Verrt
Course

IPD 5510 | Design Processes

Designer

Madeline Warshaw

Instructors

Sarah Rottenberg
Mike Avery

Algae is the future. As climate change progresses, our air will become dirtier and our need for low-energy, clean food sources greater than ever before. We’ll be eating less meat and needing more alternative forms of protein. We’ll be looking for ways to purify the air in our homes from increasing pollutants. Algae is the answer on both accounts. Algae is a superfood, comprised of nearly 60% solid protein and full of essential vitamins. It relies on sunlight and carbon dioxide to survive, meaning it actively purifies the air as it grows, using the CO2 in your home as fuel.

Verrt provides people with daily servings of algae while simultaneously cleaning the air in thier homes. Add a bit of live spirulina to each of Verrt’s 54 pods, along with purified water and a drop of algae food, and turn on the air pump that oxygenates the cells. Over about two weeks, the cells will turn more and more green. The color is a cue for when to harvest; once a cell has turned dark green, it’s time to remove the pod, eat the algae and start the process over again. The Verrt window unit has the air-purifying power of two 10-year-old trees or 120 indoor house plants. Verrt can be customized to fit into a variety of home styles and window sizes with infinite design possibilities and patterns.