supervised by Prof. Barbara Schmidt
cellular is a climate improving facade tile that integrates the natural growth of air algae as an architectural element, giving a whole new aesthetic to city greening. The hollow ceramic panels function as rainwater stores, creating a humid environment that is the perfect habitat for the vegetation. Adjustable surface coatings allow defining it by area and color. While the micropatina produces oxygen and absorbs air pollutants, the evaporating rainwater causes a natural air conditioning. In addition to offering the potential for cities to become more resilient to climate change, bringing back organic life in our urban landscapes might play a fundamental role in changing our sensibility towards nature.
︎︎︎
CE 02
︎︎︎
project period
2021 - ongoing
︎︎︎
type
facade tile
︎︎︎
climate impact
evaporative cooling
filtering of air pollutants
oxygen production
︎︎︎
material
ceramics
︎︎︎
dimensions
170 mm (H), 170 mm (W), 40 mm (D)
︎︎︎
water storage capacity
1,5L
︎︎︎
awards
European Green Award - Young Change Maker 2023, »winner«
One&Twenty Newcomer Award 2023, »winner«
IF Design Award Student 2023, »winner«
Architecture MasterPrize Student 2022, »Best of Best«
Isola Design Award 2022 »winner« of the category innovation
Talents Ambiente competition 2023 »winner«
Mia Seeger Preis 2023 »nominee«
Green Concept Award 2023 »nominee«
Lexus Design Award 2023 »shortlisted«
︎︎︎
exhibited at
Interzum - »Sustainability Matters« // Cologne DE, 05/2023
Milan Design Week »circular village« // IT, 04/2023
MaterialDistrict Utrecht NL // 03/2023
Ambiente »Trends« // Frankfurt DE, 02/2023
Ambiente »Talents« // Frankfurt DE, 02/2023
Architect@Work at »Good materials« // Milan IT, 11/2022
Greener manufacturing show // Cologne DE, 10/2022
Dutch Design Week // Eindhoven NL, 10/2022
Milan Design Week at »Salone Satellite« // Milan IT, 06/2022
︎︎︎
publications
Wevux
https://wevux.com/cellular-a-new-idea-of-urban-green0073390/
md-magazin
https://www.md-mag.com/news/meinung/umweltfreundliche-bauprodukte/#slider-intro-11
Raum und Wohnen
https://www.raum-und-wohnen.ch/ruw/raum-und-wohnen/wohnen/artikel/230725_junges-design_one-and-twenty.php
BluPrint by OneMega
https://bluprint.onemega.com/aciiid-identifies-the-trend-drivers-for-2023-to-2024/
Isola
https://isola.design/magazine?url=Meet-The-Winners-Of-Isola-Design-Awards-2022-And-Get-Inspired
Isola
https://isola.design/Journal-Cellular--the-breathing-facade-tile-by-Vivian-Tamm
MaterialDisctrict
https://materialdistrict.com/material/cellular-the-breathing-facade-tile/
Haute Innovation
https://www.haute-innovation.com/events/ausstellungen/sustainability-matters/
Tectonica
https://tectonica.archi/articles/trabajos-seleccionados-en-la-categoria-de-arquitectura-de-los-green-products-y-green-concept-awards-2023/
Deutsche Bauzeitschrift
https://www.dbz.de/news/nominierungen-fuer-den-green-product-award-und-green-concept-award-2023-3887954.html
project period
2021 - ongoing
︎︎︎
type
facade tile
︎︎︎
climate impact
evaporative cooling
filtering of air pollutants
oxygen production
︎︎︎
material
ceramics
︎︎︎
dimensions
170 mm (H), 170 mm (W), 40 mm (D)
︎︎︎
water storage capacity
1,5L
︎︎︎
awards
European Green Award - Young Change Maker 2023, »winner«
One&Twenty Newcomer Award 2023, »winner«
IF Design Award Student 2023, »winner«
Architecture MasterPrize Student 2022, »Best of Best«
Isola Design Award 2022 »winner« of the category innovation
Talents Ambiente competition 2023 »winner«
Mia Seeger Preis 2023 »nominee«
Green Concept Award 2023 »nominee«
Lexus Design Award 2023 »shortlisted«
︎︎︎
exhibited at
Interzum - »Sustainability Matters« // Cologne DE, 05/2023
Milan Design Week »circular village« // IT, 04/2023
MaterialDistrict Utrecht NL // 03/2023
Ambiente »Trends« // Frankfurt DE, 02/2023
Ambiente »Talents« // Frankfurt DE, 02/2023
Architect@Work at »Good materials« // Milan IT, 11/2022
Greener manufacturing show // Cologne DE, 10/2022
Dutch Design Week // Eindhoven NL, 10/2022
Milan Design Week at »Salone Satellite« // Milan IT, 06/2022
︎︎︎
publications
Wevux
https://wevux.com/cellular-a-new-idea-of-urban-green0073390/
md-magazin
https://www.md-mag.com/news/meinung/umweltfreundliche-bauprodukte/#slider-intro-11
Raum und Wohnen
https://www.raum-und-wohnen.ch/ruw/raum-und-wohnen/wohnen/artikel/230725_junges-design_one-and-twenty.php
BluPrint by OneMega
https://bluprint.onemega.com/aciiid-identifies-the-trend-drivers-for-2023-to-2024/
Isola
https://isola.design/magazine?url=Meet-The-Winners-Of-Isola-Design-Awards-2022-And-Get-Inspired
Isola
https://isola.design/Journal-Cellular--the-breathing-facade-tile-by-Vivian-Tamm
MaterialDisctrict
https://materialdistrict.com/material/cellular-the-breathing-facade-tile/
