Ecotechnic-metabolics: prototyping biosensors for urban gardens

Ecotechnic-metabolicsinvites participants to prototype biosensing devices to monitor plant health, contributing to a collective bio/digital project exploring how obsolete technology can be reimagined as infrastructures of care for urban ecosystems.

As part of a wider project, we are building biosensors to assess plant needs, such as soil moisture, air quality, and nutrients. The long-term aim is to co-create a technological mycelium network that connects disconnected gardens within a shared ecosystem.

In this drop-in workshop, participants will get hands-on experience in designing, prototyping, and testing biosensors for ecological monitoring and learn about the benefits and challenges of urban garden networks.

We also invite people to bring obsolete devices (old phones, kindles, other devices) that might be able to be transformed into ecological life-support systems.

TheEcotechnic-metabolicsproject is organised by IMBY (In My Back Yard): a group of staff and students from art, design and innovation disciplines at Central Saint Martins: Heather Barnett (MA Art and Science); Felix Loftus (MA Design for Industry 5.0; Physical Computing Lab); Rachel Pearl (MA Narrative Environments); Tim Harris (MA Innovation Management); Devi Mohan (MA Innovation Management).

Image Credit: In My Back Yard

This session workshop is open to students and staff across the University of the Arts London. It will take place on the Central Saint Martins campus.

Ecotechnic-metabolics forms part of Fault Lines, University of the Arts London’s Earth Week 2026 programme, which brings staff and students together across the university for climate and ecological action.