The Pitcher Wall - Sustainable Design

THE PITCHER WALL WHEN THE UNUSED BECOMES USED

LICA

EcoHub

EcoHub

MARKET

SARA | JOANNE | RAIZA

Intentionally left blank

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

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CONTENTS 1 The Pitcher Wall 8 10 12 14 16 18

Introduction Assembly Maintenance Rationale Methodology Client-centred Design

4 Development 32 34 46 50

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Exploration of materials Workshop 3D model Error Analysis

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Research 20 Observation 24 Surveys 24 Interviews

Ideation 26 Brainstorming 26 Sketching

56 Delivery 52 Feedback 54 Conclusion

Reflection 56 Profile

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THE PITCHER WALL “There is no such thing as ‘away’, when we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” 1 - Annie Leonard

AN INTRODUCTION The Pitcher wall is a sustainable and green initiative which involves the idea of vertical gardening implemented onto the walls of the Eco Hub. This installation constitutes of throw away plastic bottles generated by the population of Lancaster University. This proposal incorporates a cycle-like movement of goods.

The following illustrates the steps of our proposal.

Disposal: The plastic bottles are thrown away by students in bins installed by the Eco-hub in the most populated areas of campus, such as Alexandra Square.

Transportation: These plastic bottles are collected and then transported to the Ecohub by the volunteers.

Assembly: After the bottles arrive to the Ecohub, they are assembled and converted into fruit bearing pots.

Installation: These pots are mounted on the walls of the space in order to grow fresh produce such as blueberries, rasberries and grapes. . .

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Harvesting: These fruits will be harvested and tranferred to the marketplace on campus.

Consumption: The fruits will then be consumed by the student and staff community of the University.

It can be seen that this proposal begins and ends with the population of Lancaster University, highlighting its cyclistic nature.

THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS A visual depiction of the cyclisitc flow of plastic bottles and food items between students, campus and the Eco Hub.

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LICA

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ASSEMBLY THE PROCESS The process of assemblage is really paramount as it explains the heart of our proposal.

Aquiring of bottles: Firstly, the plastic bottles are gathered and acquired in the Eco Hub. Painting: The students who want to participate in the creation of change, will paint the plastic bottles using their own creative thinking. This will create an emotional attachment to the end result which will draw the attention of more students, if successful. The activity creates a friendly atmosphere due to the creative and expressive free touch which enables participants to socialise and interact by sharing their outcomes.

Final Assembly: Finally, the desired outcome will be mounted onto the walls of Eco Hub, where Oriented Strand Board shelves will support the bottles which will be covered with solar LED powered lights to enhance aestheticism during night time.

Maintenance: This is vital to our design proposal as the Pitcher Wall will need constant and appropriate care to flourish over time. This will be further discussed in the following page.

Making the Pot: Then, the painted bottles are cut and filled with compost, where participants will manually insert the seeds.

PROCESS OF ASSEMBLY A visual depiction of how the plastic bottles are converted into fruit bearing pots and installed onto the Pitcher Wall.

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MAINTENANCE “A garden requires patient labour and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fullfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.� 2 - Liberty Hyde Bailey

ENSURING ENDURANCE

CHOSEN VEGETATION

Due to our proposal being novel, this vertical gardening system requires constant and active participation and care. This last can be approached by volunteers and students with potential interest; they will be trained to support the endurance of the Pitcher Wall appropriately.

We undertook intensive secondary research to understand and present the accurate ways of taking care of the plants we intend to grow.

We noticed that the bushes around campus were barren and there was no produce on them. Thus, we decided to incorporate different types of plants so that our gardening system will produce fresh food throughout the year.

The plants chosen are the following: cress, salad leaves, spring onions, grapes, raspberries, blackberries and alpine strawberries.

