Politecnico di Milano

Radicula

finalist project

Sofia Amato, Cemre Ercan, Elisa Barca, Umut Dündar, Francesca Cetrullo

Radicula is a bio-integrated textile made from hemp fibers and sodium alginate hydrogel, designed to support aquatic biodiversity in the Naviglio during dry periods. It hosts native plants arranged in three zones—non-submerged, semi-submerged, and fully submerged—based on water needs. Using a porous Voronoi-inspired pattern and layered materials, Radicula promotes capillary water rise, ensuring plant hydration even as water levels drop. This adaptive, replicable intervention helps preserve local flora biodiversity during maintenance or drought, offering innovative strategies for coexistence between urban infrastructure and more-than-human life in changing environments.