Antenna: The young, The Curious, The Brave

Thom Bindels looks at how he can problem-solve using his own designs. His project, Ecosystem Kickstarter, looks at ways to improve communities and natural ecosystems by restoring landscapes in a sustainable way.

Pratt University graduate Garrett Benisch discovered that New York City processes 1.3 billion gallons of sewage every day. This sewage is treated using micro-organisms which in turn convert the waste into biosolids.

While the city used these biosolids to enrich the soils of the city, now 2.8 million pounds of this make their way straight to a landfill every day. Benisch recognised that these biosolids could be used in a useful and sustainable manner. He thus created Sum Waste, a pen whose barrel and ink are both made from treated biosolids.

Michael Wagner is a Bartlett School of Architecture graduate who focuses on interactive architecture. His project, Marble Maze, is a short film that showcases experimental stage lighting by using differing media typologies.

In this, he uses the marble run which is a simple action of a ball rolling from top to bottom of a designed structure; a performance that has to happen in one piece as otherwise it would not work. The marble would simply get stuck or lost if its rails were not connected to each other.

Ndebele Superhero is a project by Stellenbosch University and the university of the underground graduate, Zana Masombuka. The project is a photo series by Masombuka the creative director that aims to preserve traditional stories from the Ndebele tribe, and sparks conversations about how it has been incorporated into the modern world.

“The work created is about capturing the essence of these two worlds coming together, as culture and the arts are often at the centre of reforming societies within civilizations. In addition to this, Ndebele Superhero, as a platform also draws a lot of inspiration from the modern world and how the world of culture and tradition is somewhat parallel to that,” explains Masombuka.

P Bank is a project by team members, Sylvia Debit and Anniek Vetter, who are both graduates of Bauhaus University, Weimar. At the centre of their project is the chemical element, phosphorus, which is currently endangered due to high consumption levels.

This information inspired the duo to create P bank, a public toilet facility which aims to challenge the phosphorus cycle. With this, they are able to use the urine to grow plants as this has become a substitute for fertilizer.

Synapse is a designed system by University of Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Nikol Kirova that focuses on artificially and materially intelligent architecture. Kirova created a system that can sense analyse data by generating intelligence information and creating a dialogue between public spaces and its users.

Synapse can provide accurate, anonymous and large-scale spatio-temporal information. It has the potential to reveal dynamic occupancy maps, trend prediction, and real-time urban interaction pedestrian information.

IGNIS by student, Tobias Trübenbacher, from the Berlin University of the Arts, is a power generator that offers electric power and light in a sustainable and self-sufficient way. It is intended for outdoor use in remote villages in dire need of electricity after natural disasters or a crisis of some sort.

The 22-year-old created IGNIS by using Peltier elements to transform heat into electricity and to enable it to store light and power in order to provide it whenever needed. IGNIS can either be placed on a hot stove or produce heat by burning ordinary household liquids such spirits, used frying fat, or any oil.

For generations the island people of Læsø, just off the coast of the Danish mainland, made use of eelgrass, a type of seagrass found in Scandinavia and the British Isles, to create massive thatched roofs. This added a unique element to the island’s vernacular architecture.

Inspired by these thatching methods, Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (KEA) student Kathryn Larsen set out to create pre-fabricated thatch panels made from eelgrass for her project titled Seaweed Thatch Reimagined. These panels can be installed as a facade or roofing material that is slightly more minimalist and modern than the old Scandinavian thatching methods.

The eelgrass material, while rare, is a useful and sustainable building material. It is rot-resistant, fireproof, carbon-negative, waterproof and is also an insulating material. Larsen believes that there are ways to harvest and use this material without damaging the surrounding marine life.

China has fascinated explorers, researchers and cultural enthusiasts for eons. Its rich and diverse culture, immaculate architecture and complicated history are just some of the reasons why the world remains fascinated with this Asian nation.

University of Applied Sciences FH Joanneum Graz student, Christian Leban, spent six months living and experiencing many elements of China. As part of his master’s thesis, Leban wants to take you on a journey to the east, through the lens of an animated short film.

Titled ‘Views of China’, the project is made up of 11 hand-drawn, animated loops that explore the fascinating country by using unique concepts - from the most beautiful elements to be found there, to areas of conflict in the country.