Hyun Seok An is a graduate student in masters program of industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design. Before starting his career in design, he studied Biological Science in his undergraduate and worked at management consultancies as well as an IT start-up for five years.
He believes that design can play a pivotal role in creating a better culture, and the cultural issue that he hones in is sustainability, a more sustainable way of living. Mainly, he is striving for a creative yet practical solution of how we can rebuild our relationship with our nature.
He designed a home micro-algae farming system, The Coral, to bridge the gap between human culture and mother nature. This edible, air-purifying kit beautifully integrate algae into our everyday lives, which helps us take one step forward to a better sustainable way of living.
Project: The Coral
In 1974, the UN World Food Conference recognised that algae may be ‘the most ideal food for mankind’, as it contains more than 65 different nutrients and minerals. However, not only does it serve as a sustainable food source for humans and marine life alike but it is also plays a role in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
Algae is said to produce nearly 70% of our oxygen and serves as an incredible CO2 absorber at the same time. Rhode Island School of Design student Hyun Seok An recognised the significant possibilities contained within algae, and created The Coral, an indoor micro-algae farm.
The farm helps people incorporate the benefits of algae into our everyday lives. The microalgae farm is made up of a wall-mounted bioreactor that’s divided into 4×4 cells containing 2 grams of algae each, the recommended daily intake of the organism. The farm allows individuals to grow and eat algae every day as the cells contain a biweekly cycle that requires replenishing after harvesting.