The reason why we chose these plants is because this variety of produce could be of great use to where our food is going to be transferred and consumed, which could potentially be the County Market Place. Our choice of plants can be utilsed for fresh salads or delicious desserts. Alternatively, it can also be sold to the students in Alexandra Square market, encouraging an healthy lifestyle.

OUR PLANTS An infographic depicting the different fruits and vegetables and their relative requirements for care.

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III. W

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Seasonal Growth of Chosen Plants

II. A utu m n Alpine Strawberries

Spring Onions

Water - 1” per week Harvest- 30-45 Days

Water - 2” per week Harvest- 56-84 Days

Blackberries

Raspberries

Water - 1”-2” per week Harvest- 45 Days

Water - 1”-2” per week Harvest- 21 Days

Grapes

Salad leaves + Cress

Water - 4” per week Harvest- 165-180 Days

Water - 2” per week Harvest- 7 Days

(Allaway and Leendertz, 2013)

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RATIONALE “Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.� 3 - Charles Earnes

VALIDATION This proposal can be validated through multiple rationales, which are; Sustainability: Our proposal aims to reuse plastic bottles, that alternatively may end up in landfills and the oceans, harming the environment drastically. Thus, we add to the creation of sustainability.

Creation of Impact: This proposal brings to light, design activism with its intent of sparking impactful changes around university. It gives value to each throw away plastic bottle, while respecting the biosphere. This inturn influences and moulds the spectators mindsets about their treatment of waste products, encouraging each individual to be be mindful about the excessive consumption of plastic and its relative consequences.

Building Relations: Due to the cycle-like nature of this proposal, it draws connections between all kinds of residents of the university such as the students, Ecohub volunteers, societies and staff. This builds lasting relations that add value.

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Healthy Lifestyle: This gardening proposal fullfils the growth of fresh produce, which will be sent back to the market place on campus, incentivizing a healthy lifestyle among the students.

Cost Efficiency: One of the most enduring characteristic of our design proposal is that it requires almost no cost to support the establishment, however it will generate a moderate income as the students will purchase the produce.

Aesthetic Value: Due to the novel way of gardening and the incorporated solar powered LED lights, this installation will add to the aesthetic value of the Ecohub and University greatly.

Strong Branding: This idea ties in with the need of creating a strong identity of the service in question, which is the Eco hub. The attractiveness of our installing draws the attention of people leading to an enhanced awareness of the currently unnoticed brand.

Healthy Lifestyle

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METHODOLOGY FULFILLING OBJECTIVES

METHODS

Our prime concern was to fullfil the needs of the client.

Client: The client in question was the Eco Hub, which is a community garden that is a collaborative initiative of Lancaster University and Lancaster University Studient Union. It encourages sustainable behaviours and provides opportunities to make environmental choices.

Client’s Needs: Need of stronger branding, increased awareness of Eco Hub identity, improving student involvement and lastly enhancing relations and connections within the Lancaster University.

Throughout our research process we undertook various methods which assisted us to draw the client’s needs and key insights, crucial for the creation of an appropriate response that best addressed the findings.

Secondary and Primary research were employed. The first enabled us to think critically around the issue of the excessive consumption of plastic bottles which led us to ideate a suitable and bespoken solutions. Whereas, the latter helped us develop and strengthen our resolutions, while ensuring its appropriateness and viability. Surveys, interviews, workshops, IDEO methods and 3D modelling were the qualitative procedures employed in this stage to root our investigation in a tested and experienced research environment.

DESIGN PROCESS A visual depiction of the process of methodology employed for the research and development of our proposal.

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CLIENT-CENTRED DESIGN “Get closer than ever to your [clients]. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realise it themselves� 4 - Steve Jobs

KEY NEEDS ADDRESSED To produce a successful design proposal, our ideas must revolve around client-based needs. Thus, through our investigations we found the urgent requirements for the following and addressed them: Better Branding: Our client was in major need of better branding, due to this issue they faced lack of awareness among the students. Hence, one of our major goals concerns branding, it improves the aesthetic of the Ecohub while drawing attention from the community, simultaneously enhancing its identity.

