Growing PHYTO

Phytotechnology utilizes plants to remediate groundwater and soils for the uptake, removal, or mitigation of contaminated groundwater that frequently affect disadvantaged communities. Commonly the focus of obscure sites, Atlas Lab have been collaborating with Intrinsyx Environmental to integrate Phytotechnologies in public landscapes to illuminate the equitable, scientific, and multi-beneficial public-health advantages that phytotechnologies can have on community and landscapes such as streetscapes, parking lots and brownfield developments.

about the project

Atlas Lab is growing a budding relationship between scientists and designers on active urban case studies that increase plant performance to remediate site contamination, sequester carbon and reduce the heat-island effect. Atlas Lab is working with Intrinsyx Environmental on planting Hybrid Poplar Trees, with a licensed use of specialized Endophytes that can clean up sites contaminated with TCE, PCB, oil ,gas, ammunitions and other hazardous contaminants. As landscape architects, designers and lovers of trees, these Hybrid Poplar trees, acting as nature’s air and water filter, represent a high performance and cost-effective tool to help combat challenges facing our built environment. This applied research positions landscape architects working with scientists to advance the performance of the tree – to cultivate super trees – using natural occurring combinations of microbes, endophytes, and traditional breeding to help remediate sites effecting urban communities.