Dezeen School Shows: a project that encourages market shoppers to reduce their use of plastic bags and an AI-based solution to help care for the elderly are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Also included are a speculative project concerning rising sea levels in Asia‘s coastal cities and a role-playing video game set in apocalyptic futures.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Institution: Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)
School: School of Design
Courses: BA (Hons) in Communication Design, BA (Hons) in Environment and Interior Design, BA (Hons) in Social Design, BA (Hons) in Advertising Design, BA (Hons) in Advertising Design, MSc in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology, Master of Design (Interaction Design), MSc in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology, Master of Design (Interaction Design) and Master of Design (Design Practices)

School statement:

“PolyU Design has been an important hub of design education and research for Hong Kong since 1964. It is a place where east meets west, allowing students to develop their design expertise while gaining an in-depth understanding of industry and society, with a unique international and cultural perspective.

“PolyU Design attaches equal importance to design theory and application, integrates art with science, actively promotes interdisciplinary cooperation and learning, emphasises high-quality design education, conducts high-level research and provides consulting services.

“The school is leading in Asia and 16th globally on the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) art and design rankings. Academic programmes are offered at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in highly diverse design expertise.

“The research and academic programmes are based on five central tenets, including developing an open mind frame, steering positive change, establishing visionary entrepreneurship, practising authentic expression, and designing responsibly.

“Many design projects of PolyU students are human-centric, cultural-driven and embrace the latest technologies.

“In this school show, students from both undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes explore a diversity of topics including environmental awareness, appreciation of local and traditional ways of living and excitements derived from technology application.

“These works come from a wide range of disciplines including advertising design, communication design, environment and interior design, social design, multimedia and entertainment technology, and interaction design. Scroll down to read and hope you enjoy the journey.”

Sinking Cities 2100 by Elaine Istanto

“By 2100, coastal cities around the world are predicted to be fully submerged underwater. Despite many factors leading to the sinking of a city, the current trend of sea-level rises reveals an alarming rate for metropolitan cities by the coast.

“This project explores various fictional scenarios in which the livelihoods of residents within these coastal regions are affected by the rising waters.

“Sinking Cities 2100 envisions the possibility of a reimagined contrasting future and drastic scenarios of each coastal region through comparing Asia’s rapidly sinking with potentially sinking cities.”

Student: Elaine Istanto
Course: BA (Hons) in Communication Design
Tutor: Ho Yin Fung

Tessellating Culinary Culture by Janice Lok Ying Wong

“The project is exploring the tessellation of cultural and culinary practices of kitchens.

“Throughout the centuries, kitchen design has been influenced by social customs, traditional cooking methods, equipment and technology, demonstrating the impact of cultural heritage and culinary traditions in transforming interior layout and changing domestic lifestyles.

“This design is a reinterpretation of western and eastern cuisines, showcasing their spatial transformations based on time, different activities and equipment, their environmental setting, type of cuisine and cultural backgrounds.

“A narrative representation technique using different layers of information is developed into sequential stories that alternate between old and new understandings of what a kitchen space might be or become.

“The tessellation is created through the superimposition of different timeframes and interior kitchen layouts, and questions its future vision as a spatial agent.”

Student: Janice Lok Ying Wong
Course: BA (Hons) in Environment and Interior Design
Tutor: Gerhardes Bruyns

Talking Plastic by Wing Hei Lau, Wai Shan Cheung, Yuet Ting Hui and Ka Yi Wong

“Despite Hong Kong’s full implementation of the Plastic Bag Charging Scheme in 2015, plastic bags at wet markets are exempted due to food hygiene reasons.

“This project involved in-depth research into the issue that found that there is plastic bag abuse at Hung Hom Wet Market. Customers hesitated to break their habit of using plastic bags due to misconceptions and lack of incentives.

“Talking Plastic aims to encourage them to take their first step in reducing plastic bags.

“An inclusive and progressive Green Market Pilot Scheme was introduced at Hung Hom Market, which had three different strategies for three types of people, including green shop vouchers, self-service boxes, and a demonstration of minimising the use of plastic bags.”

Students: Wing Hei Lau, Wai Shan Cheung, Yuet Ting Hui and Ka Yi Wong
Course: BA (Hons) in Social Design
Tutor: Jonathan Yu

Strengthen the Transparency, Survive the Fairness by Allison Ka Po Wong

“If you say fair trade has nothing to do with you, you will be the next victim being looted by the merchants.

“A brand from New Zealand was chosen to be the imaginary client for this advertising project. This company sells fair trade certified carbonated drinks and insists that its ingredients must be fair to the producers, land and consumers.

