Tag Archives: clay

Non-electric humidifier also serves as charming desk or shelf decoration

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The quality of air that we have around us doesn’t simply depend on the lack of pollutants or harmful substances. The amount of humidity can also be a determining factor in the comfort and health of the people living inside the space. Fortunately, we can also control this aspect of our environment, at least when we need to increase the humidity in a room. There are plenty of humidifiers in the market today, but almost all of them have one thing in common. They rely on electricity to work, which isn’t a sustainable way of living. Fortunately, there are a growing number of such tools that are adopting more natural methods, and this mini humidifier, in particular, accomplishes that while also acting as an eye-catching piece of decoration for your home.

Designer: Barbora Adamonyte-Kei

Low humidity has been a problem since the beginning of human civilization, and our ancient ancestors had ways of dealing with that, even when there was no electricity or machines to do it for them. The most common method that is becoming popular again is saturating clay structures with water in order to give the evaporation process a helpful nudge. Of course, not everyone might want to put large clay pots or barrels in the middle of their house, but sometimes just a little can already get the job done.

KUMO is a beautiful humidifier that works using that same principle but in an almost bite-sized chunk that actually serves three purposes in a single design. It is composed of two parts, both made from natural, sustainable materials. One is a miniature stone bath with a narrow basin where you put the stoneware disc in. That unglazed stoneware disc is the “clay” part of the humidifier, and it’s shaped like a wavy cucumber slice that makes the whole composition look like you’re dipping a healthy cucumber snack.

All you really need to do is to add some water to the bath and then put the disc in, which will stand still thanks to its close fit. It will absorb the water, which then evaporates more easily into the surrounding air to increase the humidity. Refill the water once it’s all used up, and that’s pretty much all there is to it. You can also opt to add a few drops of essential oil to increase the fragrance in the room, making the humidifier also act as a natural diffuser.

And, of course, it also looks great while doing its job. The pleasant combination of shapes and the contrast of colors make it an interesting visual piece, whether it’s on your desk or on a shelf. It’s definitely something you’d want to show off, unlike run-of-the-mill electric humidifiers that are just plastic containers puffing out vapor. Sustainable, multifunctional, and beautiful, KUMO puts a unique twist on the concept of a humidifier, showing that the ancients might have had the right idea all along.

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House prototype in Spain combines 3D printing and clay techniques

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The latest trend in architecture and product development is 3D printing. On its own, you still probably cannot create something like an entire house but if you combine it with other techniques, like the age-old material of clay, then you can come up with something that’s both sustainable and beautiful. Some postgraduates from Spain have combined these two practices and come up with their country’s first prototype that uses 3D printing and is made from clay.

Designer: Advanced Architecture of Catalonia

Clay is actually one of the oldest building materials that archaeologists have uncovered. Whether it uses the sun as its hardener or it’s fired in kilns, it’s one of the most sustainable and sturdiest materials available. So these students were able to combine it with the more modern technique of 3D printing materials to come up with TOVA, the first prototype of a habitat in Spain that uses these two techniques. We get a habitat with a simple yet elegant design and a sustainable one at that.

It also has a functional design with a sloping roof meant to let rainwater slide off of it while the gravel drainage is able to be the basin for the excess water. If the weather is too hot or too cold, the framed, insulated ceiling is able to give you better temperature control either way. The window allows natural light to brighten the space while the walls have ventilation holes for fresh air. It’s not a mansion of course but there’s room for a foldaway bed inside the house.

Using polymers as its substructure, wood for its roof, and T and L joints for its walls, you get a house with a wavy exterior so that it is able to match the natural water currents and other natural shapes that you associate with its surroundings. We of course love habitats that fit in with its environment, not just in terms of materials but even more so with the structure and overall design. It’s surrounded by tall trees and other natural things so you have somewhere you can breathe inside and out. The TOVA prototype looks like it came out of ancient times but is built using more modern techniques.

The post House prototype in Spain combines 3D printing and clay techniques first appeared on Yanko Design.

