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Utilising Nature
As natural resources deplete and we are forced to
reconsider what we once took for granted, we look
to previously ignored materials and basic utilities
and create a new definition of luxury.
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Inspired by the current climate of austerity,
Emilie Grenier explores overlooked materials
and questions traditional notions of luxury,
working with abundant materials such as
the mineral Feldspar to create jewellery. She
is currently working with the British royal
jeweller to develop the process further.
As water is an increasingly precious resource, how
are designers and artists creating products and
initiatives to protect and collect water in
creative ways?
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New York artist Nova Jiang looked at existing
water extraction methods such as solar stills
as a means of extracting drinking water from
desert air. She created the process using
calcium chloride, a hygroscopic salt that
absorbs water from vapour in the air. The salt
is laid out in the desert overnight to absorb
moisture. Jiang then created drinking vessels
based on cloud shapes in 3D software to
collect the water. The artist held water-tasting
parties in the desert, where participants were
served water gathered from the air using
these “cloud vessels”.
Cloud Vessels by Nova
Jiang
© Nova Jiang
Replicable Rarity by
Emilie F. Grenier
© Emilie F. Grenier
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UTEC, the university of engineering and
technology in Lima, Peru, has developed
the
world's first billboard that can produce
water from the air as well as advertise the
capabilities of the university. It’s located in a
region where rainfall is scarce year-round, but
atmospheric humidity reaches almost 98%.
The project provides residents with upto 96
litres of clean drinking water in reserve
tanks
situated in taps at the foot of the sign.
Waterless manufacturing is becoming more
desirable as water recourses deplete. This is
particularly key for the clothing industry.
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In 2012 Nike entered into a partnership with
DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V, a Netherlands-
based company, to develop the first
commercially available waterless textile dyeing
machines. Traditional dyeing techniques can
use around 40 gallons of water to dye just two
pounds of textile materials, but the waterless
dyeing machines use fluid carbon
dioxide instead.
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Redefine
Consumer Product