More Student Involvement: Due to the co-operative attitude which is essential to our proposal, it tackles the lack of student involvement and participation in the Ecohub. Even though its success revolves around the current volunteers, there is a huge scope for involvement from students from the university. As we found that a majority of students are unaware of the Ecohub and hence do not participate, despite the willingness and interest in eco-activities being present among them.

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Increased Intergration with University: Another issue we spotted was that the University was unwilling to endorse particular initiatives of the Ecohub, for example the gardening beds in colleges which went unsanctioned. Thus an increased intergration with university could enhance universities tie-ins and attitudes along Ecohub. The Pitcher Wall creates a unique and novel scheme strengthening connections between Ecohub and Campus.

Innovative Platform: During the clients presentation, it was learned that an innovative initiative was of great need. This conclusion was brought upon because of the organic cafe being mentioned, and how another University was the only one in UK to establish it. This led our team to ideate innovate solutions that would make both Ecohub and University stand out and in this way giving recognition to its platform.

‘How can we improve Eco Hub’s identity?

- Client

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RESEARCH I. OBSERVATION In order to identify potential insights for improvements in the Eco Hub we observed the space closely and even volunteered during actions days to experience the environment and understand the issues hindering the growth of the Ecohub.

The key insights perceived are the following:

Exclusive design: Even though the Eco Hub has implemented raised beds with proper gaps to accomodate wheelchair users. They can be still considered as an exclusive design as the wheelchair user must stretch in order to harvest produce that is grown in the center of the beds.

Poor location: The Eco hub is located in a hidden area of campus which is overlooked as it is poorly mapped. This leads to poor branding and reduced awareness of the space among the students of the University.

Barn: Through volunteering it was noted that the second room in the barn is well organised. However, the barn in its entirety is cold and dingy, thus creating an unwelcoming atmosphere.

Barren bushes: Most bushes around campus that were grown by the Eco Hub were barren without produce.

IMAGES CAPTURED These following images showcase our observations and field visits undertaken at the beginning of our investigation.

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II. PRIMARY RESEARCH Primary research constituted of two segments: surveys and interviews.

Surveys

Interviews

We surveyed forty students of our University and gathered quantitative data which are as follows:

Our interviews constituted of three groups of people; students, volunteers and professionals.

The majority of students are unaware of the eco-activities and the Eco Hub on campus. The students who are aware of the space have heard about it through platforms such as: social media, iLancaster, posters, website, word of mouth, lectures, market place, volunteering and by living in Cartmel, which is located close to the Eco Hub.

Students: The students we interviewed have heard of the name “Eco Hub� before. However, they are unsure about its identity, what it offers and where it is located.

Further, a considerable number of students have never been involved in eco-activities. However, most students are interested in taking part of those activities. This interest can be potentially optimised within the ideas we generate.

Volunteers: The volunteers were highly invested in the Eco Hub. They are concerned with sustainable lifestyles and very interested in the creation of change through eco-friendly solutions.

Professionals: The experts were interviwed after the ideation stage in order to validate our ideas.

Finally, the suggestions received from students for an eco-friendly environment are: less litter, renewable energy, campaigns and enahnced awareness, locally sourced food and more green spaces.

GRAPHS These pie-charts depict our key findings acquired through surveys.

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1. Awareness of the eco-activities in Lancaster University

2. Awareness of the Eco Hub on campus

37% 56%

63%

Unaware

Unaware

Aware

Aware

3. Involvement in eco-friendly activities in Lancaster University

15%

44%

4. Interest in participating in eco-friendly activities

27% 53% 81%

19%

Never

More than once

Interested

Once

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Neutral

Not interested

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IDEATION I. BRAINSTORMING

II. SKETCHING

After having fully researched and understood the major audiences needs and the potential areas for improvement we advanced ideation.

