Carbyon, designing the future of carbon capture

There is no net zero, without the removal of carbon dioxide.

Humans emit 40 billion tons of CO2/year. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest in 2 million years. Rising from 280 ppm before the start of the industrial revolution to 420 ppm in 2022. And it just keeps rising. Global CO2 emissions need to be net zero by 2050. But even if we make it, the earth is warming up and keeps warming up. It’s not enough to reduce emissions, but we also need to remove emissions. There is no net zero, without the removal of carbon dioxide. What if we could reverse time? What if we could capture carbon dioxide in a cheap, durable way to be permanently stored or reused as raw material? Carbyon is a Dutch startup developing Direct Air Capture machines that can capture CO2 directly from the sky. They have discovered a novel technique to capture CO2 within minutes, while trees and other natural materials take years to capture the same amount of CO2.

This technology needs designers

Carbyon is developing its first prototypes and exploring how its carbon capture solution could look in various global locations. In collaboration with the Dutch Design Foundation's What If Lab, they invited four young designers to create "future concepts" for the machine's exterior. The four designers all started from different angles on the challenge. Lotte Wigman envisioned the machines contributing to local ecosystems, turning a desert-based carbon capture plant into an Oasis by utilizing captured water. Joshua Holetz focused on blending the machines into their surroundings, using organic forms, modularity, and local materials to harmonize them with the landscape. Yotam Sion drew inspiration from water towers, transforming the machines into iconic "friendly giants" in the environment. Joris Zandbergen explored the internal processes, exposing airflows to highlight the machine’s active CO2 removal. Together, the 4 designs shows how the future of carbon capture could look like - a future that is needed sooner rather than later.