Haute Innovation
https://www.haute-innovation.com/events/ausstellungen/sustainability-matters/
Tectonica
https://tectonica.archi/articles/trabajos-seleccionados-en-la-categoria-de-arquitectura-de-los-green-products-y-green-concept-awards-2023/
Deutsche Bauzeitschrift
https://www.dbz.de/news/nominierungen-fuer-den-green-product-award-und-green-concept-award-2023-3887954.html
︎︎︎
context // the surface sealing in urban areas
Today, over 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities, exposed to the harmful impact of air pollution and heat accumulations manifesting in elevated temperatures of up to 10 degrees Celsius. These conditions are the result of a high level of ground sealing, contradicting the natural balance of undeveloped land: Air pollutants accumulate in urban street canyons, while hardly any water is retained to provide natural evaporative cooling - a climate regulatory mechanism which is crucial in nature.
Urban rainwater and carbon dioxide management systems are becoming increasingly important as climate change progresses, while growing populations and urbanization are limiting the space continuously. The facade tile cellular is tackling those challenges space efficiently by activating city´s vertical surfaces on two levels:
︎︎︎
I // the facade as the sponge of the city
Following the principle of the "sponge city", in which precipitation is collected and managed locally, the double walled panels function as rainwater stores, unsealing entire facades and transforming them into macro porous, water-absorbing structures. Simply through the stream controlling geometric of the surface design, all incoming rainwater gets directed in the top openings of the tiles underneath. When saturated, the natural effect of evaporative cooling occurs, which counteracts the formation of heat islands and can save large amounts of energy for the thermal regulation of buildings.
︎︎︎
II // the alga as urban greening
On the microporous front structures, a second circuit closes. The humid environment creates a perfect habitat for the so far unwanted vegetation of the air algae. The naturally appearing, resilient microorganisms have remarkable photosynthetic and air pollutant-filtering capabilities. The diversity of life on our planet is almost impossible to imagine without the pioneering organism of algae, producing at least 70 percent of all the oxygen in our atmosphere. The crucial role it plays in the vitalization of landscapes is a resource that is yet rarely used, but one with great potential. In urban areas the algae most often appear in the color families of green, yellow or red and - in symbiosis with fungi - as a lichen in every other imaginable spectrum. Incorporating these microbes into the materials that surround us helps improve air quality, reduces a city's carbon footprint, and unfolds the aesthetic potential these organisms have.
︎︎︎
the material study // accessing algae as living, breathing glazes
The wide-ranging material study on porous ceramic structures, builds the base of the façade concept cellular. It deals with the aesthetic and climate improving potential of the natural growth of microorganisms such as airborne algae and lichens on ceramic components in outdoor applications and accesses the patina as a "living glaze". Within the study, the idea of partial porosity emerged: only the surfaces of the ceramic components should remain porous and capable of absorbing moisture, while the rest of the material should be firmly sintered. In this way, the advantages of low-fired and high-fired ceramics, such as stability, weathering resistance and water absorption capacity, can be combined into one component. Adjustments of the surface coating allow determining the algae or lichen species that prefers to grow. In order to keep parts of the tile blank, an additional glaze was developed on what no life can find hold. Accordingly, it becomes possible to spatially delimit the growth on a wall and even define it in terms of color.
︎︎︎
the tile // the geometry
The design of the tile is characterized by simple, geometric shapes. Within each, the slowly emerging micropatinis is clearly delimited, allowing it to be understood as part of the wall design and its negative connotations to be erased.
The geometry of the tile in its basic orientation is designed to direct all the rainwater running down the wall to the peak of the downward-pointing triangle, from where it drips into the opening of the tile below. The upper tile becomes a water supplier, the one below a water reservoir and, depending on its surfaces, a vegetation field. Installed in a different orientation or with different surface coating, the respective specialization changes.