“Only products that are harmless to every stakeholder can be certified as fair trade,” said Maria Cheung, the chief executive of Fair Trade Hong Kong.

“The project aims to introduce the brand and its association with fair trade.”

Student: Allison Ka Po Wong
Course: BA (Hons) in Advertising Design
Tutor: Francis Hung

Occasional Ride by Patrick Chi Ho Cheung

“This is a rejuvenation exercise for the Hong Kong Tramways, which has 118 years of heritage. The brand is picked as an imaginary client for this advertising design’s capstone project.

“It is easy to think that heritage is about historic information, old facts and archives, yet the true heritage of the Hong Kong tram lies in the accumulated perceptions from the locals.

“Those accumulated perceptions include the vibe and feel of riding the tram – a transportation experience that hasn’t been changed in the past 118 years.

“By crystallising these perceptions, the beauty beyond its transportation function can be recognised and reaffirmed among the younger generations.”

Student: Patrick Chi Ho Cheung
Course: BA (Hons) in Advertising Design
Tutors: Man To Yiu and KC Tsang

Que Pinta! by Jorge Luis Mejia Fuentes

“Que Pinta! is a multimedia magazine that combines many formats together and showcases them in an attractive, fun way.

“Through the use of storytelling and fictional characters, Que Pinta! builds a world of its own as an atemporal magazine stuck in 1985.

“At its core, Que Pinta! is a platform that unites creatives to create multimedia work with a cohesive vision – a catalyst of a creative wave.”

Student: Jorge Luis Mejia Fuentes
Course: MSc in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology
Tutor: David Williams

Chaining – Link Up Left and Right Brain by Anthony Chun Ting Leung and Sin Tat Fan

“Chaining is an online collaboration platform that aims to connect art and digital technology through creative coding. While computer programmes are generally adopted to solve a specific problem, creative coding turns coding into a creative medium.

“It is an interdisciplinary approach to art and science. This project explores the possibility of employing creative coding as a bridge to connect designers and programmers.

“While designers have a strong sense of aesthetics, creativity and design thinking, programmers are proficient in logical, mathematical and computational thinking. Chaining aims to be a platform that connects these two types of people and trains their creativity and computational thinking.

“The platform’s home page is a multiverse view, showcasing novel works created by users. Users can click into any node they are interested in and learn from its source code. Users can also fork from any node and create a new piece of digital art with creative coding.”

Students: Anthony Chun Ting Leung and Sin Tat Fan
Course: Master of Design (Interaction Design)
Tutor: Kenny Chow

Codename: Apocalypse by Ka Seng Chou and Wai Man Lam

“Codename: Apocalypse is a video game combining role-playing and rogue-like deck-building.

“While an unknown doomsday crisis is approaching, players have to live as a civilian and survive in card battles, experiencing the pre-apocalypse world and determining the endings of the characters.

“Integrating computer role-playing game (CRPG) elements, the cards are divided into more than 30 subjects. While building the deck, players can also accumulate the skills to trigger extra secret stories and options.

“Multiple story scripts will be available. Players may experience pre-apocalypse lives caused by cults, zombie crises and alien invasions.”

Students: Yin Yee Ho, Zhongheng He, Fong Kei Lee, Sze Ho Fung and Wai Chun Wu
Course: MSc in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology
Tutors: Ka Seng Chou and Wai Man Lam

Chinese Character Amnesia 提笔忘字 – An Interactive Cube to Enhance Interest and Memory Towards Chinese Character Amnesia by Yi Xiang and Wai Lik Tsoi

“Chinese character amnesia is a phenomenon in which experienced Chinese users forget how to write the characters that were previously well-known to them.

“The phenomenon is specifically tied to prolonged and extensive use of electronic input methods, especially for Chinese oversea returnees.

“The occurrence of Chinese character amnesia represents a disconnection from Chinese culture, history and spirit.

“According to questionnaires and in-depth interviews carried out as part of the project, the problem remains unsolved due to a lack of motivation and minimal impact.

“The project aims to raise the awareness of Chinese amnesia and further remind, rebuild and enhance the interest and memory development of Chinese characters through a multi-sensory and playful approach.”

Students: Yi Xiang and Wai Lik Tsoi
Course: Master of Design (Interaction Design)
Tutor: Stephen Jia Wang

Carebase – AI-driven Solutions for Elderly Care Services That Also Help to Prevent Dementia by Kelly Cheuk Yu Tang and Zhengtong Lin

“The ageing problem is increasing. It can be observed that many seniors rely on caregivers to help and maintain their daily activities and face many limitations and problems when taking care of themselves.

