17.02.2010 Meeting Natalie, Fernanda, Sebastian

Here are the concept notes from today. The one we found most interesting is the SELF HEATING SHOWER SYSTEM "Generating Energy Through Water Movement".

+ Transforming water pressure of the existing plumbing installation (or at least the existing shower water cycle); with the following possibilities:
- Material that uses friction with water.
- Turbine + transformer = energy
- Split water path to increase pressure (like with the rivers)
- Body movement in the shower
- Chemical reaction
- Tap energy loss recovery
- Geothermal heating principle
- Silicone microtubes?

Anyway, here are the pictures from the rest of the drafts:

   

  

 

15.02.2010 Meeting Natalie and Fernanda

With the intention of better definning this product-to-be we just pointed out this few notes:

DEFINITIVE POINTS
- Used in the shower.
- Connected to pipelines.
- Alternative electricity: Power Turbine
- Creates awareness
- Brings a real profit to the user (investment not just luxury gadget)

MAYBES?
- In/visible
- Docking station
- Modularity
- Heating system for the water (hybrid with the usual gas)

We think it's important that the energy created with the turbine by the natural shower water cycle is used in a smart way, so could it be that we use the existing installation to heat the water that we use?

Here's different versions of an analog that works with electricity, directly on the shower head to heat the water. We could then substitute the electricity...

http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/electric-shower-head.html

Sebastian Müller about dry cleaning

The drycleaner is a very got finding...

...why not clean with something else than water, such as compressed air (you know people do this in the workshop if they dusty, they blow their hair and clothes clean with the compressed air guns, Natalie can tell you from Stuttgart!)
You may actually go into daniels workshop tonight and make your own fieldstudy (but do not blow into your eyes...).

You should anyway do more fieldstudy, there is fantastic stuff in the internet, books and your heads. However you have the extraordinary gift that YOU LIVE IN A METROPOLE. So why not going out in Paris streets and asking some posh Parisienes how they what was whichout water...and Victor is in Brasil...
Other design students have to hang up in Lahti or Darmstadt. So be consciouse about using this opportunity, go out and speak to the people (this also a big MEDes benefit that might be reflected in the design process of this project! ) Make photos/videos

Notes from Skype with Thomas, Fernanda and Sebastian 05.02.2010

—Our design should illustrate our attitude towards water.

05.02.2010

—Research in methods of filtering the water, different ways of filtering, the most interesting way of doing it. Shallow vs. interesting ways. 

Victors proposals: Modules create different cycles. The water does different things depending on the configurations of the water.

Maybe these two can be combined. ?

—Try to understand water; cycle, parts of the cycle; filtering, use of water ....

3.02.2010 First directions

We've been talking about which direction the product should take, and defined some points that we would like to make definite:

1. The water flowing into the bathtub in a water spring way (bottom to top) - more natural.

2. Waterfall-feel shower

3. Regulatable waterfall as for one or two users (length)

4. Circulation/water cycle with a limited amount of reusable water. (Linked to other water systems e.g. wc?)

5. Adaptable depth of tub.

* Lying on your belly possibility to relax under "the waterfall".

Note: The images above ONLY illustrate the ideas behind, no formal references should be taken.

02.02.2010 Fernanda and Sebastian

Click on the images for enlargement


Brainstorming session and listing of the process of taking a bath.

GENERAL
1. Space Definition (separated room vs integrated)
2. Equipment (control of water -temperature, pressure-; environment - surfaces, materials, light...-; accesories - storage, consumable products, fixed/long lasting products)

SHOWER Routine:
* waxing, wc, shaving, etc
3. Turn on water
4. Temperature check
5. Undress
6. Wet yourself
7. Wash (shampoo, soap...)
* shaving, treatments...
8. Rinse

BATH Routine:
a. Preparation of the bath (environment - candles, salt, oil, foam, MUSIC)
4. Temperature check
b. Get in and relax
c. Final shower

LOVER Routine:
+ Space, time and resources
+ Positions, adjustable?
(Shower or bath or sauna or...)

SAUNA Routine
+ switch on the electric sauna / light up the woods
+ jump in after after a sauna
+ throwing water on the stones
+ enjoying the humidity and athmosphere
+ cooling down out side after a shower
+ having a cooling drink, beer etc
+ taking a shower before going in to the sauna again
+ repetition until you feel finished.
+ continues with shower and cleaning routines

DRYING
9. Turn off water
10. Dry with: towel, robe, hand towel, air? - Body, hair, feet

"Post production"
- Q-tipping
- Hair/teeth brushing
- Hair do/dry
- Body products: lotions, deo, other products
- Make-up
- Nail clipping
- Cut hair
- contacts
- etc

BATHROOM´S MAINTENACE
- Drying of the space (avoid humidity)
- Tiles, joints, corners...


