01 / Case study / 2026
LUMENIA
A living light that turns microalgae into an evolving physical and digital experience.
Overview
LUMENIA is a living lighting system that combines a small-scale microalgae photobioreactor, ambient light and digital monitoring. The project explores a new relationship between people, objects and living systems: the user does not simply switch the product on, but learns to observe and care for it over time.
01 / Design question
What if a light behaved more like a living system?
The project began with research into living materials, microalgae and small-scale photobioreactors. The core challenge was to support a biological process without turning the object into laboratory equipment.
The design brief called for a calm domestic object where biology, light and technology feel like one coherent experience. The microalgae remain visible, making growth, movement and change part of the product's character.
02 / Form development
A simple cylindrical form keeps the living material at the centre.
Sketch exploration tested different ways to combine the cultivation chamber, structure and light. A circular geometry was selected for its visual clarity, efficient internal layout and even distribution of light around the biological medium.
The transparent acrylic tube becomes the visual focus. A removable cap, O-ring sealing and a 3D-printed base make maintenance possible while keeping sensors, lighting and electronics visually contained.
03 / System design
Two light circuits balance biological needs and atmosphere.
An internal LED ring supports photosynthesis and microalgae growth. A second, concealed light projects a soft underglow into the surrounding space, giving the product a calmer ambient presence.
Temperature, ambient conditions and light intensity can be monitored through DS18B20, DHT22 and BH1750 sensors. The system turns environmental data into practical care information rather than exposing technical complexity to the user.
04 / Companion app
The interface turns a living system into a clear daily overview.
The experience begins with a calm onboarding screen and moves into a dashboard that presents algae health, liquid temperature, ambient temperature and light levels in one readable view.
A dark visual language with restrained green highlights mirrors the physical glow of LUMENIA and keeps the biological information visually connected to the product.
05 / Monitoring & care
Data becomes a small set of useful actions, not technical noise.
The home screen summarises the state of the living system. The care view translates feeding, maintenance and liquid replacement into understandable cycles, while biological values remain available for users who want more detail.
Notifications distinguish routine care from conditions that need attention, such as low light or increased water temperature. Each alert leads to a direct next action instead of leaving the user to interpret raw sensor data.
06 / Outcome
A 1:1 prototype made the living interaction tangible.
The final prototype brought together the acrylic cultivation chamber, custom 3D-printed parts and lighting integration. It made the changing density and colour of the microalgae visible in a real domestic setting.
LUMENIA proposes an object that is never completely finished: its appearance and behaviour continue to evolve with the biological system inside it.
Project details
From thinking to a tangible outcome.
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