The AirBubble restorative space in Nyon, Switzerland, marks a new development in ecoLogicStudio’s long-term research into urban well-being. Conceived for a consumer healthcare company, the third iteration of the studio’s AirBubble concept establishes a new relationship between nature, biotechnology, and human health.
A restorative workplace landscape
Described by ecoLogicStudio as the world’s first biotechnological healthcare garden combining air-purifying algae cultures with medicinal plants, the project proposes a spatial model that balances work, mental and physical health, relaxation, and interaction among employees. Oxygen bubbling and the scents of fresh herbs and flowers contribute to a multisensory experience.
Set within a green area surrounding the healthcare company’s factory grounds in Nyon, the project forms part of a wider vision called AirCampus, an architectural approach to supporting health and well-being in the workplace. This includes the outdoor AirBubble restorative space; AirOffice, a symbiotic indoor workspace combining advanced gardening and air filtration; and AIReactor, a biotechnological desktop air purifier.
AirBubble has been developed as a replicable and scalable bio-design system that could be installed within workplace environments in different locations.
From medicinal garden to biodigital infrastructure
The project reinterprets the pre-industrial botanical garden for the contemporary healthcare workplace, reconsidering the relationship between workplace and landscape design.
‘We researched the origins of pharmaceutical manufacturing by studying the medicinal garden of Padua in Italy, where medicinal essences and plants were grown as part of a community park. We then translated this concept into the biodigital era, where substances can once again be cultivated in the public realm,’ says Marco Poletto, co-founder of ecoLogicStudio.
The PhotoSynthetica™ platform
AirBubble is based on PhotoSynthetica™, ecoLogicStudio’s proprietary photosynthetic building-cladding system, developed as a broader architectural platform for integrating living microalgae bioreactors into building envelopes and public-space installations. The system uses photosynthetic cultures to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide and pollutants, produce oxygen and biomass, and contribute to improved urban air quality.
PhotoSynthetica™ was launched in 2018 by ecoLogicStudio co-founders Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto. Its development is supported by academic partnerships with the Urban Morphogenesis Lab at UCL in London and the Synthetic Landscapes Lab at the University of Innsbruck.
Since 2021, the studio has explored how biotechnological systems can be integrated into architecture, interiors, and landscape design. The AirBubble restorative space in Nyon was developed with the Synthetic Landscapes Lab as an interdisciplinary research project combining architecture, biotechnology, and landscape design.
An algae-powered air-purification system
AirBubble comprises a six-metre-high cylindrical prefabricated timber structure connected across three levels and enclosed by a lightweight pneumatic ETFE membrane. The timber frame was selected for its renewable, low-carbon characteristics and designed for efficient assembly, disassembly, and reuse.
The transparent ETFE envelope creates a controlled microclimate intended to support the growth and biological performance of the algae cultures. The structure is positioned on top of a landscaped mound.
Its middle section contains 36 large borosilicate-glass PhotoSynthetica™ bioreactors holding a total of 350 litres of living green Chlorella algae cultures. These can filter polluted air at a flow rate of 150 litres per minute. The liquid medium captures airborne particles, while the algae metabolise polluting molecules and carbon dioxide before releasing clean oxygen.
The architectural form supports the filtration process. An inverted conical roof membrane encourages air recirculation and natural ventilation within the structure.
A multisensory restorative space
The white noise produced by the bubbling algae system masks sounds from the nearby factory truck-loading dock, creating a calmer atmosphere intended to relieve mental and physical stress.
Harvested biomass can be incorporated into the company canteen menu in algae-based drinks and vegetable-protein bread. It can also be used as fertiliser for the surrounding wild meadow and medicinal garden.
Visitors enter onto a rubber surface composed of light and dark green particles combined with shades of brown. This leads to a broad, two-level seating area.
Two sinuous sheets of Corten steel, selected for their weathering properties, form a central petal-like sculpture. The roof membrane converges above this element, directing water into a small rainwater garden. A second Corten element defines the perimeter, where 11 cork seats are fixed into the rubberised surface.
The seating elements are made from cork, a renewable bio-based material selected for its low embodied carbon, durability, and comfort. Cork chips were moistened to release their natural resin, forming dark brown blocks that were then CNC-cut into softer forms.
Reversible construction and water management
Designed to have a light impact on the ground, the timber structure is anchored by 26 ground screws. By avoiding concrete posts or pier blocks, the structural system limits disruption to the landscape and remains fully reversible.
The use of local plants that grow with the seasons, together with an integrated rainwater-collection system, means that AirBubble requires no irrigation water, helping to conserve natural resources.
A medicinal garden
The restorative space is encircled by a medicinal garden comprising 47 planters arranged concentrically around the central seating area.
Closest to the main structure are four autumn- and winter-flowering species: Alchemilla vulgaris, Iberis sempervirens, Camellia japonica, and Helleborus.
Further from the centre, 16 spring- and summer-flowering species are distributed through the garden. These include commonly used medicinal plants such as Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Melissa officinalis, and Mentha piperita.
Other species have more specific traditional applications. Pulmonaria officinalis has been used in relation to respiratory disorders, while Nepeta cataria is associated with mental well-being and stress relief.
Environmental monitoring and the wider AirBubble programme
An integrated environmental monitoring and control system continuously measures the biological performance of the algae cultures alongside environmental conditions and air-quality parameters. Building on the monitoring methodology developed for the AirBubble playground in Warsaw, the system supports ongoing evaluation of the Nyon installation’s environmental performance.
Urban air-pollution sensors measure the Air Quality Index for six principal pollutants: fine particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, ground-level ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO).
Under monitored operating conditions, the Warsaw installation recorded reductions of up to 97 percent in nitrogen oxides and 75 percent in particulate matter. The AirBubble restorative space in Nyon builds on this evidence base, operating both as a restorative workplace garden and as an ongoing research platform combining biological processes, lightweight construction, landscape design, and environmental sensing.
The project forms part of a broader research programme intended to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution on human health and explore how architecture can contribute to healthier urban environments. As well as the AirBubble playground in Warsaw, previous projects include an inflatable, air-purifying AirBubble installation presented at COP26, COP27, and the Saudi Design Festival; and AirLab, presented in London.
Project Team
Claudia Pasquero, Marco Poletto, Konstantina Bikou, Marco Matteraglia, Alessandra Poletto, Andrea Tiberi, Francesca Turi, Lucas Ursprung
Academic partners
Synthetic Landscape Lab, IOUD, University of Innsbruck
Urban Morphogenesis Lab, BPRO, The Bartlett, UCL
