The concept of Crescere was originally born as a response to a Royal Society of Art, Where people meet brief. The brief focused on reclaiming dead spaces that currently served little value and transforming them into something productive. Although the brief was made for Architects and Spatial Designers I began to think about how a product could achieve the same goal....
Problem Identified
I identified an initial problem of low vegetable intake, self sufficiency and knowledge around growing- especially in urban environments.
To gain deeper insights into the specific pain points users face I did extensive interviews with over 60 participants, gaining information on their current habits, knowledge and any limiting factors they face.
I found most participants who were interested in beginning to grow at home currently lived in environments with little outdoor floorspace, such as townhouses and had some experience growing before, but identified themselves as time poor, struggling with consistent maintenance.
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Ideation
After identifying these issues I knew any solution must be low maintenance, small footprint yet familiar for low experience growers.
Following this I began researching low effort irrigation methods and came across ollas, an ancient north African terracotta vessel that utilises the natural porosity of the clay to distribute water evenly as the dirt dries out.
This would go on to serve as primary inspiration for the design, with early ideation combining this principle with biophilic forms in a verticle arrangment.
Development
Throughout development the form and materials changed to optimise irrigation rates, light penetration and strength and stability of the structure.
Each decision made was based on functional testing and prototyping as well as FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Testing was conducted including several compression and bending tests, real terracotta growing experiments and rapid prototyping to test module arrangment.
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Final Design
The result is a freestanding, posable living wall that irrigates plants passively using captured rainwater. The design combines terracotta properties with contemporary materials to balance tradition and innovation. Crescere promotes self-sufficiency and wellbeing through thoughtful design, bringing nature back into urban living spaces.
Project Title
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Project Title
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Project Title
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Adjustability
Stackable modules allow for customisable configurations by the user, with each module having sleeved, removable tubing to secure the module and connect the irrigation system.
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Modularity
Inspired by vertebrae, each module pivots around adjacent modules. This allows for adjustability not just in size but shape as well, curving like a spine to create forms that fit any space.
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Passive Irrigation
Designed to fit a standard terracotta pot, Crescere utilises the porous nature of terracotta combined with captured rainwater to passively irrigate the plants that call it home.
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Design details
Elbowed tubing serves as a stopper to hold the modules above in place and prevent them from slipping down ensuring modules can rotate correctly.
To bond the two injection molded shell halfs together and prevent leakage an overlapping seam was added between the pieces in conjunction with 14 spirol press n' loks, barbed stainless steel pins that form into the plastic making an extremely strong bond.
tubing is tapped and secured to the module using a molded in, threaded insert and a nyloc nut on the interior of the module. This allows for disassembly with minimal tools making it convinent to clean or transport.
The cap design features an inward concave curviture, this was implemented to ensure a secure fit on the terracotta pots despite small variations in shape and sizing depending on the brand.
Project Conclusion
At the conclusion of this project I was offered a place and scholarship in the University of Canterbury's Centre for Entrepreneurship's summer startup programme, exploring the commercial viability of the concept. As well as this I was highly commended by senior lecturers and given a place in the school of product design showcase event.