In a world where chronic illness is often met with reactive solutions, how might we cultivate more regenerative, responsible ways to nourish and strengthen the body? What role might living systems, like algae, play in reweaving the relationship between ourselves, our food, and the ecosystems that sustain us?
Glass Grove is a tabletop wellness system that cultivates fresh, bioavailable nutrients through living algae like Spirulina and Chlorella.
Designed for daily interaction, it reframes personal nutrition as a regenerative ritual, one that supports long-term health through active, and deliberate care. The system’s form, a synthesis of glass, porcelain, & brass, invites tactile interaction while honoring the transparency and warmth of natural systems. As both a tool and a symbol, Glass Grove proposes a future in which nourishing the body is inseparable from tending to the ecosystems we live within.
To understand the power of algae and human ritual, I began researching various species of algae as well as growing techniques favorable for each.
Spirulina and Chlorella were found to be the best balanced with exceptional nutrient production and a fairly simple daily interaction that felt meaningful and satisfying to do on my own. In the middle of this process I began to ideate on possible forms for the final product.
As I distilled the user’s ritual with my own daily interactions with the algae the form of my ideas began to change. User testing on taste and form also further drove my design process.
My experimentation with both Chlorella & Spirulina opened my eyes about the simplicity or building a responsive system around algae. As the culture became more dense, I used bigger and bigger receptacles.