Within the innovation space we exploited our experiences and information gained about the service in question to decide the areas to give most of our attention and development directions. We questioned everything that we thought was not quite working In the Eco Hub and then sketched and brainstormed several ideas, which were the following; re-designing the barn and incorporatig a student Cafe. However, our focus, the idea of vertical gardening was then chosen due to its sustainable, innovative and cost efficient nature that would have improved the barn, one of the explicit and potential issue within the Eco Hub.

Quick and dirty prototyping was approached as an effective tool which enabled visualisation and critical thinking.

Through multiple sketches we were able to finalise our conceptual ideas and bring them to life.

EXTENDED INTERVIEW The illustration shown depicts further insights recieved from the gardener during ideation process.

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‘‘ Do not allow light to reach the roots of the plants, the plastic bottles need to be covered in order for the plants to grow!”

-Gardener

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Quick and Dirty Prototyping 31

DEVELOPMENT I. EXPLORATION OF MATERIALS With our proposal in mind we initiated looking for the appropriate materials needed. We decided to expand our vertical gardening idea by incorporating tires.

However, the interview conducted with the gardener directed us to not do so.

Therefore, we concentrated our focus on the plastic bottles only. Our proposal required the use of the following media: Ropes We decided to utilise ropes to tie and hold the bottles against the wall.

Nails The nails were thought to be affixed to the wall for the rope to be hung around. They could also be used to attach the bottles to the wall to prevent it from movements due to strong winds and rain.

Plastic bottles We looked into various type of plastic bottles and their capabilities of holding compost and whether it is possible to cut them easily. We understood that all plastic bottles were compatible to our idea, except the ones that were extremely small.

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Acrylic Paint We finalised on using non-toxic acrylic paints to coat the plastic bottles in, due to the previous interview insight recieved from the gardener. The thick nature of the acrylic paint blocks any light from entering the bottle, allowing the plants to grow in a healthy environment.

Solar Powered LED Lights We decided to use lights powered using renewable energy, that encases the wall in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The reason for doing so is that it creates an extremely engaging spot which will attract the attention and interest of more students. Individuals may take pictures and post it on social networks which enhances branding awareness of the Ecohub. Thus, acting as an agent of publicity.

IMAGES These images shown are of the above mentioned materials that are required for the building of the Pitcher Wall prototype.

(Pinterest, n.d)

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II. WORKSHOP

The most compelling aspect of our developmental research phase was the workshop that we decided to conduct. We selected three participants who were very invested in the creation of change

Junaid Iqbal 2nd Year , LLB Event Co-ordinator of TEDx Volunteer at Ecohub.

Marianna Dente B.A Design Hons

A. Word Concept Association Our first activity incorporated the use of cues in order to connect and weave a relevant story around the sustainability on campus and the Ecohub. Their role was to arrange the provided words and create several views and linkages.

They successfully created their own story boards and they were shared within the workshop. This acted as an ice-breaker and allowed each participant to be more comfortable with each other.

Next, our proposal was explained to them as we did not want to reveal it at the beginning of the workshop, as this would have blocked and constrained their brainstorming process.

Student Representative of Design Interest in Sustainable Design.

Mizuki Ozawa Works at IBM B.A Politics Interest in how society is constructed.

IMAGES These images shown are examples of the word concept association activity outcomes that were produced.

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In the process of the word concept association activity

Mizuki with her finished piece of word association

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B. Prototype building The next activity involved bulding the Pitcher Wall prototype. First, we all painted our plastic bottles and it was very interesting to note that each individual had come up with a different visuals on the bottles, using various colours that in a way embodied their personalities.

This was enjoyable to see as it was what we aimed for. Each participants expressed positive comments about this activity which validates the point that they have established an emotional attachment to their bottles. Moreover, we filled the painted bottles with compost and planted raspberries seeds in them, which were ploughed them with our hands and we finally watered the pots.

