Tag Archives: biophilic design

Biophilic smart humidifier concept also functions as a plant pot

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It isn’t just outdoors that air quality can be a problem. The recent years have made us acutely aware that even indoors, the air we breathe isn’t always in its best state. Even disregarding pollutants, the air inside our houses or rooms can be bereft of moisture, leading not only to discomfort but also respiratory issues. That’s why not only air purifiers but also humidifiers have become so popular of late, though most of their designs leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, there seems to be a wave of creativity washing over this market, producing designs that blend better into living spaces or push the boundaries of what an appliance can do, like this minimalist humidifier concept that also gives a home to nature’s own purifiers: plants.

Designer: NOI Creative Design Studio

There’s a reason why interior designers always recommend placing plants in living areas, and not just because they look good. They have the natural ability to clean the air around us, purifying and releasing just the right amount of moisture. Of course, just a few plants can no longer handle our poor air quality by themselves, and they’ll definitely need a little help to ensure the quality of life of the humans they’re living with. That’s the core concept of the ACQUAIR design, a smart humidifier and air purifier that tries to combine technology and nature in an aesthetic design.

ACQUAIR is actually two products in one, a smart humidifier and a pot for a single-stem plant. These two parts share the same water tank that both nourishes the plant and sprays moisturized mist to meet the required humidity in the air. The latter is determined using sensors, intelligently adjusting the mist depending on the temperature and amount of humidity already present. There’s very little human intervention needed other than refilling the tank once in a while.

With this system, both the plant and the smart appliance can work together to ensure the comfort and health of the people living inside the space. The small plant can utilize its own natural abilities to purify the air while also living on the same water used to humidify the air. It also serves an aesthetic value, displaying a symbol of life and health in a simple yet elegant pot. Unfortunately, the concept doesn’t go deep enough to detail the device’s features for helping keep the plant alive beyond just water. It definitely has room for improvement, like utilizing sensors to also monitor the health of the plant itself.

The post Biophilic smart humidifier concept also functions as a plant pot first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sculptural wall lamps bring an otherworldly aura inspired by sunflowers

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A lot of designs these days take their cue from nature, perhaps the greatest designer that ever existed. Some simply use natural forms as their starting point while others imitate them almost completely. Yet there are also others who try to interpret organic shapes in a different way, resulting in a design that is both familiar yet almost alien. This wall lighting, for example, takes inspiration from the tiny disk flowers inside a beautiful sunflower, but the play of light and shadows gives it an almost hypnotic appearance, whether the lamp is actually on or not.

Designer: Rollo Bryant

It’s probably not common knowledge, but the flower that most people “see” when looking at a sunflower is actually a flower head that’s made up of a bunch of tiny flowers called disk florets. It’s a rather unique arrangement that becomes even more enchanting when you learn about it, giving the sunflower an otherworldly character. That’s the kind of character that the Aureole collection of wall-mounted lighting tries to embody, not just in its appearance but also in the material used to create its mesmerizing form.

The lamps use quartz sand for its main body, a material that’s often used for moulds that are then used to create other objects. In Aureole, however, the sand is the final product instead, and its production pushes the envelope of both what the material can be used for as well as the 3D printing technology employed for creating the complex structures of the lamp’s shape.

That shape is almost like a maze of intersecting curves or an array of raised bits swirling around the center, trying to recreate the appearance of those disk florets without being too literal. They only suggest the general shape of the sunflower head but still leave plenty of room for artistic interpretation. Closer inspection reveals a more intricate network of lines and curves, almost like the structures that bees and ants leave behind in their hives and homes. While completely natural in inspiration, it almost gives the lamp an alien-like vibe as well.

Once the light shines from beneath an opaque black disc in the center, the wall-mounting lighting takes on a completely different personality, ethereal and mesmerizing. Thanks to those complex 3D structures, the light casts shadows in unique and intricate ways, creating an eerie atmosphere that seems to lock your eyes in a swirling spiral of yellow and black contrasts. Because the light is coming from behind the disc, there is also an element of mystery to the aesthetic, as if watching a solar eclipse corona burst into a dizzying pattern. Either way, the Aureole wall lamps definitely captivate people’s minds and imagination, a true conversation starter in any setting.

The post Sculptural wall lamps bring an otherworldly aura inspired by sunflowers first appeared on Yanko Design.