Final Project Portfolio
Intention
The starting point for my problem frame was that my plants die whenever I go back home for break. Being from Canada, I can’t cross the border with living things and finding a plant-sitter is difficult. As a result, my plants shrivel up and die.
On a completely different note, I learned a lot about myself from the personal interviews conducted in class. My work life and personal life are entirely separate and distinct in attitudes and aesthetics. While my workspace is clean, practical and mostly monochromatic, my living space is fun and colourful. Even though these two areas of my life are very different, I find that they empower each other and make me who I am.My initial problem of dead and dry plants merged with the need to embody my two-fold way of life to form an aquaponics project.
Research and Context
I looked at existing aquaponics and hydroponics systems, particularly desktop scale aquaponics tanks. In my case, the size of the tank is limited by the output of the 3D printer. As a result, my design is much more compact than what is already out there.
There is a lot of focus on aquaponic technology in agricultural sustainability. This leads most designs to demonstrate large-scale pragmatics in their visual aesthetic. I attempted to shift the focus to captivating interest and sharing the concept of aquaponic technology in a creative way.
Aesthetic Inspiration
Aside from existing tanks and aquariums as pictured above, I found myself being inspired by modern furniture design; especially plastic flow form pieces. This inspired the curved 3D printed frame in my design.
Sketches & Prototype
Process and Procedure
Implemented Procedure:
The actual procedure varied slightly from the intended plan. I started by sketching the frame on the ground plane lying down. I then extruded the hollow rectangular frame upward. I applied filets to the inner and outer corners as well as the edges. I created an offset plane slightly within the outermost edge of the frame and made an extruded cut to create a step for where the acrylic pieces should sit. I mirrored this action on the other side.
I then extruded a rectangle from the top face to create the base shape for the planter. I applied filets to round out the planter. I shelled out the planter to make it hollow. I patterned a line of circles along the bottom of the planter and extruded cut holes for water to be able to seep in.
I extruded a thin piece based on the inner shape of the frame to create the acrylic sheet. I mirrored this to the other side. Finally, I re-oriented the piece to be standing and applied material appearances.
Final Product
Reflection
As mentioned, scale played a role in the final design due to the size limitations of the 3D printer. The material limitations also impacted the form of the tank. This caused the final design to deviate significantly from the original design. I learned a lot about rapid prototyping processes, as it took three tries to print the frame successfully. I also learned more about plant care and my own visual aesthetic as a product design major.
If I had another go at this, I would be more careful when caulking the silicone aquarium sealant. I had to clean up around the edges of the tank a little more than I wanted. For future iterations of the project, I would like to explore different proportions created by piecing together separate parts. In particular, I want to find a way to increase the size of the tank to be suitable for small fish and increase the size of the planter to be able to grow a larger plant.
