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Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
Type Timeline Class Tools
Packaging, Material 8 weeks Studio Cutting tools, Stovetop
Exploration, Product Design
REFRESH
How do you cool billions of people on a warming planet?
With the rise in climate change, heat waves have grown
intensively in the past decade, killing thousands of people.
Refresh is a zero electricity air cooler designed to function both outdoors and indoors. It is designed using terracotta, a porous and cost-effective material. This product is a step that aims to make a difference in preserving energy, whilst providing relief from the heat.
TYPE
Industrial Design
TIMELINE
16 weeks
DESIGN CONCEPT
The terracotta brick helps cool spaces through evaporative cooling and the Venturi Effect, the change in pressure results in an increase in air velocity providing a cooling effect.
FABRICATION
Once the design was finalized, I slab-rolled terracotta. Paper templates were used to help cut accurate sizes for each face of the brick. The pieces were then assembled through the slip-and-score technique.
RECORDING TEMPERATURES
The brick contained water and was tested in an outdoor space with a temperature of 60.8°F and a wind speed of 6 mph. The temperature dropped by about 0.4°F when brought close to the brick. After 15 minutes, the temperature dropped by 2.16°F near the smaller conical opening.
INDOOR APPLICATION
The bricks can be installed within homes as an alternative to electrical air coolers. According to standard-sized vents, the bricks would be stacked up in three using a lego joinery system. This ensures structural support and allows the water to fill in each of the bricks.
OUTDOOR APPLICATION
In an outdoor setting, Refresh must be supported with solid bricks at the bottom quarter to ensure that the structure can hold up the weight. Another way would be by creating a skeletal framework. The following is an example of how the bricks would be slotted in horizontal cedar wood planes and vertical tension strings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The success of this project motivates me to continue working on it. My goal is to implement this design for low-income housing projects. This project was a part of a pop-up exhibition at Parsons School of Design for which I also managed social media and branding. Click here to learn more.
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