CASE Researchers Present at NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project

Oct 2

October 2nd, 2025

Researchers at The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE), recently contributed to NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project engaging in a dialogue on the future of aerospace and its intersection with sustainable design.

Professor Josh Draper and Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr. Will Pepi represented CASE at this event, which convenes global thought leaders to explore transformative innovations that have the potential to shape aerospace and society over the next half century. Their talk, titled “CASE Studies: Towards an Integrated Approach to Circularity for the Built Environment,” highlighted the CASE’s cutting-edge research of sustainable material systems and plant-based bioremediation technologies.

During the presentation, Dr. Pepi introduced his most recent work with his company BIOM (a climate technology start-up he co-founded following his doctoral research at CASE). BIOM has developed living moss air purifiers designed to generate fresh, breathable air indoors—an innovation that demonstrates the integration of natural processes into engineered environments. Pepi’s research exemplifies core principles of CASE’s mission through his real-world application of an econsystemic approach to design. This is just one example of how CASE research bridges the fields of architecture, engineering, and environmental science to reimagine resilient systems in the built environment.

The CASE research and philosophies presented resonate strongly with NASA’s CAS initiative, which seeks to pioneer revolutionary concepts in aeronautics through collaborative exploration. “Participating in NASA’s CAS program reflects CASE’s ongoing commitment to working across disciplines and industries,” said Professor Draper. “Our integrated research aims not only to reimagine materials and environmental systems for architecture, but also to contribute meaningfully to broader dialogues about the future of humanity’s interaction with planetary and extraterrestrial ecosystems.”

Through engagements such as this, CASE is proud to strengthen its role as both a thought leader and a collaborative partner in shaping sustainable futures. By embedding ecological principles into the built environment and exploring synergies with aerospace innovation, CASE and RPI continue to push the boundaries of research and practice at the intersection of design, science, and technology.