D. Workshop conclusion Overall, the workshop was highly succesfull due to the cooperative effort of each participant. They engaged in each activity with great enthusiasm and rigour, supporting our idea greatly. The main insights that this workhsop highlighted are: the Pitcher Wall idea is a viable one and it can be easily created by the students.

It is efficient and it does not consume excessive time to create. Furthermore, it enabled us to see the creation of solid relations between the participants which enhances a sense of community.

C. Prototype assembly In the last phase, we installed the fruit bearing pots on a prototype wall made of card-board. In this stage, we realised the need for a sturdy shelf that would hold and support the pots in place. We looked into different types of woods. However, when we interviewed the Architect, it was suggested that Oriented strand boards are a better alternative as they are cost efficient, strong and water resistant.

Thus, we opted for this material.

IMAGES These images shown are of the workshop conducted and the prototype building.

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In the process of painting the plastic bottle

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In the process of assembling the pots

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Final prototype outcome

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3D MODELLING AUTOCAD Computer Aided Design (CAD) is becoming a primary source of communicating design intent in design industries, this paradigm shift from traditional manual drafting to CAD design has allowed designers to present ideas realistically in 3D views with accuracy. It also enables revisions of work to allow design modifications when in need.

CAD was chosen as a method to present our Eco-design idea as it gave a realistic visualisation. The model is able to breathe life to give the viewer a better understanding of the core design idea.

For our project, the CAD model was created in imitation to the design model created in the workshop. Moreover, researched materials (such as plastic, OSB wood, etc) can be seen in the CAD.

The design tool gave a great deal of flexibility during the process of creation, this is an advantage as the project experienced design changes (such as colour, placement, etc), these alterations were easily reconstructed. Even though CAD making is a time-consuming process, it is a polished way to present a final design prototype.

RENDERS These are the renders of the Pitcher Wall, created using AutoCAD.

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3D model of the ‘Pitcher Wall’

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ERROR ANALYSIS POSSIBLE ERRORS

Wind and rain could shift positioning of the bottles, as our terrain is prone to harsh weather conditions.

There could be a lack of participation from student in the creation of the wall, as student behaviour cannot be predicted at large.

Stronger infrastructure, that involves shelves using OSB material will be used. Also the bottles will be well affixed to the walls fighting against movement from winds and rains.

As our research suggests, the volunteers are highly invested in the creation of change and the pitcher wall largely relies on the support of volunteers for a smooth functioning.

POSSIBLE RESPONSE

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Vandalism could be a possible threat.

The shelves are sturdy, water resistant material which will require extreme force to cause breakage.

Maintenance of the wall could be more complex than anticipated.

Volunteers will be trained to maintain the wall as per the instructions we have formulated in the previous pages. The gardener is also of great help when it comes to maintaining the garden.

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DELIVERY FEEDBACK Alan Shirras We contacted the gardener to receive feedback on our idea and he was highly enthusiastic about it. Further, he suggested that we needed drainage holes at the bottom of our bottles to ensure proper drainage of water.

We ideated that holes could be created using small nails which allow appropriate drainage.

Second he enquired about how we are going to hold up the installation. We explained about using oriented strand boards and he approved of the material.

We also explained to him why we chose this specific material over the norm, such as plywood.

These insights gave us the green signal.

It made us understand that we were on the right track and it helped us polish our ideas appropriately.

Paul Cambre We then contacted Paul who is vital to the functioning of the Ecohub. He was really interested in our idea and liked our concept.

Further he introduced us to freight farms, a company that sells the Leafy Green Machines. It is a vertical hydroponic farming system which is built inside a 40ft shipping container, This machine grows vegetables at commercial scales in any climate or location. He suggested that we may take inspiration from this idea.

Thus we further imagined this vertical gardening idea indoors of the barn with indoor plants that grow throughout the year. This could be further developed to enhance the decorum of the barn.

