A light-weight sofa that transforms into an eight-seater dining table is among the exhibits from more than 40 students at this year's Industrial Design graduation exhibtion, 'Prismatic'.
Convertible furniture for tiny apartments, high-tech vegetable gardens and futuristic diabetes products are some of more than 40 designs showcased by UNSW’s graduating Industrial Design students at the 2017 exhibition Prismatic.
A hybrid sofa that transforms into an eight-seater dining table is one of the ambitious designs that student Joel Adler created for small spaces in inner-city apartments. The Otto Lounge can expand into four formations: from a compact two-person lounge to dining space for eight people, a two-seater bench seat and a removable coffee table.
“Most of the space-saving furniture out there relies on complex mechanisms that end up being heavy and bulky. I wanted to create a simple, light-weight sofa that could still adapt and evolve to the occupants needs,” Adler says.
“The sofa is also about being able to have nothing in your space. It can disappear when you want to just have a bare living room floor to increase living space.”
Bringing NASA technology into the home is how student Darrell Chan created Terra, a rapid food-production system that uses rotary design to grow up to 30 plants at once. Chan’s design aims to inspire young people to grow vegetables at home via an in-home aeroponics system.
Darrell Chan's Terra, a plant cultivation system. Photo: Terence-Kent Ow
“Vegetables such as salad greens and kitchen herbs can be grown year-round, free from contamination, pesticides, and residue,” says Chan. “A built-in controller that automates everything a plant needs from nutrients and light outperforming plants that are grown hydroponically or in soil.”
A plant’s nutritional needs are supplied directly to its roots using tiny water droplets, and unused nutrients are returned to a reservoir and recycled, using a closed-loop system.
The ability to monitor and treat diabetics non-invasively inspired student Frédérique Sunstrüm to design Continuity, a wearable glucose monitor.
“Unlike current diabetic devices, which require invasive methods to extract blood and inject insulin through a needle, Continuity is non-invasive both in tracking glucose and in the delivery system,” Sunstrüm says.
With diabetes a worldwide epidemic, Sunstrüm says the need for a multi-use product that delivers insulin and functions as an all-round monitoring app for family and healthcare professionals is essential in ensuring better quality of life for diabetics.
Frédérique Sunstrüm’s Continuity. Photo: Terence-Kent Ow
What: Industrial Design Graduation Exhibition
When:14-16 November
Where: Hassell Studios, Level 2, Pier 8/9, 23 Hickson Road, Millers Point