“Less is more”, more or less ... In 1855 Robert Browning in his poem, Andrea del Sarto (The faultless painter) introduced us to the phrase “less is more”. The designer and architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, famously adopted the phrase to epitomise a minimalist idealism – that simplicity and clarity leads to good design. The philosopher, architect, designer, engineer, mathematician, author and teacher, Richard Buckminster Fuller, further developed the phrase, embracing the maxim “more for less” or “more with less” in all his work. He set himself the challenge of addressing what he saw as the most pressing issues of his time – applying technology to solve real world problems. This ideology is something that our students have embraced – how to do more with less. This is an important question of our time, particularly in regards to dwindling resources, and striving for more sustainable solutions. The works on display here have addressed water and food conservation, preservation and sustainment of health and wellbeing. The majority of students have tackled designing for the “other 90%”, referring to the majority of the world’s population who are poor and lack some of the most basic of goods, and how we can do more for the world with less resources.
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It’s a delight to see so many of our students tackling social and environmental issues in their designs. Be it the welfare of the disadvantaged (people with disabilities, communities without clean water) or finding ways to better integrate sustainable practices in our everyday lives – our students address real-world concerns for the betterment of society. Design is a challenging area, demanding a broad range of skillsets to combine visionary and critical thinking, technical acumen and socio-cultural awareness in order to articulate and realise design thoughts. I’d like to pay tribute to the Industrial Design staff for nurturing and developing the talents, skills and minds of the students whose work is on display here. Most of all, I’d like to congratulate the students for all their hard work over the last four years, and wish them every success for the future. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JONATHON ALLEN ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL INDUSTRIAL DESIGN SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
the students Andrew Bate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Eva Bohun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Louise Pace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Daniel Condon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mary Habib. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 James Noonan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Balin Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Mark Bautista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Adrian Cooper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cara Simpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Nathalie Cerda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Michael Wilden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Philip Brien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Andrew Bate
drew.bate13@gmail.com
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LIFEWATER In rural Ethiopia, thousands of people become seriously ill (often fatally) from diseases and parasites they contract through simple contact with contaminated water. As practically all of their rivers and streams are polluted by some form of pathogen there are few safe options from which they can retrieve water for daily use. Many devices are available to sterilise water but they are all either expensive, low volume, incredibly slow, have short lifetimes or require electricity or fire. Lifewater is a device designed to collect heat from the sun and use it to sterilise water through pasteurisation. It does this at 85 to 90c ensuring destruction of all pathogens in ten seconds. The device is designed to have a minimum life span of 10 years and can produce over 1000L of water per day with the only replaceable part being a filter made from local cloth recommended for change every two months. Lifewater fits smoothly into established cultural habits by creating minimal change. Villagers still collect their water in the usual fashion, but instead of using it straight away they pour it into the Lifewater device and immediately draw off safe, clean water from the storage tank. Handles moulded into the tank sides allow two people to easily lift the device during installation while rope holes provide secure tie-down points for transportation.
Eva Bohun
eva_may100@hotmail.com
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HYBRI-STOVE Currently the majority of the population living in rural areas of the world cook over an open fire. The issues associated with this practice include health and safety, time taken to collect the burning materials and environmental concerns. The design chosen is the �Hybri-stove� and is designed for rural Darfur, Africa. The name is derived from the dual capabilities of the stove, having the ability to perform as a fuel-efficient wood stove and also as a solar oven. The proposed design encompasses a fuel-efficient wood burning stove that incorporates a solar cooker attachment. Considering the environment where the stove will be used, it is suitable for both indoors and outdoors. It is a durable design with no flimsy components that could be prone to breakage, and can be easily manufactured locally. The stove is easy to use as it is basically a fire but has a protective cover around it to prevent burns. In terms of cultural requirements, the stove does not offend as it is very basic and fundamental to the current methods of cooking.
Louise Pace
louisepace.1@gmail.com
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MOSAIC COOK Through the introduction of new cookware as well as an education program, the cooker will encourage healthier eating habits and aims to combat diet related health conditions in rural Brazil. Considering the vast number of diet related health conditions in Brazil, the aim of this project is to educate and encourage communities to adopt healthier food habits. Through the introduction of new cooking techniques as well as alterations of existing ones, the intention is to attempt to curb diet related illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and malnutrition.