These hive-like terracotta structures offer a natural way to cool air down a bit

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Whether you believe in global warming or not, it’s hard to deny that the past days have been setting records when it comes to abnormally hot temperatures. Some countries that normally don’t experience such hot and humid weather were caught unprepared, while others cranked up the air conditioning, which meant higher expenses and more carbon emissions. Though we now experience greater amounts of heat, the problem isn’t unique to our history. There was a time when humans didn’t even have electric fans to help them keep cool, and they used more natural and environment-friendly methods instead. There is some wisdom to those ancient ways, and one particular idea uses these methods to help cool the surrounding air while also looking like sculptural art at the same time.

Designer: ant.studio

Evaporative cooling has been around since the time of ancient Egyptians and Romans, who used water and clay to cool the air inside their houses. When water evaporates, it carries with it some of the surrounding heat, effectively reducing the temperature in the area. Egyptians fanned porous jars of water while Romans coursed water through walls. We can easily create similar cooling solutions these days, too, especially with a little help from modern technology.

There are two major components to this kind of cooling system. First is clay, which has hygroscopic properties that let it attract water more easily. Water is the other element, and it flows around clay cylinders in order to create an evaporating cooling cycle. That water doesn’t go to waste and is recycled and pumped to the top of the structure again. Given the qualities of terracotta material, this system is almost 100% sustainable, except for the electronics and fuel used to recycle and pump the water.

ant.studio also puts an artful twist to these evaporative coolers. Beehive binds the terracotta cones and cylinders into a circular form, creating the semblance of a section of a beehive. CoolAnt Coral, on the other hand, piles these pieces into a pillar akin to underwater corals or tall beehives. Though it could give some people shivers, the functional art installations have a distinct character to them, especially after you find out what they can do.

Sparkle 100%

Admittedly, evaporative cooling won’t work everywhere, and it comes with its own drawbacks. Evaporating water, for example, increases the humidity in the same area, which may not be ideal for some situations and for some people. There’s also a fair amount of electricity involved, so it’s not a complete win-win situation.

That said, both Beehive and CoolAnt Coral help provoke the mind to look for more sustainable solutions and fast. This heatwave might not be a simple fluke and could just be the start of something worse, and typical cooling solutions only contribute to the long-term problem while providing short-term comfort. These designs also prove that our ancestors might have been on to something with their clay pots and in-house aqueducts, and it’s up to us with our modern technologies to design something better.

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Terrifying ‘Realistic’ LEGO Minifig: Everything Is Not Awesome

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Because a pleasant night’s sleep void of nightmares is overrated, model builder and YouTuber North of the Border went and crafted this ‘realistic’ LEGO minifig, complete with a terrifying face and unholy finger and toenails. I think it goes without saying, but my wife is going to be annoyed that I insist on sleeping with the lights on tonight.

Those eyes. That mouth. Those nails! Nothing about this is okay, and I really wish North of the Border would have reconsidered the project before going through with it, and that the website I saw it at reconsidered before posting it. Yet here we are. I don’t like it here.

Well, at least it doesn’t move. At least there’s that. And don’t let that give you any new project ideas! Good lord – could you imagine this little creeper crawling out of your toy chest and sprinting across the room to the foot of your bed right when you’re about to turn the lights off for the night? Sweet dreams!

[via Neatorama]

Sculpted BB-8/Hulkbuster Mashup Figure: The Sithbuster

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Let’s face it, with Disney owning both properties now, Star Wars and Marvel are practically begging for a crossover. And to give us an idea of what that probably wouldn’t look like, artist Adam of the YouTube channel North of the Border sculpted this 1:12 scale BB-8/Hulkbuster armor mashup. Sith and Hulk alike, beware!

I particularly like the BB-8 inspired paint job. The amount of fine detail Adam was able to achieve is most impressive, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he could thread a needle on his first try. For reference, I struggle to thread a needle for my grandma at all until she eventually tells me not to bother – she’ll just get one of her favorite grandchildren to do it for her.

