the "living" room
DESCRIPTION
An Industrial Design Thesis Process PortfolioTRANSCRIPT
“This book is a compilation of the steps I’ve taken to get to where I am, at the finale of Senior Thesis, stage far center. It’s a big, giant book filled with frightening facts that we can no longer ignore. Here, you have a response.”
Ste
vie
Med
er,
20
12 The“Living”
Room
Table of Plants and Stuff
Proposal03,04,05,06,07,
Stakeholders10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19
Primary user groups22,23
Research: global/local sustainability26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35
Local moves36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43
Hydroponics46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59
Research: active hydroponic gardening62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73
Design critera76,77,78,79
Physical Design82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99
User interaction102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109
Community building112,113
Conclusion116,117
“The living room” is the term I am using to describe the
room in which the product I am proposing to design will
reside. This product is a response to a very real social and
ecological problem concerning our agriculture industry.
There are a number of topics to tackle pertaining to this
subject including agriculture’s wasteful and dangerous
use of our natural resources, along with the majority’s
disconnect with Mother Nature. This product will be
designed to promote the creation of sustainable means
for healthy, urban living and the growth of bonds within
communities.
The product aims to be functional as living room furniture,
such as a coffee table or a couch, while fulfilling its
primary purpose as a platform for (primarily) vegetable
growth. The targeted stakeholders vary, but are principally
city-dwellers in high-rise apartment settings where
sharing of crops becomes a liaison between rooms and
floors. Families, especially with young children, young
adults, and the elderly will all equally benefit as long as
they invest a small amount of time and care into their
product. A brief current market study suggests the idea
03Proposal03,04,05,06,07,
Stakeholders10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19
Primary user groups22,23
Research: global/local sustainability26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35
Local moves36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43
Hydroponics46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59
Research: active hydroponic gardening62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73
Design critera76,77,78,79
Physical Design82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99
User interaction102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109
Community building112,113
Conclusion116,117
04
The product in mind aims to foster flourishing
relationships between neighbors, parent and child,
and certainly plant and caretaker. The goal is to
empower the user and cultivate her ego through a
sense of accomplishment when reaping the benefits
of an attractive in-home garden becomes easier than
expected. With the joy of successful nurturing, along
with the knowledge of this furniture system’s ecological
advantages pertaining to environmental, global, and social
issues, the user will gain a new sense of pride when
dining at home.
of urban gardening tools has been explored, but the
reality is that the ideas are mostly that, conceptual ideas
with minimal regard for realistic, multifunctional design.
Either the product is beautiful and less than functional, or
highly functional, but less than presentable. Most existing
products are made from plastics, completely disregarding
the notion of preserving natural resources. I plan to
create this product with as little economic impact as
possible through specific use of materials and by applying
technology appropriately.
05Consequently, the home will benefit as well as the user.
Studies show that simply placing one plant in a room
increases the quality of air, one plant in a classroom
improves learning retention, and one plant in the office
heightens feelings of happiness. With an entire gardening
system integrated into typical living room furniture, the
environment will transcend typical living space toward a
sustainable, educational center of the future. “Tomorrow
Land” comes to mind, but in a more agricultural term
than the place of spinning space ships in Disney World.
to take care of one another through the sharing of a
sustainable food source. With creative application and
continuing adaptation, this product will help initiate better
awareness of our environmental, global, and social issues,
enabling us to take part in a collective effort to reverse our
relentless, negative impact on the planet.
Read on, my friends, read farther.
You
sh
all e
at.
The idea is a less-than-typical, beautiful, functional piece
of living room furniture that doubles as a classroom for
natural awareness, triples as a host for tasty rewards,
quadruples as a catalyst for children to eat their greens,
and quintuples as the means to foster a more connected
community who shares the benefit of this furniture’s
ability to provide nutrients to the home and its neighbors.
It is time to rethink our reckless use of natural resources,
shipping food the 50% of us who choose to live in cities
has taxed our Mother Nature enough already. It is time
to respect her, and in turn each other, by learning how
07
Out of all the people in the world, “today nearly 50%of
us choose to live in cities and surrounding suburbs.” (21,
Despommier) 50 percent of our people, living in cities,
constantly consuming and never producing.