The concept, enabling great architectural freedom, is inspired by the phenomenon of cell differentiation: each originally independent "tile cell" starts interacting when surrounded by others, manifesting in a specialization on tasks in relation to its positioning, orientation and surface coating. As a result, on the wall a cooperating organism is formed, which reflects the microbes populating it at the cellular level.
︎︎︎
the tile // making of
The hollow body of the tile is produced in a casting process using a CNC-milled, two-part plaster mold. The plaster mold can be rotated in four positions, allowing the openings of the rotated tile containers to be located at the top in each case. In the manner of traditional thread relief decoration, small strips between the front surfaces allow them to be filled with the different ceramic surface coatings.
context // the surface sealing in urban areas
Today, over 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities, exposed to the harmful impact of air pollution and heat accumulations manifesting in elevated temperatures of up to 10 degrees Celsius. These conditions are the result of a high level of ground sealing, contradicting the natural balance of undeveloped land: Air pollutants accumulate in urban street canyons, while hardly any water is retained to provide natural evaporative cooling - a climate regulatory mechanism which is crucial in nature.
Urban rainwater and carbon dioxide management systems are becoming increasingly important as climate change progresses, while growing populations and urbanization are limiting the space continuously. The facade tile cellular is tackling those challenges space efficiently by activating city´s vertical surfaces on two levels:
︎︎︎
I // the facade as the sponge of the city
Following the principle of the "sponge city", in which precipitation is collected and managed locally, the double walled panels function as rainwater stores, unsealing entire facades and transforming them into macro porous, water-absorbing structures. Simply through the stream controlling geometric of the surface design, all incoming rainwater gets directed in the top openings of the tiles underneath. When saturated, the natural effect of evaporative cooling occurs, which counteracts the formation of heat islands and can save large amounts of energy for the thermal regulation of buildings.
︎︎︎
II // the alga as urban greening
On the microporous front structures, a second circuit closes. The humid environment creates a perfect habitat for the so far unwanted vegetation of the air algae. The naturally appearing, resilient microorganisms have remarkable photosynthetic and air pollutant-filtering capabilities. The diversity of life on our planet is almost impossible to imagine without the pioneering organism of algae, producing at least 70 percent of all the oxygen in our atmosphere. The crucial role it plays in the vitalization of landscapes is a resource that is yet rarely used, but one with great potential. In urban areas the algae most often appear in the color families of green, yellow or red and - in symbiosis with fungi - as a lichen in every other imaginable spectrum. Incorporating these microbes into the materials that surround us helps improve air quality, reduces a city's carbon footprint, and unfolds the aesthetic potential these organisms have.
︎︎︎
the material study // accessing algae as living, breathing glazes
The wide-ranging material study on porous ceramic structures, builds the base of the façade concept cellular. It deals with the aesthetic and climate improving potential of the natural growth of microorganisms such as airborne algae and lichens on ceramic components in outdoor applications and accesses the patina as a "living glaze". Within the study, the idea of partial porosity emerged: only the surfaces of the ceramic components should remain porous and capable of absorbing moisture, while the rest of the material should be firmly sintered. In this way, the advantages of low-fired and high-fired ceramics, such as stability, weathering resistance and water absorption capacity, can be combined into one component. Adjustments of the surface coating allow determining the algae or lichen species that prefers to grow. In order to keep parts of the tile blank, an additional glaze was developed on what no life can find hold. Accordingly, it becomes possible to spatially delimit the growth on a wall and even define it in terms of color.
︎︎︎
the tile // the geometry
The design of the tile is characterized by simple, geometric shapes. Within each, the slowly emerging micropatinis is clearly delimited, allowing it to be understood as part of the wall design and its negative connotations to be erased.
The geometry of the tile in its basic orientation is designed to direct all the rainwater running down the wall to the peak of the downward-pointing triangle, from where it drips into the opening of the tile below. The upper tile becomes a water supplier, the one below a water reservoir and, depending on its surfaces, a vegetation field. Installed in a different orientation or with different surface coating, the respective specialization changes.
The concept, enabling great architectural freedom, is inspired by the phenomenon of cell differentiation: each originally independent "tile cell" starts interacting when surrounded by others, manifesting in a specialization on tasks in relation to its positioning, orientation and surface coating. As a result, on the wall a cooperating organism is formed, which reflects the microbes populating it at the cellular level.
︎︎︎
the tile // making of
The hollow body of the tile is produced in a casting process using a CNC-milled, two-part plaster mold. The plaster mold can be rotated in four positions, allowing the openings of the rotated tile containers to be located at the top in each case. In the manner of traditional thread relief decoration, small strips between the front surfaces allow them to be filled with the different ceramic surface coatings.
︎︎︎CE 01
︎︎︎CE 02