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SAVING IT IN STYLE

Erika Yarrow visited the 'Slow Water' exhibition and discovered that saving water can be stylish as well as being sustainable.

'Slow Water', an exhibition of work created by 14 designers from 'Platform 10', a teaching unit from the Royal College of Art's Design Products MA course, has much in common with the 'Slow Food' movement which originated in Italy in 1989.  Created to support and encourage the appreciation of seasonal, local produce, the Slow Food movement communicates the luxury of the familiar, the pleasure that can be found in simplicity, the harmony of mankind and his local environment that has sustained his family for generations.  This notion of finding pleasure in the familiar and appreciating our connection with the local environment is one that shines through the 'Slow Water' exhibition and adds cultural value to the message of sustainable water use. 
 

We live in an age where the environmental tag has become associated with Puritanism, deprival and, worse still, stealth taxes.  This exhibition proves that sustainable living need not be about self-flagellation.  Instead it offers stylish, playful, often luxurious ways of enjoying, preserving and reusing water in the domestic environment.  More importantly,   it demonstrates the huge contribution that young, creative minds can make to the environmental sector.
 

Freddie Yauner, one of the MA students exhibiting at 'Slow Water' says:  'I looked to home for inspiration and, working with Gregor Timlin, a Londoner and an Irish lad, we knew lots about rain, but what we then found out led to the start of our rain water harvesting project.  When we discovered that summer watering of gardens accounts for 70 percent of mains usage, we realised there was plenty of potential for a concept to change this.  We wanted to make the task of water collection one of enjoyment.' 

'After extensive research, we were well aware of existing solutions, but there are many problems with rainwater collection which seem to be holding people back.  The products we are developing suggest possibilities; the Volume Armchair allows you to collect rainwater without the container being an eyesore. Instead it becomes a complementary part of the garden.  The Inverted Umbrella shows a possibility that has been sitting in front of us for too long. It does all you expect from an umbrella but its inverted canopy will also collect rain water and distribute it to storage points. The larger version can be strung from the house and trees to create stylish shade and immense water collection potential.  How many more people would actively harvest rainwater if they did not need to go to the trouble of diverting it via a down pipe?'

He continues: 'Many of the products we designed try to give users a visual reminder of the value of water. And it is by comparing products with this as their goal that you start to understand the nature and talents on the platform.  Tiago Fonseca's Tap meter gives an accurate and real-time consumption reading so you can see the amount of water you are using in either pounds or litres.  By simply giving users a read-out of water usage, in units they understand, you put the ball in their court, and put them in a better position to address their excessive water usage in the home.  Maja Ganszyniec's Basin would be a bowl to many, as it has no plug.  But that is exactly its brilliance. By creating a basin for washing, which in the past would have been filled by jug but now by tap, the user can see exactly the water they have used.  They can then choose to tip the basin and run the water down the drain, or take action and recycle their own grey water directly into the toilet cistern.'

In Raquel Martins' Rush'ower,  a shower curtain, screen-printed with heat sensitive ink, reacts to the time spent in the shower, creating a message for the user. 'As the water runs down the drain, the curtain changes colour to alert the person showering, inducing guilt and changing behaviours,' explains Martins.  'You may not care, but the world will.'
 

Gini Coates' exhibit allows lovers of a long, deep soak in the bath to indulge in comfort and with a clear conscience.  By creating ceramic shapes that support the body when bathing, Coates' design aids comfort, whilst reducing the amount of water required for bathing.
'Slow Water' highlights the pleasure that good design can bring to sustainability.  With this kind of talent we have the chance to protect the Planet in a way that transforms our homes and our appreciation of natural resources.

Note: The Platform 10 water project was exhibited as part of the InnovationRca exhibition during London Design Week in 21 September 2007.