Fabbrica dell’Aria: when plants help us breathe better 

How biophilia and botanical technology improve air quality at the Accademia del Caffè Espresso 

Human beings have a deep and ancestral need for connection with nature. This phenomenon has a name: biophilia.
More and more scientific studies and international standards—such as the International WELL Building Standard—show that integrating natural elements into the spaces where we live, work, and learn significantly enhances wellbeing, health, and productivity. 

Among all natural elements, plants are perhaps the most powerful yet underestimated allies. Beyond producing oxygen and food, they can absorb pollutants, regulate humidity, and foster concentration. Indoors, their presence reduces stress and increases the perceived quality of spaces. 

Indoor air: a (too often overlooked) health matter 

According to the World Health Organization, breathing healthy air inside buildings is a fundamental human right. Yet, indoor air quality is often worse than outdoors: building materials, furniture, cleaning products, electronic devices, and even people themselves are daily sources of invisible pollutants. 

The main enemies of our health? 

• VOCs: volatile organic compounds, easily inhaled, found in paints, glues, perfumes, detergents. 

• PM2.5: fine particulate matter linked to combustion, heating, and urban traffic. 

Over time, these agents can have severe effects on the respiratory system, nervous system, and overall wellbeing.
That’s why improving indoor air quality is now a concrete priority.

Fabbrica dell’Aria: when plants become technology 

At Accademia del Caffè Espresso, the response to this need has taken shape in the Fabbrica dell’Aria, an installation designed by PNAT, a multidisciplinary research and design group founded by neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso. 

The Fabbrica dell’Aria is a patented botanical filtration system that uses plants as active agents of purification. It is not a decorative garden, but a replicable, scalable, and measurable bio-machine. 

In April 2022, inside an existing greenhouse, the Accademia’s Fabbrica dell’Aria was installed, featuring coffee plants alongside other tropical species such as banana and taro. In this environment, which recreates the natural habitat of plantations, greenery is not just symbolic—it is functional. 

How does it work? 

The system consists of: 

• Basins with active substrates: where air is pushed and filtered through plant roots and soil microorganisms capable of degrading many pollutants. 
• Leaves: which absorb residual substances and convert them into nutrients. 
• Sensors: which detect air values in real time, before and after filtration, providing reliable data on the process’s effectiveness. 

The results are displayed on a dashboard and can also be used for continuous environmental monitoring. In this way, the Fabbrica dell’Aria is both a tool for active purification and a system for scientific analysis. 

The results: numbers that speak for themselves 

Two years after its installation, the Fabbrica dell’Aria has proven effective with concrete data: 

• 2,386 mg of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) removed 

• 2,406 g of VOCs absorbed 

Winter months, in particular, show higher filtering activity: closed environments and heating increase the concentration of pollutants, which plants effectively reduce. CO₂ is also constantly absorbed, with a positive impact on cognitive comfort. 

The three monitored indexes (Thermal Comfort Index, Indoor Air Quality Index, Environmental Indoor Air Quality Index) report very high air quality for over 90% of the time, aligned with the highest international standards.