2025 | Student

MUSE Design Awards Silver Winner

Synfluent - Plant Synergy Ecological Intelligence Design

Entrant

ShanghaiTech University

Category

Conceptual Design - Green

Client's Name

Country / Region

Plant symbiosis is a mutually beneficial mechanism widely found in natural ecosystems and is of particular importance in the fields of agriculture and environmental restoration. However, this mechanism is often neglected in contemporary practice. Urban greening and home planting tend to favour ornamental design without considering ecological functions, while agricultural production tends to pursue high yields from monoculture, ignoring the value of species synergy in improving soil health, reducing pesticide dependence, and enhancing system resilience. How to find a balance between efficiency and ecology has become a key issue in green transformation.
Studies have shown that scientifically designed plant symbiotic combinations not only enhance soil quality and regulate microclimate, but also reduce the frequency of artificial interventions and promote sustainable ecological succession. Especially in the face of climate fluctuations and ecological degradation, the establishment of self-regulating micro-ecosystems is of great educational and practical value.
The Synfluent project aims to re-establish this ‘wisdom of inter-species co-operation’ in everyday life. Through a systematic study of the functional relationships between plants (e.g. nitrogen fixation and nitrogen demand, shade and moisture retention, leaf litter and nutrients), we have developed a modular and expandable ecological model of symbiosis that encompasses the dimensions of productivity, education and landscape.
"Where plants communicate, ecosystems thrive."

Credits

ShanghaiTech
Teddy Tian
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