“However, the help of caregivers is also usually limited. Therefore, choosing suitable healthcare products, services, and appropriate assistive design according to their needs is always important.

“The project aims to facilitate the elderly in leading to a healthy lifestyle. With the use of AI and big data, Carebase is an intelligent platform that evaluates the user’s profile and provides recommendations or solutions for the elderly, their family members and caregivers.

“At the same time, Carebase provides an intelligent companion robot that assists the elderly in achieving a healthier life through daily reminders, entertainment and interaction, while providing companionship and collecting daily behavioural data for better user assessment through AI.”

Students: Kelly Cheuk Yu Tang and Zhengtong Lin
Course: Master of Design (Design Practices)
Tutor: Newman Lau and Mohana Das

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Hong Kong Polytechnic University spotlights 10 design projects appeared first on Dezeen.

“The inspiration for this project came from the observation of a swing* inside a city park in Milan,” writes product designer Andrea Barbazza, of his amusing Swing piggy bank concept.

*(Note: In Italian, both a swing or a see-saw are described with the same word, le altalena.)

Barbazza’s concept is sort of like a swear jar, but with the possibility of reward:

“A money box which is actually a way to discover yourself. A coin for every good or bad habit. At the end of the year, if the money box hangs on the side of bad habits, the money will go to charity, otherwise it will be yours.”

I’ve never slept in a sofa bed that was comfortable, and I don’t expect this one to be, either. But it certainly looks easy to transform.

That’s the Up-Lift sofa bed, by Croatian design consultancy Neisako, produced by Croatian furniture brand Prostoria. And it probably doesn’t open up quite the way you think it does:

For their part, designers Neven & Sanja Kovacic say the design is in fact comfortable. “Special attention was given to the lower construction,” they write. “Elastic bands and high quality foam placed at strategic points allow for maximal comfort and minimal bulk.”

“In addition to the loveseat, the Up-lift family also includes an armchair, which unfolds into a single bed.”

Prices for both the sofa and the armchair are not listed.

Sustainability has been running on everybody’s mind. And with everyone aspiring towards eco-friendly and mindful ways of living, tiny homes have completely taken over the world of architecture and cemented their place as sustainable, minimal, and economical micro-living setups. What started off as a cute little trend is now turning into a serious option for home spaces. They are a space-saving and eco-friendly living solution that reduces the load on Mother Earth! They’re simple and minimal alternatives to the imposing and materialistic homes that seem to have taken over. And we’ve curated a wide range of micro-home setups that totally grabbed our attention. From a prefab tiny home that is a smart mobile unit to a Norwegian wooden tiny home on wheels – there’s a tiny home out there for everyone!

1. Tind

David and Jeanette Reiss-Andersen, cofounders of the Oslo-based tiny home company Norske Mikrohus, decided to build an eco-friendly and affordable alternative to the pricier standard-size homes available on the market.” We wanted to create something for people looking for a way out of the rental and mortgage markets—something for those who want easy access to nature and to live with fewer possessions,” said David. And their efforts led to the birth of ‘Tind’ – a beautiful wood-wrapped tiny home built in Norwegian style.

Why is it noteworthy?

Not only is Tind built from environmentally friendly Nordic materials, but it was also designed to withstand Nordic weather conditions. Tind was designed with one important goal in mind – to encourage flexibility and freedom. It’s a home you can move around in and take wherever you want to.

What we like

• Sustainable + eco-friendly
• Inspired by Norwegian aesthetics

What we dislike

• No complaints!

2. The Coodo

A couple of years ago, German entrepreneur Mark Dare Schmiedel got pretty fed up with the chaos of Berlin and decided to move to the countryside, building his own quaint loft along the banks of the River Spree. The peace, calm, and zen that followed got him wondering whether it would be possible to create a similar but mobile form of home that could provide the same sanctuary to others. In his quest for such a retreat, he came across a mobile home concept designed by a group of Slovenian architects called ‘Coodo.’ Schmiedel went on to procure the design rights of the concept through his company LTG “Lofts to Go” and kickstarted the production of the units. The modular homes aim to bring you closer to nature, to a space away from the crowds, where you can truly enjoy the beauty of a moment.

Why is it noteworthy?

It features a curved and minimal steel frame with rounded edges and stunning floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The beautiful glass walls allow a generous stream of sunlight to enter the home. Whether on rooftops in the city, beaches, mountains or alongside a river, the Coodo can be easily installed almost anywhere.