Stakeholders
09
New York, NY
8,213,839
11
Los Angeles, CA
13
3,794,640
Chicago, IL
15
2,824,584
Houston, TX
17
2,076,189
Philadelphia, PA
19
1,517,628
Primary user groups
Families with children
The people my product will influence the most...
-Easily maintainable garden
-Education/awareness platform
-Healthy lifestyle
-Local suppliers/retailers
-Natural connection
Pri
mar
y
Urban/hobby gardeners
Community(gardeners or not)
-More accessible/maintainable garden-Longer growing seasons-Local suppliers/retailers-More presentable garden-Stronger community base
-An easy way to join the movement
-Education/awareness platform
-Healthy lifestyle
-Natural connection
-Organization
Educators
especially:
-Education/awareness platform
-Healthy lifestyle
-Local suppliers/retailers
-Natural connection
-Organization
-Education/awareness platform
-Healthy lifestyle support system
-Local suppliers/retailers
-Natural (medication) practice
Sec
on
dar
y
23
Health providers
Mother Nature/ Earth
Stakeholders
Global/ LocalSustainability
ResearchGlobal/LocalSustainability
Global/ LocalSustainability
2050
1950
2010 6.8 billion people
9.5 billion people
2.5 billion people
One of the biggest dangers with agriculture today, is really
about people tomorrow. Only 60 years ago the world
population was only a little more than a third of what it is
today. In 2010 we hit 6.8 billion people on the planet. In
the next forty years, by 2050, we are projected to have 9.5
billion people.
“We continue to urbanize without buildings that are
equipped to handle their populations. Most evolutionary
biologists agree that continued failure to live within
our means will relegate the human species to the fossil
record.” (10, Despommier).
“It is time to accept out connectedness to the rest of the
natural world. There is only so much natural capital out
there, and we are on the verge of exhausting it. Building
self-sustained cities now will allow the land to heal itself,
thereby restoring balance between our lives and the rest
of nature.”
(11, Despommier)
With enough agricultural malfunction as it is, how will we
possibly feed all these people?
27
Population
27
Currently, in order to feed the majority of people, humans
already cultivate a land mass the size of South America. In
order to compensate for population growth in the next 40
years, another land mass the size of brazil will be needed to
grow enough food. This amount of arable land does not exist
on our planet or any other.
this much...
We’re hitting capacity with our arable land. ...more does not exist
29
In order to get food to our plates every day, our agriculture
system is the culprit for using a whopping 20 percent of
all available fossil fuels on the planet. Fossil fuel use is not
limited to the miles our food travels to reach our plate, but it
is also used for heavy, inefficient farm equipment, herbicides,
pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals used in growing.
: inefficient farm equipment : long-distance food distribution
3131
70 percent of all fresh water on earth is used for irrigation
of farmland. Resulting run-off from inevitable flooding is
laden with salts, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. When
this chemically-contaminated water reaches the coastline it
eliminates the oxygen levels in the area. This oxygen depleted
environment is called an anaerobic or hypoxic environment.
Fish, plants, and all other life living when an environment
becomes hypoxic soon die of suffocation.
If we are to continue agriculture in such irresponsible
methods, not only will we not have enough plant produce to
eat, but we will greatly deplete our accessibility to seafood. (As
we already are, but this is another story.)
The negative results from commercial agriculture... effect more than just the land.
33
“Another solution
we are to avoid
and armed
by the scarcity
resources like
is required if
massive starvation
conflicts caused
of essential
food and water.”
77.
Des
po
mm
ier
...and fossil fuels39
Local Moves
“Lay’s potato chips has a billboard
campaign showing a farmer
standing in front of his potato field.
Yes, potatoes are grown by a farmer
in a field but usually on a multi-
thousand-acre farm somewhere in
the world, not necessarily in your
community or even your state.”
EDIBLE BOSTON
Ilene Bezahler
Publisher/Editor
Although there have been great advances since 2007, when the magazine was first established, Ilene illustrates that though it is true the message of the local food movement is getting across, the messages are being wildly distorted. If people really believe that Lay’s potato chips are produced in their backyard and that the now often used term “farm fresh” means locally produced, these messages will ultimately be a disservice to true local food communities. The solution to this problem will be entirely an upward battle, but Ilene suggests, “It’s time to focus on the producers.”
