Authors
Rachel Armstrong, Pablo Carbonell, Deshendran Moodley, Ioannis Ieropoulos, Jorge Barriuso
Published in
Microbial biotechnology. Volume 19. Issue 10. Pages e70456.
Abstract
The contemporary home remains trapped in a mechanistic paradigm of twentieth-century resource consumption, where metabolic biological presence is considered irrelevant to the functioning of a building. Presenting the home as a conceptual vehicle for metabolically optimised living spaces in dense urban environments, this paper develops a conceptual framework of metabolic design patterns that enables the staged retrofit of bioreactors, from composters and fermenters to bioelectrical systems, into human-occupied living spaces. By bringing circular resource processing into the heart of domestic life the principles for regenerative homes are established. Bioelectrical systems are given particular attention because they provide real-time, connectable data through electricity as a medium for information, power, and chemical transformation simultaneously, forming a connective backbone for generating the metabolic design patterns. Three patterns are developed: Toilet as Hearth, Kitchen Garden, and Greywater Wetland, each integrating bioelectrical systems into the habitation programme to provide the respective architectural affordances. The framework proposes a staged retrofit pathway to implementation from passive sensing to neighbourhood metabolic exchange, supported by a conceptual anatomical atlas for diagnosing metabolic failures in established metabolic systems. This revaluation positions metabolic presence as a generative resource rather than a cost, directly addressing SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12.
PMID:
42851018
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Oct 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 10
- Comments 0