Greenspire: Open-Source Home Spirulina Kit by Designer Maja Rowecka
Maja Rowecka, a design graduate from Warsaw, has introduced Greenspire, a startup that provides a home cultivation kit for spirulina, a cyanobacterium that has existed for 3.5 billion years. This kit includes tools made from recycled biodegradable PLA that can be used with old jars and features a solar-powered aerator designed like a sunflower for mixing. For low-light situations, a manual mixer is also part of the package. Additional tools aid in feeding and maintenance, while a mesh filter is used for harvesting spirulina. Greenspire offers open-source manufacturing files, enabling users to grow spirulina rather than purchasing the algae. A guidebook assists users in adding spirulina to their meals and understanding food origins. Spirulina is up to 70% complete protein and nutrient-rich. The project was highlighted on DesignWanted, with Rowecka providing the photography and Anna Lazzaron writing the article.
Key facts
- Maja Rowecka, a design graduate from Warsaw, created the startup Greenspire.
- Greenspire offers a home kit to cultivate spirulina, a cyanobacterium that has existed for roughly 3.5 billion years.
- The kit uses tools made from recycled biodegradable PLA and is compatible with old jars and bottles instead of a dedicated tank.
- The centerpiece is a solar-powered aerator shaped like a sunflower, providing constant agitation for even photosynthesis.
- A manual mixer is included as a backup for low-sun or low-tech situations.
- A mesh filter harvests spirulina by filtering it from its liquid growth medium.
- All manufacturing files are released as open-source, inverting typical proprietary superfood business models.
- A guidebook helps new growers cultivate spirulina and incorporate it into daily meals.
- Historically, Aztec populations harvested spirulina as a food staple, and NASA studied it for long space missions.
- Spirulina can be up to 70% complete protein by weight and is rich in iron and B12; it requires no soil and multiplies fast.
Entities
Artists
- Maja Rowecka
- Anna Lazzaron
Institutions
- Greenspire
- NASA
- DesignWanted
Locations
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Milan
- Italy
- Barcelona
- Spain