IMAGES This is an image of the Leafy Green Machine.

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(Grow Food Anywhere, 2018)

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CONCLUSION END RESULTS

FURTHER IDEATION

In conclusion we believe that our proposal intends to create an enhanced relationship between students and the Ecohub, allowing them to be more involved in the creation of valuable impact. It also creates possible linkages with locals of Lancaster Town by implementing the Pitcher Wall in public areas of town. It could be given care communally and the produce can be shared similarly. This scheme will enable strong branding strategies which will spread awareness about the identity of the Ecohub.

With the implementation of our installation, it will directly corelate with the aesthetic value of the Ecohub and the University. Lastly, we will establish solid infrastructure that will allow smooth transfer of waste products to the Ecohub for deployment.

In order to explore more ways of improving our design proposal. We listed a few potential refinements that the Pitcher Wall could incorporate.

First, the bottles could also be installed vertically to accomodate longer plants.

For instance, corriander.

Second, a more uniformed wall could be created by using a solid structure made of Oriented Strand Board, which could possibily advance the aesthetic and the endurance of the wall.

Finally, interesting methods of irrigation can be introduced to ensure optimal and constant care. Plastic bottles can be further used to irrigate grounds, after holes are created in them and they are fixed to the soil.

RENDER 3D render created on AutoCAD of the Pitcher Wall, of a different perspective.

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A REFLECTION

“Kindness, the willingness to whole-heartedly do something good.

For me, this project gave opportunities to practice and perceive kindness and its values in many ways. In design, kindness allows personal empathy and a deeper understanding to the root of the design problem, it gave me a personal connection to truly care for the design and the environment. I have learned to not only conduct design from the heart, but also to connect with the team from the heart.

I also perceived kindness as my team fully supported each other, with the mutual care for one another. Kindness is the root of a successful team, and a successful project!”

-Joanne

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“Passion, what always fosters my willingness to achieve the most, to challenge myself, to be a better person. Passion is a key in design as it enables the creation of value within everything we ideate or produce. Passion is what has transferred enthusiasm and dedication to our project; my team and I, not only shared passion, but a sense of compassion. Thus, we understood and supported each other intensively in order to successfully achieve our preset objectives and to best satisfy the client’s needs.

Being passionate about design not only united us but also strengthened our relationships. I am thankful to have found people who share the same passion.”

-Sara

“Respect. For me, what made my team and I to push boundaries and to bring forth a successful project was respect.

Respecting each team member wholly, respect for the spaces we worked in, respecting our professor and the immense support we received, respect for our client and each individual who contributed to our research and even helped us be better individuals (even the Librarian who asked us to keep quiet!), respecting the objects and material we worked with and most importantly, respecting life.

I am so grateful to every single aspect that helped us put together this piece of work. My team and I have grown a little after the completion!�

-Raiza This project was the collective effort of Joanne, Sara and Raiza.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Allaway, Z. and Leendertz, L. (2013). How to Grow Practically Anything. 2nd ed.

London: Jonathan Metcalf, pp.285-298.

Deloitte South Africa. (n.d.). Know Your Customer | Risk Advisory | Deloitte Southern Africa. [online] Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en/pages/risk/ articles/know-your-customer.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

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Freight Farms. (2018). Grow Food Anywhere.. [online] Available at: https://www. freightfarms.com [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

MSU Extension. (2011). Liberty Hyde Bailey. [online] Available at: http://msue. anr.msu.edu/news/liberty_hyde_bailey_local_boy_makes_good_130_years_ago [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

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Pinterest. (n.d.). Pinterest. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

School of Design, C. (2017). Charles Eames: Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to ... | Carnegie Mellon School of Design. [online] Design.cmu.edu. Available at: https://design.cmu.edu/content/charles-eames-design-plan-arranging-elements-such-way-best [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

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Wiseoldsayings.com. (2016). Recycling. [online] Available at: http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/recycling-quotes/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

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