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For Anya “Yale” Muangkote, her bedroom is not just for sleeping but is also for spirulina cultivation, materials research and sustainable thinking.
In a living space, one might expect comfort and cosy details. Instead, the bedroom we take you into reveals something unexpected: spirulina, known as a superfood. Here, it serves a clear purpose rooted in care for the environment.
This is the sanctuary of Anya “Yale” Muangkote. Her living room and bedroom double as a laboratory. Here, a familiar object might catch your eye, one that looks like a coffee dripper, only to reveal itself as a spirulina filter instead.
I first met Yale during a talk session where she spoke about her work with one of our Future List projects, Sar.rrai, which explores mycelium-based packaging as a sustainable alternative. That conversation left a lasting impression and sparked the need for a deeper discussion.
It drew my attention to the biggest elephant in the room, or rather, in her bedroom. The project is called Spirulina Society. We spoke with Yale about her vision and the ideas behind this unconventional space, shaped by innovation and a commitment to a more sustainable environment.
From Academic Research to Practice
Spirulina Society is a platform that provides tools and guidance by making cultivation knowledge accessible through clear step-by-step guides, alongside physical kits for growing spirulina that can work almost anywhere in the world. What began as a small academic project has since developed into a practical initiative with wider reach.
The idea first took shape during her studies in Product Design at the Royal College of Art in the UK. During her studies, her work explored alternative materials and biomaterials valued for natural decomposition but limited by strength and water resistance. This later shifted towards alternative food systems, driven by awareness of the food industry’s impact on climate change from food waste to resource heavy production.
Courtesy of Spirulina Society
Spirulina emerged as a response to these concerns, as it offers a form of food production that requires fewer resources and creates less waste while also providing a nutrient dense superfood rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. Yale began by testing spirulina cultivation at home with everyday items such as bottles and jars and turned her space in London to a lab.
Courtesy of Spirulina Society
“After a span of two to three months of initial research, I realised that I could grow spirulina inside my bedroom quite effectively using locally sourced apparatus and 3D-printed prototypes.”
Spirulina needs little care once properly set up. It uses few tools, stays low in maintenance and cost and offers strong potential as an accessible food source. For specialised equipment including lids with air vents and overhead lights, which proved essential in a grey city, she designed her own solutions. Each piece followed proper cultivation principles and she reworked the forms to feel more like lifestyle objects. These designs are now available for sale for others to grow spirulina by themselves.
“I decided to take Spirulina Society beyond the academic realm because I am curious about its real world potential. Fresh spirulina is not well known to the public, as limited access makes it expensive for most people. I believe that local sourcing and production are key to an empowering and sustainable lifestyle.”
Through Spirulina Society, this research now translates into accessible knowledge and simple tools that allow more people to take part in small-scale cultivation. Her work was shortlisted for the Distributed Design Awards 2020 and the Green Concept Award 2021. She has exhibited at Tallinn Design Festival 2021 as part of SOS Design and at London Design Festival 2020 in the Brompton Design District.
Beyond Spirulina: Rethinking Other Materials
What began in her bedroom now extends far beyond it. Spirulina has become just one part of Yale’s wider vision, as her commitment to sustainable living grows beyond small scale cultivation. After returning to Thailand following her studies, her work expanded towards projects with a broader environmental focus. One such initiative is regen districts, which brings together artists and designers who work with biodegradable materials made from household food waste. At its core is a network map that connects people interested in collecting and reusing organic waste for creative purposes, with strong participation from local Thai artists.
“Although this project is currently on hiatus, if I had the chance to continue it, I envision the waste collection system becoming more widespread, expanding from one district to others. It would then develop into a supportive community, encouraging more and more people to consider using materials derived from organic waste in their projects.”
The other project, Spirulina Society x Sarr.rai, sees her transform mycelium into jewellery packaging for sarr.rai. In conversation, she describes this work as a continuation of research and exchange. Much of her practice centres on knowledge sharing and on building an inclusive and empowering community through design.
Courtesy of Spirulina Society
“I began to question the origins of everyday objects and daily consumables that often go unnoticed. Simple questions such as “Where do materials come from?” and “Where do they go once discarded?” began to reshape the way I think.”
Yale speaks about the process with a sense of curiosity and ease, where thinking unconventionally and stepping outside familiar norms sit at the centre of her work. For her, the question that remains is why spirulina and why other alternative materials matter. The answer lies in responsibility. Producing with care and making everything locally, especially from scratch, now feels not only logical but essential.
“Luckily, most people are already aware of how the climate crisis has negatively affected the environment, our health and our well-being. However, many remain unaware of the true or hidden costs involved in sustainable production processes. For example, people often expect products made from recycled materials to cost far less than those made from virgin materials. In reality, operational costs for recycled materials are often higher due to waste collection logistics, cleaning and drying processes and the removal and separation of impurities, among other factors.
If more people understood these complex and time-consuming processes, the higher price points might no longer act as a barrier to supporting responsible businesses.”
Designing Circular Futures Through Materials
Her bedroom no longer holds only spirulina. It has become a space for wider material experiments. Yale now works with recycled PLA, a plant-based plastic made from corn, cassava and sugarcane. Because PLA requires specific industrial conditions to compost, she keeps every scrap and failed piece and seeks out discarded PLA from other sources. Her aim is to rely mainly on recycled PLA and reduce the use of virgin materials.
Courtesy of Spirulina Society
“Turning food waste into raw materials with a variety of possible applications can shift people’s perceptions of what is considered valuable and how locally abundant resources can be kept in a loop, rather than ending up in landfills or polluting the environment when discarded inappropriately. Perhaps this approach can help people see it as “valuable resources” instead of “waste”, rethinking the meaning through creative experimentation.”
She also enjoys working with mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms. By combining products such as straw, coco peat and coffee grounds with mushroom spawn, she creates materials suitable for packaging and interior use, from lampshades to wall pieces and acoustic panels. These materials remain lightweight, offer insulation and resist fire and water.
Looking ahead, she plans to host spirulina workshops, where participants can learn how to grow and eat fresh spirulina with the cultivation and harvesting tools she designs herself.
“I hope that my work can spark conversations around responsible production and consumption, or even inspire action towards a more sustainable, circular, and regenerative future. That would be my ideal scenario!”