Daniel Condon
counterclassixdesigns@live.com.au
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www.counterclassixdesigns.com
V.I.S.I.O.N. BOWL If you were without sight, how could you tell the difference between a can of tomatoes and a can of pet food? The Visually Impaired Supporting Independence Online Network or V.I.S.I.O.N. Bowl is a domestic visual impairment aid. The bowls’ primary function is to assist visually impaired users with preparing meals by scanning barcodes and audibly identifying products to them. It allows users to record their own audio tags for each product. It then allows them to add, edit and share audio tags, recipes, nutritional information, healthy eating tips and cooking methods catered towards visual impaired individuals with other V.I.S.I.O.N. Bowl users through its in-built wireless internet network capabilities. This creates the potential for an ever expanding database of product information. As well as this it creates a global social network platform whereby users can add other visually impaired V.I.S.I.O.N. Bowl users to their peer support friends list. This directly links users to each other through the Bowl devices and allows them to offer one another assistance and advice on every day challenges faced as a visually impaired individual, thus potentially improving independence.
Mary Habib
mary-habib@hotmail.com
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www.coroflot.com/mary_habib
ARTERY Artery is a bio-inspired backpack which generates energy to charge small gadgets using body heat. The product is designed for student users travelling via public transport, and encourages a sustainable behaviour in the continued use of this mode of travel, also through encouraging a healthier lifestyle with exercise. The backpack uses built in peltier elements which are located in the internal stave of the backpack. This is where most the heat is built up while travelling; the difference in temperatures will allow this product to generate enough thermoelectric energy for small gadgets. The backpack changes colour with heat change using thermo chromic dye. This mimics many examples in nature, and works as a way of protection, and camouflage. Artery has the ability to change styles: the product can be worn as a backpack or shoulder bag using the main body zipper. Using the centred multi-clip, which has been inspired by tessellation patterns in nature, one piece can be manufactured to be fitted together like a puzzle. The clip allows the user to use the bag without taking it off, but by twisting it around their side to change the state of the multi-clip. Artery is the result of extensive research into biomimetic studies, smart materials, manufacturing, as well as studies into the student market and experiences in travelling via public transport.
James Noonan
11ThreeDesigns@gmail.com
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PORTABLE URBAN GREENHOUSE SYSTEM (PUGS) Food security is about ensuring an adequate supply of food and the source of that food. Increasing imports cannot address food security because according to the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab food must be sourced locally to address food security. Urban agriculture and the PUGS is a future oriented approach to addressing food security problems in Sydney. The PUGS helps to empower the community to take a role in addressing food security by providing a completely integrated and self-sufficient greenhouse. Understanding the role of the community is a key focal point to the PUGS design. The council or the community owns the PUGS and the operation of the PUGS helps to address food security problems and connects the community more closely to the food they eat. The PUGS has an automated watering and nutrient delivery system, solar cells and uses LED lighting to support growing food in the urban environment. The side panels open to direct sunlight and promote airflow, and there are quick release growing channels for rapid movement of food. The PUGS can be transported rapidly using conventional transportation systems.
Balin Lee
balinjl@gmail.com
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www.coroflot.com/BJL/profile
KOPPER Kopper is a new approach to hygiene in the Third World. It appropriately deploys first world patented water electrolysis technology in a rugged yet stylish vessel. Kopper’s unique design is familiar and intuitive. As the design has been developed to employ the key features inspired by soap, both the shape and use will be familiar and intuitive to most populations thereby likely to be accepted by the diverse cultures of third-world populations. Every year millions die from diseases that can easily be prevented through simple hand washing practices. Unfortunately, many communities in the Third World don’t have access to clean water, let alone soap. Kopper has been developed to sustainably meet this desperate need. Kopper’s specialised micro-filtration and electrolysis technologies eliminate 99.99% of parasites, viruses and bacteria with the only by product being clean water. The development of this product included research into the need for Third World government investment into clean water technologies and the financial and health benefits associated with such undertakings. Inclusive to health advantages, Kopper is designed to be almost entirely recyclable and uses almost exclusively recycled materials. Sustainable manufacturing methods have also been established, ensuring efficient longterm production. Kopper’s rugged design lends itself perfectly to areas in need of disaster relief as it can provide basic hygiene ensuring preventable illnesses remain at bay.
Mark Bautista
mark.bautista@hotmail.com
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PREF WASHER The PREF Washer is a portable, non-electric washing device with an inbuilt filtration system that mimics the functionality of a front loader washing machine. It is designed to eliminate the process of hand washing clothes with contaminated river water and to reduce the level of work required by the user to complete this task. In the slum villages of the Philippines, the method of hand washing clothes can be an unhygienic and time-consuming one, often requiring a high level of work. In many cases, the water that is used in this process is contaminated river water. The PREF (Portable, Re-usable, Efficient, Filtrates) Washer is a portable, non-electric washing device that mimics the functionality of a front loader washing machine. It has an in built filtration system that allows the user to complete the entire washing process using a single load of filtered river water. Furthermore, this lightweight device has a “rolling� portability, minimising the weight and items they must carry with them by hand. The PREF Washer is designed to provide the user with a hygienically easy way to wash clothes by reducing the level of work that they exert on a daily basis.
