Researchers from Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) have won Prix BLOXHUB Interactive for architectural research that investigates how robotic plant technology can make our towns and cities better places to live in.
How can we make cities more liveable using digital technology? Four researchers from CITA - Centre for Information Technology and Architecture have the answer. The small research team, consisting of Emil Fabritius Buchwald, Sebastian Gatz, Soraya Bornaz, and Associate Professor Phil Ayres (leader) have won the Prix BLOXHUB Interactive, an international award that celebrates visions, ideas and proposals for how to use new technology to create better towns and cities.
CITA’s winning project is based on ‘Flora Robotica’, a research project, which examines how the use of new robotics can manipulate plants to ‘grow’ architectural structures. The aim of the project is to improve urban spaces: not merely for people, but also for the various animal species whose living conditions have become tougher as a result of urban development.
In addition to supporting increased biodiversity, the idea is also for the plant robots to grow structures that are useful for people: for example, seating, summer solar shading, routes and pathways.
The concept of the researchers’ project presents an architectural proposal for the implementation of Flora Robotica technology in an outdoor urban space.
A total of 80 projects were submitted for the BLOXHUB Interactive competition.
The prize of EUR 5,000 will be presented at a symposium in BLOX on 21 May. There is an exhibition of Flora Robotica in Meyers, BLOX EATS at No.14 Bryghuspladsen.
