Arguably, the aesthetic design of the BIQ house is not an exciting piece of architecture to observe. The bright green façade with bold white and red lines give the building a childish ‘building block’ look. However, once an understanding of the buildings’ functions and its benefits is achieved , a case could be made that the functioning out-weighs that of the appearance.  The building concept came to light in 2009 when the IBA Hamburg created a competition with the strap line ‘Smart Material Houses’. The brief asked entrants to use smart materials, defined as “systems and products that behave dynamically, unlike conventional building materials, which are static”. The initial concept combined not only the residential space and the bioreactor façade but also that of a ‘greenhouse’ garden effect wedged between the two. From the model produced to the sections and elevations, the overall appearance is highly desirable, more than that of the finished build. Having individual indoor garden spaces has a two-fold advantage; it is suitable for any time of year, and the bioreactor façade adds privacy giving the effect of a private garden of Eden.

 

The finished build, predominantly showing the $6.68 million (£4,385,504.50 correct to today’s exchange rates) façade created by one hundred and twenty nine flat glass panels provides renewable energy for the current residents.  The cost that is extracted back, in terms of cost per kilowatt-hour produced by the algae bioreactors, would be seven times as much as solar power and fourteen times as much as crude oil (The New York Times).

David J.Bayless, Loehr Professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio University, is a specialist in algae production, and states “People are leery [wary] of algea because it’s a relatively unknown technology”. However, he believes that “Anything like this that makes people say, ‘You know, hey, maybe it will work,’ is good”. In other words, if people are open to advancements in architectural technology then there is hope for progress.

Due to this being a relatively unknown technology, it is classed as ‘risky’ and it is therefore unlikely that any major investment will be made until the designers and scientists can understand all the factors involved. It would take less than one drop of algae containing a bacteria to kill all the algae within these panels for the entire building to be left without power or heating for potentially months or years whilst the panels are removed, emptied and put through a rigorous cleaning procedure to ensure the same would not happen again.

 

As stated by Rainer Muller, Press Officer of the International Building Exhibition, “Using algae as an in-house energy source might sound futuristic now, but probably will be established in ten years”. In the UK, the government has set legislation in motion to “require all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016” (Department for Communities and Local Government – Policy paper). Financially, spending approximately £34,606 on separate panelling (not including installation, start-up and maintenance costs), is an unlikely source of renewable energy particularly during a time of austerity. However, similar views on solar panelling were evident years ago, yet once the technology can be mass produced the cost inevitably comes down. 

 

Grow Energy Limited was founded in 2011 as one of the few companies to begin experimenting with algae bioenergy. They now produce a system called Verde, a carbon neutral technology to produce energy. They have proven that this type of renewable technology is much more efficient and cost effective in comparison to solar. It is stated on their website that “information is based upon various experiments and assumptions Grow Energy’s management have made and believe to be reasonable”.  The point being is that algae bioenergy is still in its infancy and the true strengths and pitfalls are yet to be seen.  This is reflected in Grow Energy’s most recent concept for a block of high rise flats – the company details a whole theory on how the building can be self-sufficient. Although this can seem real and practical, in essence it is simply a concept in its current form. 

 

Overall it is a positive outlook to take from this research. Companies are experimenting with algae and what appears to be purely conceptual now will become reality in the future. Designers and scientists have not settled for relying on solar power or turbine technology but are pushing new