Current attitudes towards health dictate that sanitisation of living environments is akin to healthy conditions. However, recent studies show that total erasure of microbial communities may be detrimental to health, removing potentially beneficial bacteria from our vicinity. Microbiosis proposes the microbiome of the built environment as a tool to enhance occupant health through complementary design methodologies, aimed to reintroduce health-promoting microorganisms.

The project is based on leading research within the fields of health, the microbiome, and the built environment, supported by individual data collection, environmental analysis, and material studies. Results were fed into a procedural computational design agenda, with the intention of creating niches for selective health-promoting bacteria to outcompete other, potentially harmful, microorganisms. Robin Hood Estate in London was chosen as an experimental site to apply the microbiome-centric retrofitting approach for creating healthier urban environments. Units were modified regarding airflow, human interaction, and space usage as agents affecting microbial dispersal and transfer from building to occupant.