Now that I’ve planted the seed of a Star Wars/Marvel crossover in my own mind, it won’t stop growing. Will I start writing my own fan fiction?! No, but only because I’m too lazy. I will, however, start creating my own fan fiction in my mind, which takes significantly less effort than writing and can be done in the bathtub.

This modular terracotta clay pot keeps food cool without any electricity for refrigeration!

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The Terracooler is a modern interpretation of the traditional Zeer pot or pot-in-pot refrigerator, an evaporative cooling refrigeration device that has been used for centuries and is still used today in countries across the globe, such as India and Nigeria.

Zeer pots, or pot-in-pot refrigerators, carry a rich, enduring history. Dating back to as early as 3000BC, Zeer pots have been used in the kitchen as evaporative cooling refrigeration devices across the globe for centuries. Comprised of two clay pots, the porous outer pot is lined with wet sand and surrounds a glazed inner clay pot where food items can be stored for refrigeration.

Requiring no electricity whatsoever, Zeer pots only need a source of water and some dry air to keep produce and other food items cool. Reinterpreting the Zeer pot for modern use, London-based designer Ellie Perry created the Terracooler, a tri-tiered pot-in-pot refrigerator that fits right at home on the kitchen counter.

Like many designers today, Perry felt compelled to design her Terracooler after learning that 10% of household energy is taken up by domestic refrigerators. However, in the UK, where Perry is based, 14 million tons of food waste is accumulated each year. The Terracooler was designed by Perry to make sense of that perplexing ratio.

Inspired by the modern use of Zeer pots in countries like India and Nigeria, Perry devised sketches and models before taking to CNC milling to produce a wooden model of her Terracooler. Using the wooden model as a plaster mold, Perry slipped cast from the mold to create a version made from terracotta clay.

Using the traditional build of pot-in-pot refrigerators, Terracooler is formed from three tapered, double-sided slip cast pieces with built-in handles. The handles stem from both sides of each individual pot and also work as spouts for water to pour through and provide evaporative cooling. With a vertical, modular design, Terracooler fits snugly on any kitchen counter and can be disassembled for access to the food items inside each pot.

Designer: Ellie Perry

 

This terracotta container provides a natural & energy-efficient way to store produce!

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The trend of growing microgreens and herbs at home has come with its own set of pros and cons – people are starting to grow their own food to be more green but the food storage solutions are starting to get more complex and not green. DUNSTA was designed to bring the age-old tradition of storing fresh produce in a natural way while being aligned with your modern lifestyle. It uses evaporative cooling to create an environment similar to that of the root cellar, but for an urban living arrangement – so your fruits and vegetables will stay crispy and fresh longer without needing electricity!

Terracotta is baked clay, it is natural, high-quality, and maintenance-friendly material that is sustainably made as it doesn’t exploit natural resources like trees or need a high carbon footprint generating things like electricity during its production. Terracotta has distinct red and orange hues due to its iron content and is a porous form of clay. It is preferred in design because the manufacturing process is very simple, sustainable, and eco-friendly – it does not include any harmful chemicals and therefore is the perfect choice to store your food in. DUNSTA keeps the environment inside cool with a base layer of sand and a little channel on the top where you can add water. Once covered with the lid, your produce will remain fresh without the need for plastic wraps or containers.

While terracotta is eco-friendly it is important to remember that it is not biodegradable. This means nothing will happen to the DUNSTA even after multiple centuries because it will not degenerate into the soil as clay does so you can also use it as a sustainable time capsule!

Designer: Alexandra Fransson

This 3D printed sustainable clay range is an indigenous storage solution that reduces food waste!

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All over the world, we face the challenge of waste generation and management. Most people think that plastic is the biggest culprit but you would be surprised to know that food waste the largest waste contributor worldwide. To put it into context, food is responsible for 44% while plastic is responsible for 12% – that is a problem we need to fix and designer Lea Randebrock is taking a step in the right direction with her Clay Pantry collection.