39
“If I can identify a place to
improve, it’s my responsibility as a
community member to improve. If I
can get two different kinds of wheat
berry, barley, spelt, and triticale
then I don’t see any reason why I
shouldn’t eliminate rice.”
Cuisine en Locale JJ Ganson
Creator
Produce like rice, bananas, olive oil, and sugar are all, in the Northeast, inevitably long-distance produce. Being well aware of this, Ganson eliminated them from her kitchen. Although carbon footprint is a basis idea for her policies, for her, investing in entirely local produce is “more about building local systems that have been damaged very deeply by a very flawed food system.”
41
“In contemporary society the oft-
idealized self-contained farm is
neither practical or desirable. Instead
doing one thing well and trading
with someone who does another
thing well is a better option”
Public Market Places in SocietyMorales*
leading Thinker
“Food swapping” is newly-emerging-from-long-ago unification of local food culture and local “foodie” culture. Around 30 people a month are drawn to specifically the Boston food swap. It is run like a silent auction. Participators arrange their product, which they have specifically produced for the swap, on tables with index card descriptions and a sheet of paper for interested bargainers to post their bid(s). Events like these promote business associations and inevitably the accessibility of locally, passionately created goods and market places. Creating revenue from using every resource available in less than a 10 mile radius, whether paper notes or artichokes. “It Breeds a little more self-reliance.”(Belluci) 43
Hydroponics
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53The concept of hydroponics is nowhere near new, but is
recently begging to emerge. One of the Seven Wonders
of the World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, is
considered to be the first implementation of hydroponic
technology recorded, dating back 2,600 years. Since
then, there have not been too many advances, leaving
hydroponics to be a primitive method of plant growth
with the potential to sky-rocket in the (hopefully) near
future.
At first the term “hydroponics” referred to the act of
growing directly in water. Now the term has been
expanded to cover a wide range of “hydroponic”
techniques of growing plants without soil. (6,Laura Perez
E.)
Hydroponics
Soil: Time spent on maintenance per week
54
Hydro: time spent on maintenance per week
Takes less time
55
HydroSoil
56
Hydroponics has a huge range of benefits. The illustration
on the left demonstrates the difference in root growth
between a hydroponic system and soil-based growing.
In soil, root systems grow throughout the soil spreading
far to increase surface area and the potential to absorb
nutrients or water that may percolate throughout the
soil. In a hydroponic system, the nutrients are present
throughout the reservoir mixture reducing the need for
roots to spread. This allows the plant to dedicate more
energy in growth above the surface, resulting in faster
plant growth. It also reduces the amount of space needed
in-between plants, making hydroponic gardens more
space efficient.
smaller roots/bigger fruits
Hydro
Although it may seem counter intuitive that “hydro”
ponics uses less water than soil based agriculture, it’s
true! Hydroponics uses ten times less water than planting
crops in soil. Which means that by replacing soil gardens
with hydroponic gardens we could save up to 90% of the
fresh water we would use. Imagine if we even reduced
that more by collecting rainwater to use instead of fresh
water, or treated sewage water even. What if we even re-
used the water the plants didn’t collect...
59
Soil
Uses less water
ResearchActive Gardening
ResearchActive Gardening
ResearchActive Gardening
63Throughout the process for this project, I exploited myself
as a huge portion of my target demographic; the absolute
beginner gardener and hydroponics user. The upward
slant of my garden cognition increased exponentially and
continues to increase everyday by tending to my own
plants. Most of the useful information I learned was, with
minimal guidance from experienced growers, derived
from in-context experimentation and failure.
My methods unconventional, rate of failure astronomical,
I learned through each and every rookie mistake. Each
experiences I used as a precedent to establish design
criteria.
The goal is to break down the barriers between functional
hydroponic systems and great-looking living room furniture.
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Design criteria
Design for limited space, creating a balance between
the requirements for hydroponic gardening and the
restrictions of an urban dweller’s space
Design simplicity within the product to lead the user to satisfaction
when in-home gardening becomes easier than expected.
77
Design accommodation for different
and changing experience levels so all
may grow what they want to.
Design responsibly.
Design for limited space, creating a balance between
the requirements for hydroponic gardening and the
restrictions of an urban dweller’s space
Design simplicity within the product to lead the user to satisfaction
when in-home gardening becomes easier than expected.
