Greenspire – household spirulina farm as an example of sustainable food production

DESIGN: Maja Rowecka

Poland

 

make me! 2025


 

Greenspire is a project dedicated to making nutritious foods affordable. A key product is spirulina, a powerful superfood packed with protein, vitamins and iron. Despite its growing popularity, spirulina remains an expensive supplement. Greenspireoffers an alternative: by providing utensils from recycled biodegradable PLA and open-source manufacturing files, the startup empowers customers to grow their own nutritious food at home. The kit offers a set of tools for efficient yet creative spirulina cultivation, accompanied by a user-friendly manual with tips for including spirulina in your diet. These sustainable, solar-powered or manual utensils, which can be DIY-ed, provide consumers with lifelong access to a valuable source of nutrition with minimal resource use. The tools are compatible with everyday objects, such as old jars, repurposed as growing containers. By combining food efficiency, recycled materials, and local production, Greenspireis a step toward a circular economy. 

Greenspire – household spirulina farm as an example of sustainable food production, design: Maja Rowecka / from designer’s archive

Greenspire – household spirulina farm as an example of sustainable food production, design: Maja Rowecka / from designer’s archive

Greenspire – household spirulina farm as an example of sustainable food production, design: Maja Rowecka / from designer’s archive

Maja Rowecka

A fourth-year student at the Industrial Design Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and a recipient of the Rector’s Merit Scholarship (2022–2023). Her interests revolve primarily around universal design and ecological strategies. Her recent projects have explored accessibility for visually impaired users and experimentation with waste-derived materials. She sees local initiatives and interdisciplinary collaboration as essential to her practice. Maja has participated in programs such as the Young Ambassadors in Venice, MAD Design Summer School, and the Zukünfte exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig. Alongside design, Maja also works with oil painting, which she treats as a more intuitive and expressive medium. Her artworks have been exhibited in venues such as Pawilon Bliska 12 and Galeria Kawałek Sztuki. She is currently working on her bachelor’s thesis focused on urban meadows and will begin her master’s studies in Copenhagen this fall.

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