About 1/4th of the food waste, which is generated in industrialized countries goes back to the actions of consumers and the busy lifestyles of western countries in combination with a lack of knowledge. Old-timey solutions like root-cellars made it possible to store produce throughout winter but now we have cheap food that is quick to cook and always available which has been taken for granted. People are not only detached from their environment but also from the food they consume and Clay Pantry wants to change that approach through its organic design. It provides a suitable space for fruits and vegetables which make up for the highest waste count. Inspired by traditional storing methods, this collection was created to be used within our modern lifestyle settings – the best of both worlds. The furniture-container collection includes the Root Stool, Fruit Shelf, Tempered Box, and Watering Jug which are all crafted around the behavior and actions of watering plants. “By watering the objects like plants, the focus goes effortlessly to the objects and the content,” describes Randebrock who has been a student of furniture design and is inspired by indigenous materials.

Clay has been used since ancient times as a storage solution for food and drinks, having grown up in India it is a big part of the culture and in fact, water stored in clay pots is always cooler (and sweeter!). The cooling effect is due to the porosity of earthenware which has natural cooling properties when soaked with water. Clay Pantry optimizes this property to give you a range of storage containers for small, urban homes. The Root Stool provides dry and dark storage space and the Tempered Box was created for produce that needs humid and cool conditions. The Fruit Shelf and Water Jug are self-explanatory. Clay Pantry’s modular nature makes it a perfect fit for compact apartments and for those looking for an eco-friendly storage solution for their produce.

“In the situation followed by the challenging spring of 2020, I believe it is more important than ever to include empathy in our society. Any aspects of everyday life are challenged and need to be redesigned and restructured. While this is a challenging time, this is a chance to question the status quo. As a designer, I hope to contribute in a positive way to a Post-Corona society,” says Randebrock, a student of the Royal College of Arts. She has used a traditional food storage method but brought it to life using 3D printing – the best of both worlds is embodied in this collection that serves us and our environment.

Designer: Lea Randebrock

clay pantry

clay pantry 1

clay pantry 2

Royal College of Art student designs compostable clay vases… out of waste milk

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It’s difficult to believe that something like milk could turn into a material that’s as moldable as clay, and as strong as concrete when dried. Tessa Silva-Dawson, a student at the Royal College of Art, developed a way to turn waste milk into a compostable clay-like material by combining it with chalk. Titled Chalk Cheese, the material uses excess skimmed milk created in the production of butter or cream. Rather than throwing this milk away, she mixed it with chalk sourced from a quarry in Hampshire to create a moldable material with the consistency of polymer clay. The series of vases designed using this material are molded from deadstock fabric to give it its unique aesthetic, but Tessa claims the material can easily be molded by hand too, to make other homeware.

Chalk Cheese is a modern reinterpretation of a material previously used in 16th century Britain, where sour, spoilt milk was mixed with limestone to create tough flooring that became as hard as stone after drying. Silva-Dawson’s material possesses more structural integrity, allowing it to be molded by hand or even spun on a potter’s wheel… and unlike fired-terracotta which doesn’t biodegrade, Chalk Cheese can easily be composted or turned into fertilizer after the product serves its purpose!

Designer: Tessa Silva-Dawson

Crayon Clay- Easiest Way to Make Your Own Crayons

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You could make your own crayons by melting down other crayons and then reforming them, only to melt THOSE crayons back down and re-reform them eventually entering some sort of 5 level deep crayon inception that even Leonardo DiCrayonaprio would approve of. Or you could just pick up some Crayon Clay and do it the easy way. It’s clay that air dries into usable crayons. No melting, no heat, no ruining mom’s fancy saucepan that she got for 20% off in the triple B’s Beyond section.

The box comes with 5 colors (blue, white, red, yellow, and green) which kids can mix and match to make their own unique crayon colors and of course shapes. Mold the soft clay into any crazy shape you want, or just make a boring crayon shape. There’s no wrong way to sculpt it and there’s infinite creative crayon shapes that can be made.

Crayon Clay- Easiest Way to Make Your Own Crayons
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