systems

main question

Emerging research indicates diverse microbial communities that associate with plant-root systems could improve human health and wellbeing indoors.

Active Modular Phytoremediation Systems (AMPS) represents a long standing investigation into the potential of scalable and modular building-integrated plant systems and their associated microbiomes to improve indoor air quality, thereby reducing the energy intensive demands of mechanical air handling systems.

How can we dramatically transform urban environments through building-integrated agriculture?

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Prototype Development at New Lab

Modular System Prototype

Active Airflow

Indoor air containing potentially containing harmful VOCs, a byproduct on many indoor materials, furnishing, and finishes, is activley pulled through the root rhizosphere of plants where associated microgransism are able to metabolize these compounds into benign matter.

AMPS System Prototype and Demonstration Unit

Rhizodegredation

Rhizodegredation is the process by which microorganisms associated with the roots of plants metabolize organic compounds such as those typically found in many building materials, converting pollutants known to be harmful to human health into harmless compounds.

AMPS Lab Scale Unit

Extensive Laboratory testing provides a baseline of plant-based systems for building-scale applications.

Prototype Fabrication

Investigating Geometry to maximize fabrication effiiency using 48 Fold Symmetry

Architectural Performance of Minimal Surfaces

AMPS Prototypes have explored multiple systems geometries including the I-WP Triply Periodic Minimal Surface discovered by Alan Schoen for NASA in 1970. Geometric development combines multiple strucural, fabrication, and system performances to maximize greenwall efficiency.

Geometric Potentials

Investigating multiple morphologies of greenwall geometry to achieve multiple spatial conditions.

Prototype Tending

Multi-scalar test beds

From laboratory, to room, to zone, to building scale are engaged to provide characterization not only of fundamental system functions at the chemical level, but to characterize these performances within the complexities and matrix behaviors of the built environment context.

Room Scale Experimental Test Beds

Systems are studied in vivo to understand system performance at room scale.

PSAC II, Bronx, New York, USA

PSAC II, Bronx, New York, USA

Tending and monitoring plant health and system performance.

Building Integrated Systems

Modular systems can be deployed in many potential spatial configurations to maximze biomass and air exposure.

Building Scale Applications

Envisioning biomass operating at the scale of the built environment.

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Lisbon Airport Installation

Scales of Intervention and Investigation

To design with living systems we investigate and intervene at multiple scales of systems performances and behaviors.

Fundamental Research

Exploring the fundamental relationships between design choices and system performance.

gallery:

team

collaborators

selected

publications

Anna Dyson, Jason Vollen, Ahu Aydogan, Matt Gindlesparger, Jefferson Ellinger, Elizabeth Hénaff, Peter Stark, Ted Ngai, Tyler Stout, Josh Draper, Phoebe Mankiewicz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Paul Mankiewicz, Christina Ciardullo, Andreas Theodoridis, Cynthia Collins, Divya Ravichandar, Alicia Walf, Ranjit Arpels-Josiah, Krystal Pollit, Elizabeth Lin, Katrina Estacio, Rohit Chitale, Andrew Rosner, Mandi Pretorius, Ben Feagin, Paulo Pinheiro, John Erickson, Kristin Bennett, Beizhan Yan, Qiang Yang, Philippe Baveye, Connor Pinson, Naomi Keena, Mohamed Aly Etman, Justin Shultz, Marianne Nyman, Kenton Philips, Carmen Trudell.

ASHRAE Topical Conference Proceedings (2022)

Evolving Frameworks Towards Identifying Challenges and Opportunities of Indoor Vegetation Systems

Architecture and Urbanism (2015)

Building Integrated Concentrating Solar Facade and The Active Modular Phytoremediation System

Growth Media Design (2021)

Developing design criteria for active green wall bioremediation performance: Growth media selection shapes plant physiology, water and air flow patterns

Phoebe Mankiewicz, Aleca Borsuk, Christina Ciardullo, Elizabeth Hénaff + Anna Dyson

ASHRAE Topical Conference Proceedings (2022)

Indoor Environmental Parameters: Considering Measures of Microbial Ecology in the Characterization of Indoor Air Quality

Phoebe Mankiewicz, Christina Ciardullo, Andreas Theodoridis, Elizabeth Hénaff + Anna Dyson