79
Physical Design
Physical Design
THIS IS WHERE THE GIANT TEXT GOES
there should be vertical letters in that column
This concept was the first to intrigue me, the first that began solving problems, and the first that started to look really unique and thesis-worthy. This design features an alligator-lookin’-open-type mouth, allowing the plants to be hosted in what I’ll call it’s throat. The mechanics would be hidden in the rear curvature, while the controls sat in the glass case above. Problem areas include inevitable leaking, cost/material inefficiency, and no room for modification.
Reasons for shape:
Alligator
-Case in the table top allows for organization,
easily accessible controls
-Extruded side-view design allows space to hide
pumps and blocks light from the user’s eyes on
three sides.
-Inside surfaces are matt white eliminating light
loss for the plants.
-Sideways growth maximizes plant height to 24,”
(encompasses most typical garden vegetables,
herbs, and even fruits like strawberries)
83
-Construction cost/inefficiency
-Inevitable leaks
-No room to expand/modify
-Water management/weight(no good place for tanks of water)
Challenges
Volume of gallons of water
Massing
85
Since its predecessor could not fulfill my design criteria, I continued to iterate the same “alligator mouth” form. This time I chose to think more about it’s construction. This included how I could make it more material efficient and also how I could make it modular, without feeling like it. My solution came with the above slat construction where the table would made of repeated side-view cuts held together by beams. This type of construction created a very spacial piece, something that became important in figuring out where I could hold tanks, tubes, timers, etc.
Reasons for shape:
Crocodile
-Case in the table top allows for organization,
easily accessible controls
-Sideways growth maximizes plant height to 24”
-Slat construction creates pockets of space for
tanks, tubes, etc.
-Slats provide means for expanding the system,
moving the system, and shipping the system
efficiently. (Cut files can also ne licensed to your
local furniture maker for even less ecological
impact)
87
-Tolerances/ size of table
-Water management/weight
-Where can the plants grow?
Challenges
slat structure...
creates compartments
00
89
Ahhh, this is where things got too complicated. I was over compensating for the needs of the plants and not the user. The table got weird, and wide, albeit it would have been an efficient machine. The table top is on hinges and rests upon the tops of the vertical columns. This allows for the user to easily access the lights and controls. Also, when the table top is lifted the grower is provided with three bays for harvesting, each hosting two plants in a rectangular tank tanks. These tanks were held on shelves made by the table’s own structure. They could be easily removed for cleaning and when filled with water, only weigh 16 lbs. (opposed to 45 lbs in a standard deep water culture system). The lower-white surface would reflect light and serves as a slide for falling crops to the gutter.
Reasons for shape:
Crocodile Continuation
-Allows three separate nutrient-water reservoirs
-Easily accessible water tanks
-Hinged table top allows controls and lights to be
under the table top. It also lifts to allow the user to
harvest.
-Sideways growth maximizes plant height to 24”
91
-Less efficient material use
-Unfriendly and unfamiliar
-Too far into the appliance route
Challenges
Lights under the hood
three tanks fit into “shelves”
00
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I took a step back from the previous design. It was “all business,” and no fun. This design is lighter, has less parts, and all of those parts are widely produced making for easy construction. This is great for the user who, as most hydroponic venturers normally do, may have a tendency for DIY products. It allows users to modify the product on their own if desired. It also will ship better and be much easier to put together once it arrives to the home. Not to mention it is way more fun!
Reasons for shape:
Almost...
-Operable table top allows all controls to be hidden,
lights to be out of eye-line, and the user to harvest
or prune without getting on their knees.
-Very simple, repetitive construction allows for
easy modification, shipping, and moving.
-Cylindrical tank provides utmost structure for the
table while also providing enough room for five
plants and a shelf for the air pump.
-Sideways growth maximizes plant height to 24,”
which encompasses most typical garden plants, as
well as fun exotics.
95
-How to hinge
Challenges
Lights underneath
Tank fits through the legs
A few revisions were made for the final design. End pieces were doubled up with a heightened piece to cradle the bamboo top. Pipe end caps are designed with “MAX” written on the side. Max fill, yes, but also the identity of the first family member in SIM| BIO | SYS, a family of Simple Biological Systems. Gas hinges come into play also to hold up the top for the user’s convenience and safety. Chalk board paint will cover the tank, so as one can keep track of which pot has which plant as well as how long it takes to grow. This table just got a lot more fun is all.