USES OF A BATHROOM
- Wake up shower
- Bath
- Sauna
- Hamami
- Temazcal
- Regular cleansing
- Relaxing
- Love making
- Body shower (no hair)
- Shaving
- Feet super scrubbing
- Other treatments

OBSERVATIONS
Different levels (depth) of bathing.
The deeper, the more time, the more resources you need (water, products, tools)
The process is dependent on water > Are we able to influence the process with DRY CLEANING of clothes?
Alternative to running water (steam, solvents, etc)


BRAINSTORMING
Crazy ideas to get started

ROUTINE:
- Car wash shower (automatized, non-touch, passive system)
- Passive dry (air blow, robe, other)
- Dry cleaning

FUNCTION:
- Self sustainable cycle (reuse of same water through purification)
- Self maintenance (cleaning, drying, etc)

SPACE CONSTRAINTS:
- Closet bathroom
- Rotator
- Transformer

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- "Non-touch" bathroom
- Self clean
- Climate (air conditioning, chauffage, etc)
- Adaptable to body (height, personalized regulations, enveloping materials, etc)
- Bathroom + washing machine system
- Reuse of grey waters (linked to the kitchen)
- Roller coaster jump-in
- Transparency (to see the whole trail of water)

Meeting 01.02.10

Results of the day:

• Occupied a working space on the 3rd floor
• Natalie got up to date
• set the scedule/timetable (on the wall)
• set dates for next meetings (february, march)
• next meeting: 03.02.10 - 18.00 (european time)

• continued researches:

1. thinking about the treatment of water
-the water as a material in a more natural manner,
-present the water in a way we understand the consumtion of it

2. experience of the showering itself
rituality of a shower,water connects people, possibility that showering connects people

3. before / after the actual shower
the experience is not only restricted to the moment of direct contact with water but it includes as well other moments of the bathroom experience

• listed typologies ob objects in a bathroom:

shower, taps,
bathtub
towel dryers/heaters
step-on / feetdrying
swimming pools/ jacuzzi
sauna
shelves
containers
tiles etc. / modularity
lighting
mirrors
clothhanger
where to put clothes while showering

• collected a lot of materials, which we will present soon

Notes

Ritual of bath/shower - Nature


_ The only connection we still have to nature: going into your private place, being naked and getting in touch with water.
_ Being naked levels us with everybody else, independent of social level. Because we were born naked and will die naked. The material world around us stays aside, as a participant. We do not own it, it owns us.
_ We disconnect from exterior world and this moment puts us in touch with ourselves, and our own body. No one knows your body better than yourself. It's like an oasis.
_ We are dependent on water, we came from water and we are made of water. Brings us to the evolution. It's one of the only elements we consume as past times and it remained pure.


Romantic use of water
_ History of a native taking a bath in the lake. Respect to the nature and also personal privacy. You occupy a big space alone, and it feels like there is someone there.
_ It's the only moment you are naked and touching yourself, with an entity in-between: water.
_ Most of other materials are extracted and transformed. Water is precious, powerful (tsunamis and floods), and we need it. It represents a source of purity, cleanliness. Represents a place with healthy nature, analogy with a paradise. One of the only basic elements we still bring home (with air). Water and dirt were substituted. We wouldn't be able to create a fire on our own, or to look for pure water in the nature. Everything comes bottled and ready - no connection to nature.
_ Bathroom represents the top of privacy for most people. It's the only moment they have to be completely alone. They can't walk naked in their own houses, if living in an urban society.


_ Evolution
_ Romanticism
_ Privacy
_ Nature


Life-cycle of water: our use represents a small portion of it. We misuse by polluting and contaminating. Should we re-use it? Filter it? Capture from the rain and store it?
Life cycle of water - building up a scenario.


asian people showers in the evening
western people in the morning

Make a list of this regarding water:

HOW TO
QUALITY
QUANTITY, COLOURS PURITY TASTE
TRANSPARENCY OF PROCESS
RELATION TO WATER
ATTRACTIVENESS

THROUGH THE DESIGN YOU REFINE A RELATIONSHIP TO THE WATER

LIST OF HOW TO TREAT WATER,WHERE HOW WHAT