What we like

• Integrated utilization of smart home technology
• Adherence to Passive House standards

What we dislike

• No complaints!

3. Tigín Tiny Homes

Irish social enterprise Common Knowledge has collaborated with Tigín Tiny Homes to create low-carbon micro homes that are meant to provide sustainable and economical housing solutions to people struggling to buy their own homes.

Why is it noteworthy?

Besides building these sustainable and affordable dwellings, they are also providing training schemes to teach residents how to build and repair their own homes! The founder of Common Knowledge, Fionn Kidney, said, “Ultimately, the plan of our Tigín project is not just to build these Tiny Homes, but to teach more than two hundred people with the skills to build these or any other project themselves, whilst creating and releasing a free-to-use blueprint at the end of this year.”

What we like

• Feature a facade of corrugated hemp panels, cork insulation, and natural rubber flooring
• The homes are spread out across two levels, giving them a spacious feel, although they are compactly sized

What we dislike

• No complaints!

4. Azure’s ADUs

Azure, essentially specializes in ADUs or Accessory Dwelling Units, which are usually placed next to the main residence, or in the backyard of a home. Azure creates several models of these ADUs – from backyard office studios to a two-bedroom tiny home. The structures are modern and futuristic, amped with glass walls, recessed lighting, and pocket doors, providing them with the feel of a complete home.

Why is it noteworthy?

Within 20 hours, Azure 3D prints the homes – including their structural skeleton, exterior sheathing, water control barrier, exterior finish, utility passageways, and the grounding for interior finishes. Azure is taking a more sustainable approach by utilizing recycled plastic in construction. Over 60% of Azure’s printing material will be comprised of waterproof plastic polymer, which is usually found in plastic bottles or food packaging.

What we like

• Builds homes 70% faster, and 30% cheaper as compared to the traditional construction method

What we dislike

• No complaints!

5. UHU Cabin

Located in the midst of a boreal forest, in the heart of Charlevoix, Canada is a tiny cabin raised on stilts called ‘UHU’. Quite literally translating to ‘owl’ in the Innu language, the UHU cabin is nested 12 meters in the air, with stunning views of the Saint-Laurence river to greet you every morning

Why is it noteworthy?

What makes UHU unique is the fact that it provides you with a one-of-a-kind experience – one which involves sleeping in the treetops and truly enjoying the natural beauty of the boreal forest. It is supported by stilts, allowing it to be comfortably positioned 12 meters in the air, so the views from within the cabin are going to be undoubtedly exquisite.

What we like

• Features a glazed facade that allows for generous views of the surrounding forest and green landscape

What we dislike

• The cabin may be too compact for some guests

6. Sunshine

This ready-to-move-in tiny house on wheels is finished in a choice of Spruce, ThermoWood, Shou sugi ban, or cedar siding. Made compact and lightweight to be pulled behind a car, the tiny house can even be finished precisely according to how you want it.

Why is it noteworthy?

As important as it is for a tiny house to be accommodating on the inside, it is vital to be prepared for year-round living. This is the ethos of the Sunshine which measures 6.7m long and 2.55m wide. The little but spacious tiny house offers 21sqm of living space along with a loft bedroom, functional kitchen, bathroom, and convertible sofa for additional sleeping space. The tiny house’s exterior embraces traditional essence with a gabled roof made from lightweight and durable aluminum. The contraption on wheels can be towed behind a car at 80 km/h with utmost convenience.

What we like

• The minimalistic interior is enhanced with the flow of natural light through the nicely insulated windows and glass door
• The Sunshine’s radiant interiors make provision for storage under the staircase

What we dislike

• No complaints!

7. Buster

Buster is located in Matamata, just a couple of hours away from Auckland, New Zealand. You will be able to hear the sound of spring river water flowing around you as you’re surrounded by trees, stones, valleys, and basically the joys of nature. It’s located below the Kaimai Range “amongst ancient native bush and farmland”. It is a tiny home perfect for one person or a couple who wants to temporarily or even permanently live in such an area and to have something that is built sustainably and with the environment and your comfort in mind.

Why is it noteworthy?

Instead of being made from timber, it uses black corrugate as it will last longer and can survive all the different kinds of weather that the area experiences. They also used plywood to bring “a sense of warmth” to the house and is, in fact, what is also used in the traditional kiwi trampers huts, giving you even more of a local feel but with modern conveniences. It’s a pretty good combination, having a more natural lodging but using sustainable technology and devices to give you comfort and function.

