Flow
“Reframing the bathroom experience of Dutch terrace house inhabitants to a personalized and nature inspired environment.”
University project with client – Individual work
Advanced Concept Design course
Duration: 120 days
Circularity – User experience
Climate change has been a driving force for designers and organizations like Urgenda and ThuisBass to strive for the realization of a transition towards a sustainable lifestyle and a circular economy. Following this ambition, I intended to bring a fresh look to how sustainable solutions could be implemented in a way that it is possible for them to coexist with a high standard of living. “flow” deals with bathing and how a personalized environment could minimize energy and water consumption during the time spent in the bathroom.
“flow” heats immediately and only when a user stands on the product, making it effortless and intuitive. The heating medium is water from the house system. The product is a compilation of layers, two protective plastic layers at the outside to maintain the water, inside there is a heat absorbing cloth and a pattern created from spheres to allow water flow and pleasantly massage the feet. Underneath these layers is located the electronic location tracking system.
The heating will be activated from user’s weight on the product where an electronic system will release 30°C water inside the product. A conductive thread sewed on fabric will map the placing of the user and the electronic system will direct the flow.
“Flow” is sustainable, easy to install, intuitive, affordable & luxurious
Product close up (render)
Prototype close up
Culture metaphors: Top – The pattern of the product resembles walking on the sand. Bottom – The way water rushes into the product resembles waves on a shore.
“Flow” aims to recreate experiences connected to the beach, like walking on sand and mild waves crashing on the shore. Special design characteristics attribute this meaning to the product, like the pattern created by the spheres and the flow of the inserted water. A semi-functional prototype was tested with users to evaluate the heating pleasantness, healthy posture and feet physiology. It was found that all features worked smoothly with a small adjustment on the sphere roughness.
Prototype testing with users
A main benefit of flow is the decrease in the number of hours that heating is used in the bathroom, which could lead to up to an estimated sustainability profit of almost 43%. In the future, heat recovery could create an even bigger profit.
The form of the product is especially designed so that it takes complete advantage of all possible heating effects. The spheres stimulate blood circulation at the feet (physical ergonomics), while the rough surface and the warm yellow color of the product give the perception of a warm surface (cognitive ergonomics). Installation is easy and does not require any specialized personnel, as it is applied directly on top of the floor and cleaned like tiles.
Installation is easy and does not require any specialized personnel, as it is applied directly on top of the floor and cleaned like tiles.
