Visitors learn about MARZ while touring Un-development 2 at Metabolic Studio

Un-development 2

MARZ Soil Remediation

Transforming a Contaminated Industrial Site into a Living Riverbed

Metabolic Studio

Aug 12, 2026

MARZ is a soil remediation experiment within Metabolic Studio’s Un-development 2, a project that aims to transform an industrial warehouse into a living riverbed connected to the Los Angeles River floodplain. The site was formerly associated with Standard Oil and then used as a petrochemical storage facility, and baseline testing confirmed elevated lead and petroleum-range organics beneath the warehouse floor.

From April 2023, to June 2026, artist/chemist Maru García worked with Metabolic Studio’s Farmlab team, developing protocols and testing bioremediation strategies that could be used in situ. The first phase of the project tested surface-applied zeolites, compost, mulch, and phytoremediation, with three different treatment protocols in nine plots. In the second phase, after identifying willow as a strong remediator, we favored willow phytoremediation and added oyster mushrooms in all plots.

The study prioritized methods that reduce exposure, avoid disruptive excavation, support soil as a living ecosystem, and can be replicated at sites without industrial remediation infrastructure. We have included our results and methodology below along with a poster summarizing the results, and a remediation toolkit that explains how you can use these methods yourself.

Click here to download the poster and the soil remediation toolkit.

Continue reading full article on the Metabolic Studio Substack here