Proceedings of SDEWES. SDEWES, Dobrovnik (2021)

Towards Energy-Positive Buildings Through a Quality-Matched Energy Flow Strategy

Nick Novelli, Justin Shultz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Kenton Phillips, Michael Jensen, Jason Vollen + Anna Dyson (In review 2021)

Proceedings of the XXV International Union of Architect's World Congress, Durban, South Africa, 3-7 August 2014. Ed. Amira Osman, Gerhard Bruyns and Clinton Aigbavboa. Durban: UIA 2014 Durban. pgs.1368-83 (2014)

Building Integrated Coconut Envelope Systems: Rethinking the Role of Low-tech materials for High Performance in the Hot-humid Region

Mae-Ling Lokko, Anna Dyson + Jason Vollen

Proceedings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting, 32d (2013)

Building-Integrated Active Modular Phytoremediation System

Anna Dyson, Ahu Aydogan, Jason Vollen, Marianne Nyman + Jeffrey Bird (2013)

Industry: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)

Academic/National Labs: New York University (NYU), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), ANL, Columbia Lamont Earth Observatory

Plants are our future.

How can we dramatically transform urban environments through building-integrated agriculture?

Renewable bio-based circular material economies in timber, post-agricultural by-products and plant-based bioremediation

related projects:

research

Add a Title

AMPS

ACTIVE

MODULAR

PHYTOREMEDIATION

SYSTEMS

AMPS is a research framework where we study the potential of plants, soil and microbes to improve indoor environmental quality.

< all research

Anna Dyson, Jason Vollen, Ahu Aydogan, Matt Gindlesparger, Jefferson Ellinger, Elizabeth Hénaff, Peter Stark, Ted Ngai, Tyler Stout, Josh Draper, Phoebe Mankiewicz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Paul Mankiewicz, Christina Ciardullo, Andreas Theodoridis, Cynthia Collins, Divya Ravichandar, Alicia Walf, Ranjit Arpels-Josiah, Krystal Pollit, Elizabeth Lin, Katrina Estacio, Rohit Chitale, Andrew Rosner, Mandi Pretorius, Ben Feagin, Paulo Pinheiro, John Erickson, Kristin Bennett, Beizhan Yan, Qiang Yang, Philippe Baveye, Connor Pinson, Naomi Keena, Mohamed Aly Etman, Justin Shultz, Marianne Nyman, Kenton Philips, Carmen Trudell.

NYSERDA, NYSTAR, NYC-DDC

Industry: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)

Academic/National Labs: New York University (NYU), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), ANL, Columbia Lamont Earth Observatory

ASHRAE Topical Conference Proceedings (2022)

main question

How can we dramatically transform urban environments through building-integrated agriculture?

gallery:

gallery:

team

collaborators

selected

publications

sponsors

ASHRAE Topical Conference Proceedings (2022)

​

Architecture and Urbanism (2015)

​

Growth Media Design (2021)

Phoebe Mankiewicz, Aleca Borsuk, Christina Ciardullo, Elizabeth Hénaff + Anna Dyson

ASHRAE Topical Conference Proceedings (2022)

Phoebe Mankiewicz, Christina Ciardullo, Andreas Theodoridis, Elizabeth Hénaff + Anna Dyson

Proceedings of SDEWES. SDEWES, Dobrovnik (2021)

Nick Novelli, Justin Shultz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Kenton Phillips, Michael Jensen, Jason Vollen + Anna Dyson (In review 2021)

Proceedings of the XXV International Union of Architect's World Congress, Durban, South Africa, 3-7 August 2014. Ed. Amira Osman, Gerhard Bruyns and Clinton Aigbavboa. Durban: UIA 2014 Durban. pgs.1368-83 (2014)

Mae-Ling Lokko, Anna Dyson + Jason Vollen

Proceedings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting, 32d (2013)

Anna Dyson, Ahu Aydogan, Jason Vollen, Marianne Nyman + Jeffrey Bird (2013)

Plants are our future.

How can we dramatically transform urban environments through building-integrated agriculture?

Renewable bio-based circular material economies in timber, post-agricultural by-products and plant-based bioremediation

related projects:

Add a Title

AMPS

AMPS is a research framework where we study the potential of plants, soil and microbes to improve indoor environmental quality.