Adrian Cooper
acooper_flames@hotmail.com
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FOOD SAFE The Food Safe is designed to help preserve social and family harmony. With a solid rotational moulded body and a mechanical combination lock, it will ensure personal food is safe from unwanted snackers, dust and pests. Mounting the unit to a wall keeps it off the ground and it can be placed above other units, above bench tops or below bench tops in the kitchen. Used for storing foodstuffs such as canned or packaged dry food, the body structure is all rounded to make it easier to clean. Available in a range of colours, the unit can be ordered in volumes to suit the unique, individual needs of a household.
Cara Simpson
cara_louise87@hotmail.com
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SOLAR TUBE The Solar Tube utilises solar heat and radiation, to heat the air and items within the black tube to kill pathogens that may still be present after laundering items in contaminated water. This is of importance as children are likely to put items into their mouths and if pathogens are still present they are likely to become ill, often leading to death. Unless items are completely dried or reach a temperature over 65 degrees Celsius, pathogens are still present in the damp of the material. In rural Indonesia where 90% of rivers are contaminated and the humidity rarely drops below 70%, it is impossible to dry items to a point for safe use by children. The solar barrel helps combat this issue by heating the items to over the desired temperature hence providing a safer outcome for a child who is likely to stick anything in their mouths. By slowly drawing air through the tube condensation is carried off with the heated air, the new air is heated hence carrying off more water drying items.
Nathalie Cerda
nathalie.cerda@hotmail.com
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VERTI-GROW Verti-grow is an in-home fruit and vegetable growing solution developed for the other 90%. The product has been designed for the South African population living in rural areas currently limited to consumption of fresh produce due to their locality and financial instabilities. Verti-grow is a vertically structure that allows the growth of individual crops in a secure indoor environment. Individual self-watering pots have been designed to allow the user to grow different types of fruits and vegetables all within Verti-grow. Africa is the only developing area worldwide with increasing numbers of underweight, stunted and overweight people, with over 56.2% of the South African population being classed as overweight. Society has been unable to shift these obesity and malnutrition trends due to increased urbanisation, rising food prices and poor economic growth. By implementing a solution like Verti-grow, improvements will be seen in their current health epidemic, providing a feasible solution in altering current food consumption patterns. A need was determined in finding a solution to the current theft problem. This is what led to Verti-grow being developed for an indoor environment. Vertical farming was determined as a suitable method of structure when developing the final design as it will minimise the amount of space used within the household. Verti-grow has resulted from identifying the struggles that the South African target market faces in relation to their current health issues, as well as tackling the theft issues being experienced.
Michael Wilden
michaelwilden.design@hotmail.com
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FRIDGE-FREE As population within slum and rural areas of the world are increasing rapidly, so too is the need for food storage within these areas. Food on average, in these areas, last only up to 3 days without some sort of system to keep the food fresh. Food storage is important because food availability can be scarce and not always available. In impoverished areas, food is not stored properly and can often lead to serious illnesses due to parasites attacking the food. Fridge-Free is an innovative design to store food safely and for longer periods of time. Fridge-Free only uses sand and water to generate evaporative cooling, however unlike previous methods of evaporative cooling, FridgeFree’s unique design enables it to generate lower temperatures allowing the food to be preserve for a longer amount of time which can reduce the spread of sickness. The design has been developed to assist people in these impoverished areas. The Fridge-Free concept can be utilised and built by the user himself as it uses very basic manufacturing methods (slip casting) enabling the production cost to be kept to a minimum, hence making it easily affordable in those areas.
Phillip Brien
b_e_design@hotmail.com
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NITROGEN SEED STOCK PRESERVATION SYSTEM Developing agricultural communities around the world tend to be in areas which experience weather extremes, geological disasters and civil unrest. All of these can lead to the destruction of the seed stock these economies rely on. This Nitrogen Seed Stock Preservation System will assist these communities to preserve seed stock for extended periods of time. To preserve grains so that they will still sprout and grow requires knowledge of the preservation variables. Of the many variables the most important are temperature, moisture content and atmosphere. This product makes a suitable ‘atmosphere’ by separating Nitrogen gas from the air using existing membrane separation technologies and doing this in a portable backpack unit powered by solar power. The Nitrogen is then pumped into a sealable container to purge out all of the Oxygen. A moisture absorbing pack is added to the seed and the container sealed and stored in a stable, low temperature location until required.
the staff Chris Nash James Berry Jean Payette Jonathon Allen Karen Yevenes Mauricio Novoa Sasha Alexander
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Š University of Western Sydney November 2010