Almost...
97
“tinker-toy” construction
Cap for a cylindrical tank
99
User interaction
The system comes in an as-flat-as-possible pack in multiple pieces for the user to assemble. Somewhat like furniture from IKEA, or grown-up tinker toys. This allows the furniture to be easily shipped, moved, and expanded. User’s can chose their desired length rods and number of leg pieces to make a piece that fits their home. They can also choose based on how big their garden wants to be.
102
Planting is simple. One can start directly from seed by using a starter plug and a small dome to keep heat and moisture in, or simply transfer a pre-started seedling. Seedlings may come from local hydroponic retailers, farmers markets, or garden supply centers. Even Home Depot or other hardware supply stores will carry seedlings. The best option, in my research, is to purchase a propagation dome. A very cheap contraption with a heater and some starter plugs where one can start many plants at one time and even store them for long periods.
103
This table top is operable. By allowing the table top to open and close the gardener can access the lights and plants. There become two bays for pruning and harvesting, each hosting its own light.
104
When the plants begin to mature they will fight gravity and grow upward toward the light. This is a fun and useful aspect. To watch it grow toward the light source, and to have the plants popping upward at you when the top is lifted will both be very satisfying. Amazingly, regardless of how big a plant wants to get, plants will never extend beyond the light source for there is no food in the dark. This will keep the plants contained and your living room happy.
105
Although there could have been many opportunities for fancy water management systems, I was inclined to keep it as close to familiar soil based gardening as possible. For this reason, plants should be watered at the base of the stem, directly into their “pots”. This is intuitive and eliminates the need for extra materials. When water is to be evacuated, look for the spout beneath the tank and bring a bucket you can carry!
106
Children and adults will love the results of this product alike. Harvesting crops will be exponentially rewarding, albeit it does take patience. Children will learn the beauty of nature and learn to wait for a good reward. Red strawberries taste better than green ones, of course. The tank itself is finished with a chalk board coating which will allow them to count the days, track which plants they are growing, and even draw pictures of how weird the plants look before they turn into fruits!
107
Magnetic trellises can be implemented for any plants that may seem like they need a little support as they mature. Held in place with lots of strength from small neodymium magnets, vine plants or heavier fruiting plants will find great comfort in this feature. It will also help reduce the possibility of any plants falling toward the floor if left neglected for extended periods of time.
109
Communitybuilding
SIM | BIO| SYS is the business model that encompasses this product. SIM | BIO | SYS, or Simple Biological Systems, is a means through which one can track personal plant growth, update friends and family when the best time to come over for home-grown caprese is, share advice and knowledge, and also find other growers in the area. By allowing users to find out who else might be growing provides a platform for a growing community, quite literally in every sense.
112
It is inevitable that sooner rather than later your basil plants are going to get out of control, or your beans sprouting beyond belief. This is where the mobile app. comes into pay. Users will be able to post where and when these abundance of crops occur, creating a network of sharing. Call it the unpredictable CSA (community supported agriculture), where instead of paying for a predicted shipment of crops, the SIM | BIO | SYS community can set up trades on a need by need basis. The goal is to create a form of currency between floors and buildings while also spreading a desire for tastier, fresher vegetables (a commodity large monocultures could never provide.)
Conclusion
In conclusion to this six month endeavor for global
sustainability the product I’ve designed is ready to start
making an impression. Though, it may not be perfect, my
ultimate goal is to share an idea. The idea that we are
consuming more than we are producing, that this life of
luxury cannot last forever. If we do not find ways to provide
basic life for ourself, sooner or later someone or something
(the depletion of fossil fuels or natural disasters due to
rapid climate change, maybe) will stop doing it for us. My
thesis is designed to spread knowledge and aid in finding
more resourceful/efficient means to support our growing
population, especially in the cities.
As a designer I truly believe that we will be the ones held
responsible to make society livable once our consumer
tendencies have perished all our natural resources. We will be
the ones who can translate between high technology and the
layman. I am a language maker, and I hope you understand it.
I hope you can begin to understand... how important it is to do a little more and use less.
Than
k yo
u
117
To be continued...To be continued...
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