What we like

• Buster is powered by GridFree solar panels
• The house is oriented to the north so that it will be able to maximize the light during the summer and even during the winter

What we dislike

• The solar energy is only enough to power a small fridge, and lights, and charge your smartphones

8. MiniMod

Nestled in the redwood forest of the popular and beautiful Sea Ranch community along the Sonoma, California coastline is a 684-square-foot weekend cabin that was originally designed by the acclaimed Bay Area architect Joseph Esherick. Called MiniMod, this cabin was lovingly restored and refurbished by Framestudio after it was purchased by its creative director Chad DeWitt, and his husband James Cook.

Why is it noteworthy?

The cabin was originally built to show how a comfortable and affordable home could be constructed while following the Sea Ranch building guidelines. The midcentury modern cabin has a stunning wooden exterior that allows it to effortlessly blend with the surrounding natural environment

What we like

• Midcentury aesthetics but modern amenities
• The history and heritage of the cabin have been maintained

What we dislike

• No complaints!

9. N1

Inspired by the modernist architecture of Richard Neutra, Kelly Davis of SALA Architects designed a 500-square-foot, flat-roofed residence that’s defined by its 30-foot-long glass facade. Tiny home building company ESCAPE constructed the prefabricated tiny home called N1 in an effort to design their first midcentury building.

Why is it noteworthy?

Clad with metal and glass, N1’s transparent facade is meant to bring residents closer to the surrounding outdoors. While the wraparound glass facade supplies the home with an air of elegance, its primary purpose is to break the barrier between indoor and outdoor spaces while providing the home with practical solutions to natural weather conditions. The home’s gray metal siding and white poly roof covering are, “very strong and highly reflective so that it prevents heat buildup,” as ESCAPE founder Dan Dobrowolski explains.

What we like

• Breaks the barrier between indoor and outdoor spaces
• Scandinavian-inspired aesthetics

What we dislike

• No complaints!

10. Pax

Nestled in the Sailor’s Cove marina in British Columbia is a beautiful tiny floating cottage that was once upon a time; a boat! Originally, one of the twenty-five boats built in Victoria for the Expo’86, Pax had fallen into disrepair and was lovingly brought to life by Jason and Cayley.

Why is it noteworthy?

The 28′ floating home features a stunning open concept kitchen with all the amenities you could need – a gas stove/oven, fridge/freezer, counter space, and a handmade curved cedar dinette. Whereas the bathroom was amped with a bathtub that was initially a livestock watering tank (an ingenious idea of Cayley). She also did all the tile work surrounding the tub.  Additionally, the floors of the home are from an old bus, it took a lot of time to restore as well!

What we like

• Special concessions for storage have been made
• Features a rooftop deck

What we dislike

• No complaints!

The post Top 10 tiny homes designed to be the best micro-living setups first appeared on Yanko Design.

While I would most of the time use a pair of spoon and fork to eat my meals, I am also very partial to using chopsticks whenever I can. I have my favorite pair at home but when I eat out at East Asian restaurants, most of the time they use disposable chopsticks. Just like with a lot of disposable things, these contribute to so much waste globally, with 80 billion pairs being used and thrown away each year. One solution is of course to use a reusable pair and bring it with you wherever you go. But how to go about making sure those thrown away can still be salvaged somehow?

Designer: ChopValue

A Canadian company has actually been trying to do something about all these used, disposable chopsticks. They have been collecting the used ones from restaurants in Vancouver and then turning them into furniture like tables, which is a good way for the chopsticks to sort of come full circle. They are also used to create decorative pieces and even other homeware you may need in the living room or kitchen. They would fit right in with your wood aesthetics if that’s what you’re sporting.

Of course they have to do something more to it than just building furniture since the used chopsticks themselves will grow mold and bacteria over the years. So they developed a proprietary process that involves coating them in water-based resin and then placing them in an industrial oven and “bake” them for around five hours. After that, they are broken down and built into a composite board. Before turning them into furniture or other materials, they are sanded and lacquered. In keeping with the eco-friendly nature, the entire process is chemical-free and therefore the final products are non-toxic.

One of the work desks that they created actually used more than 10,000 chopsticks. Since they collect an average of 350,000 chopsticks per week in Vancouver alone, there should be enough chopstick waste to go around. Hopefully, other cities or parts of the world where they throw away a lot of these disposable utensils will be able to adopt something like this just to make sure that they are not left in the garbage landfills to just rot away.

The post Canadian company turns used chopsticks into furniture, homeware first appeared on Yanko Design.