LiamStone & Mantax
Hey Liam, I’ve been looking at how kelp farms could double as green walls for buildings—living facades that filter air and even give us food. Do you see any way your sustainable architecture could weave something like that into a design?
That’s actually a really clever idea—kelp farms as green walls could do double duty as a natural filter and a source of nutrition. I’d start by sizing the façade to match the plant’s growth rate, so the structure stays light and doesn’t need a massive support system. Then think about the nutrient delivery; a drip irrigation system that recycles greywater would keep the kelp fed while reducing the building’s water demand. The trick is to keep the plumbing discreet, maybe embed it behind the cladding, so the aesthetic stays clean and minimalist. I’d also run a quick load analysis on the frame, just in case the added mass of the kelp and water is a surprise. It could be a win for both the environment and the building’s resilience, but we’ll need to prototype and tweak the system before committing to a full-scale installation.
Sounds solid, Liam—especially the greywater recycling. I’m curious how the kelp’s light needs line up with the building’s orientation. Maybe we can test a small section on a sun‑lit wall and tweak the nutrient mix on the fly?
Absolutely, let’s start small. Pick a south‑facing wall so it gets the most sun, install a modular panel that can be swapped out, and run a few nutrient trials. We’ll monitor growth rates and light absorption, adjust the mix as we go, and keep everything as light as possible. That way we can iterate fast and see how it fits the building’s rhythm before going full‑scale.
Sounds like a plan, Liam. Just remember the kelp likes a steady light pulse, not a glare—maybe a diffuse panel could help. I’ll bring some data on nutrient needs and we’ll keep the panel light so it doesn’t add stress to the frame. Let’s make it a living experiment, not a hard wall.