Soil Habitability
data-enabled sensemaking for rethinking soil health
[design research] [data-driven design] [MtHD]
September 2024 - present
In an era of soil degradation, and agricultural monocultures, we have neglected the complex, intertwined ecosystem beneath our feet. The dominance of scientific framings, and by extension scientific institutions as the primary speaker for soils, means that other ways of sensemaking of soils are under-explored. This oversight has not only harmed soil health but has also diminished the habitats for vital non-human agents like earthworms.
In the emergent field of more than human design (MtHD), the concept of habitability invites us to view environments not solely as resources, but as dynamic systems shaped by and for diverse lifeforms, supporting the necessary metabolic activities of the organisms to survive and thrive. This research centres soil habitability from the perspective of its inhabitants, particularly earthworms, whose agency reflects soil health.
Through this project, I explore how data-enabled more-than-human design can foster sensemaking approaches. By using environmental sensor and a custom-made sensory mat to capture the subtle movements of earthworms and visualizing their interactions within varied soil environments, the project aims to reconfigure data as a medium for representing nonhuman agency. By translating invisible soil dynamics into narratives, I aim to illustrate the ways in which earthworms interact with moisture, texture, and nutrients in their home. I introduce Soil Habitability as a provocation to challenge the conventional human centered paradigms of understanding soil health, inviting a re-framing that foregrounds multispecies interactions and experiences of the earthworms within their ecological context.
Design research project at Industrial Design master’s program at Eindhoven University of Technology (Supervisor: Bahareh Barati)
Exhibition setup at Microstad, Eindhoven
Here, the focus is on exploring earthworm behavior in different soil types impacted by human activity. The visitor can place a sample of the soil next to the earthworm habitat to observe migration patters.
Using a custom-built sensor mat, subtle movements of earthworms within various soil conditions are detected and analyzed. Environmental sensors like temperature and moisture are integrated to create a network. This real-time data and visualizations are shown on a screen, in the form of a GIF.
Through speculative storytelling and technological mediation, the project frames earthworms as ambassadors of soil, their responses expressed via real-time messages emerging from the soil. These messages, anthropomorphized with wit and critique, invite viewers to empathize with non-human perspectives and question their role in shaping ecological futures.
Four distinct soil states—moist soil, dry soil, manure-enriched soil, and chemically fertilized soil—highlight the impacts of agricultural practices on subterranean ecosystems. The project invites viewers to reimagine soil health and question their role in shaping soil futures. Using technology as a mediator, I hope to create a bridge for interspecies dialogue.
Integration of qualitative and quantitative data - Data dashboard for real-time visualizations
