Publication date: August 2, 2021
Among enthusiasts, it is called the “food of the gods” due to its high nutritional value. Because of its ease of consumption, it is the ideal food source even for astronauts. And at the 2021 Venice Biennale, this marine protein with numerous benefits was rediscovered as an excellent ally in the fight against domestic CO₂ emissions.
What is spirulina algae
It is certainly the most curious product in the Boniviri catalog, waiting to be discovered and experimented with. Spirulina algae was mainly cultivated by the Aztecs near Lake Texcoco, where it was also consumed by pregnant women. Today, cultivation takes place in freshwater tanks in Europe and Italy, including Boniviri-branded spirulina, produced in Ragusa.
Nutritional benefits
A source of energy and protein, rich in iron and natural pigments such as phycocyanin, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll, it ranks among the most appreciated superfoods, one of the most powerful and balanced food resources that the earth can offer us.
Health properties
It has countless health benefits: it strengthens the immune system and fights fatigue, has energizing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxifying properties. It helps regulate blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
In the kitchen
Whether sweet or savory, there are many recipes to get creative and experiment with the “food of the gods” in powder form, enriching them with flavor and making them even healthier. Add it to smoothies, drinks, fruit juices, milk, and yogurt for a rich breakfast or a nutritious snack. An energizing spirulina milk, for example, is ideal to start the day or before an intense workout. It is made by warming some plant-based milk without boiling it, adding a spoonful of spirulina and also a spoonful of Boniviri wildflower honey. Try adding it to basic doughs as well, like cookies and even pasta!
Curiosity | Spirulina – How will we live together?
Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto of ecoLogicStudio (London, UK) exhibited BIT.BIO.BOT at the Arsenale pavilions of the 2021 Venice Biennale, an interesting 1:1 scale installation, an immersive experiment on the domestic cultivation of the urban microbiome, particularly spirulina.
Besides the numerous nutritional advantages listed above, thanks to the great work of the eLS team in London, it has been demonstrated that spirulina is an excellent ally in the fight against air pollution and has great potential for self-production inside homes, creating a suspended garden made of water, ampoules, and spirulina algae.
It is the result of 10 years of research in bio-digital design, combining computational design strategies (BIT) with proprietary fabrication techniques (BOT) to implement a collective microbiological cultivation protocol (BIO).
BIT.BIO.BOT consists of three fluidly interconnected systems that embody the fundamental architectural environments of a future home: the Living Cladding, the Vertical Garden, and the Convivium. At the core of BIT.BIO.BOT is photosynthesis, powered by the sun and the metabolism of Spirulina Platensis and Chlorella SP cultures. These living organisms, among the oldest on Earth, have developed a unique biological intelligence that allows them to convert solar radiation into oxygen and biomass with unparalleled efficiency.
For example: while active in production, the Vertical Garden can absorb CO₂ at the rate of three large mature trees, providing a clear path toward carbon neutrality in architecture.
And that is why it could not be missing from the range of products chosen by Boniviri.
