Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture

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Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture

Information

  • Project Name: Box Of Air
  • Student Name: Alexander Montanile
  • Awards: Edward C. Earl Prize – 1st Place
  • Softwares/Plugins: Rhinoceros 3D , Adobe Photoshop , AutoCAD , Python
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Excerpt: ‘Box Of Air’ is a bachelors design project by Alexander Montanile from the ‘Illinois School of Architecture (ISoA)’ that rethinks how architecture can help solve pressing social and environmental issues. The project provides a replicable model for sustainable living in contaminated, densely populated cities by combining urban agriculture with air purification. It is more than just a building; it is a catalyst for healthier communities, proving that design can breathe new life into the places we dwell in.

Introduction: Located in New Delhi, India—known as the most polluted city in the world and still facing challenges in sustainable agriculture—BOX OF AIR is a visionary design that integrates air purification with urban farming. The structure features an electrostatic steel exterior that filters pollutants from the air, channeling clean air into indoor farming zones. This concept presents a novel solution for cities where both space and clean air are limited.

As cities grow more crowded and air quality declines, the project poses a provocative question: What if buildings could breathe on our behalf?

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Site Context

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Site Analysis – Greater New Delhi Area Major Industrial Hubs | Site Analysis – Immediate Neighborhood

Developed for the ACSA Steel Competition—which does not assign a specific site or program—this project focuses on exploring creative and forward-thinking applications of steel in both structure and design. 

For this proposal, the designer selected a location in New Delhi known for its severe environmental issues. Situated at the convergence of three districts, the site endures some of the city’s highest levels of air pollution. Local farmers and residents alike are grappling with declining crop yields, contributing to a growing dependence on genetically modified food sources.

Design Process

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Site Research

After selecting the site, the designer undertook an in-depth research phase to gain a deeper understanding of the city and its cultural context. Given the international location—and the fact that it had not been visited in person— friends who had grown up in nearby regions were consulted. These conversations proved instrumental in uncovering both cultural subtleties and the everyday struggles faced by local residents.

The insights gathered informed a series of data visualizations, created using Python, which mapped out the interconnections between critical site-specific challenges such as pollution, food insecurity, and urban density.

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Process Sketches

With a solid foundation of research and a clear building typology, the designer then explored a variety of design strategies. These included investigations into steel construction details, modular systems for crop cultivation, circulation flows, air purification methods, and other key elements of the proposal.

Final Outcome

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Cross Sectional
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Electrostatic Façade Logic
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Interior View – Ground Level

The resulting design takes the form of a greenhouse that, in essence, breathes. Its electrostatic steel façade functions as an air purification system, drawing in polluted air and filtering it through perforations in the outer shell. The clean air is then funneled into the building’s interior, utilizing the natural stack effect to promote passive ventilation.

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Structural Details
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Interior View – Top Level

Designed for use by farmers, families, and individuals with agricultural experience, the structure is not intended to supply entire cities with food. However, its straightforward construction and flexible, open layout make it highly scalable. The design is easily adaptable, allowing for widespread implementation across India to establish green, breathable environments in areas most impacted by pollution and food insecurity.

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Exterior View
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
3D Printed Model

Conclusion: BOX OF AIR reimagines the role of architecture in addressing urgent environmental and social challenges. By combining air purification with urban agriculture, the project offers a replicable model for sustainable living in polluted, high-density cities. More than a building, it serves as a catalyst for healthier communities—demonstrating how design can breathe new life into the spaces we inhabit.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture

Design Process

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture

Final Outcome

Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture
Box Of Air: An Adaptable And Repeatable Building Solution For India’s Urban Environments And Air Pollution | Bachelors Design Project On Regenerative Architecture

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

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