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Munji Soil

Creating re-wilding bus stop roofs, using dust from the atmosphere. Through this, I aim to promote biodiversity and create an ecologically healthy city, making life in the city sustainable.

  • ‘Munji Soil’ converts dust into a resource, nurturing a new wild ecosystem in an invisible space.

  • Cities are spaces with the potential to be dynamic ecosystems where diverse life forms can coexist.

  • 3-layered structure captures dust from the air, providing an environment where plants can grow.

  • Installing a 3-layered fabric on the roof of a bus stop allows urban dust to gradually accumulate.

  • Operating as a self-sustaining structure, that transforms urban bus stops into ecological hubs.

What it does

Urban green spaces are fragmented like islands. I interpreted the roof of a bus stop, a space that people easily pass by, as an opportunity for re-wilding. The fabric of the roof absorbs dust to soil and provides a surface for native species to enter.

Your inspiration

When walking through the city, there are certain things that inevitably catch your eye. These are flowers such as dandelions that bloom even on asphalt. They take root in small amounts of soil, or even in places where there is no soil at all. However, many green spaces in cities pull, cut and spray them with chemicals. They are driven away for the simple reason that “weeds are unsightly.” While contemplating how humans and non-human beings can coexist in such situations, dust caught my eye. My idea is to create a space where plants can thrive by covering an artificial space, such as a bus stop roof, with a thick layer of dust

How it works

The 3-layered recycled fabric installed on the roof of the bus stop is a functional textile that captures airborne dust. Each layer performs a different collection mechanism depending on the size and physical characteristics. The outter layer is a coarse recycled PET rope mesh measuring 5×5 cm, which filters out large particles (PM10 or larger) through inertial collision and blocking. The middle layer is a dense 1×1 cm PET monofilament mesh that delays airflow to induce Brownian diffusion and electrostatic adsorption of particles, capturing fine dust at the PM2.5 level. The inner layer is made of recycled PET-cellulose blended fabric with a brushed finish, which effectively fixes ultrafine dust and prevents re-emission through its large surface area and adhesive physical action (electrostatic and capillary adsorption). The dust collected through this structure serves as a basis for vegetation, providing an ecological foundation for re-wilding in urban areas.

Design process

This project began with observations of non-human beings utilizing spaces that are hidden from human view. The idea that seemingly insignificant urban spaces, such as bus stop roofs, could be transformed into ecological infrastructure formed the basis of the concept. During the initial research phase, cases of green roofs and textile structures related to urban heat island mitigation, fine dust reduction, and securing urban habitats were investigated, leading to the establishment of a design direction for a self-sustaining ecological textile layer. During the design process, a 3-layered structure made of recycled fibers was devised to develop a system that captures fine dust in multiple layers depending on particle size and airflow. This process was based on actual filter mechanisms and aerodynamic principles to ensure scientific design validity. However, due to limitations in recycled fiber processing, direct experimentation was difficult, so instead, a small-scale experiment was conducted using three layers of canvas fabric on a rooftop. Although soil was not formed, the results showed that weeds were able to take root naturally, verifying the feasibility of this concept. If this project wins an award, I plan to realize the concept through the production of an actual prototype.

How it is different

"Munji Soil" is a new urban ecological infrastructure proposed to overcome the limitations of existing rooftop greening methods, such as dryness and isolation. The rooftops of buildings in Seoul are difficult for plants to grow, and many rooftop gardens eventually fall into disrepair or become smoking areas. In contrast, "Munji Soil" is installed on unused surfaces throughout the city, such as bus stop roofs, capturing dust from the air and creating a foundation for plants to grow without soil. Bus stops are spaced approximately 1–1.5 km apart, serving as hiding places for insects and animals and interference-free self-sustaining spaces for plants. This forms a grassroots ecological network connecting parks, rivers, and green spaces, and its simple structure and scalability make it applicable across the entire city. It differs from existing solutions in that it converts dust into an ecological resource, considering the autonomy of non-human entities.

Future plans

Currently, the concept model and visualization have been completed, and the prototype production and testing stages remain. During the prototype production stage, I plan to review the feasibility of the materials, thickness, and size I have envisioned and decide on the most commercially viable direction. I have already consulted with the factory to get a rough outline of this. In the testing phase, we plan to install the prototype at a bus stop near the express terminal, which is adjacent to the Han River and has high levels of fine dust, to test its collection efficiency, durability, and climate responsiveness (precipitation, etc.).

Awards

02.21- 1st place and the Minister of Environment Award at the Smart Green City Design Idea Contest for proposing a Seoul powered by renewable energy 10.24 - 3rd place and the Cultural Heritage Administration Award at the Korea Traditional Landscape Design Competition for proposing restore ecological integrity of Han River.

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