce 700 kilograms of oxygen yearly while removing roughly 1,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

The Ripple Effect

What makes these designs powerful is how they make sustainability visible. People can watch the microalgae grow, bubble, and respond to light in real time. That connection to living systems quietly reinforces environmental awareness in everyday spaces where people shop, wait for buses, or walk to work.

Mirabbasi emphasized that Perth's climate offers advantages over colder regions, with minimal freezing risk and abundant sunlight for cultivation. While overheating control requires attention, those same warm conditions that make air conditioning necessary also help microalgae thrive.

Having nearly finished his doctorate, Mirabbasi is ready to move beyond theory. He wants to build, test, and implement his designs in real settings where they can make genuine differences in how people live and work.

Western Australia could soon showcase buildings that don't just sit passively in the environment but actively clean the air and cool themselves naturally.