When nature is your kitchen
For this project, we were challenged by TEKA to play around with the concept of ‘taking the kitchen out of the kitchen’ We brought it a step further: we tookthe kitchen out of the house. In order to do that, we embarked on a journey of exploration of alternative and traditional outdoor cooking methods, with the goal of coming up with a set of appliances that allows you to cook with the elements (fire, water and earth), and reconnect both with the act of cooking and with nature.
The Modern Forager is a speculative device conceived as a ritual object, allowing the user to reconnect with nature and enjoy a more mindful approach to outdoor cooking. The set, consisting of three portable kitchen appliances, includes a solar kitchen, a water purifier and a foodstuffs identifier.
The Modern Forager is a collection of three conceptual portable kitchen appliances that allow the user to reconnect with nature and enjoy a more mindful approach to outdoor cooking.
The Foraging Assistant
Have you ever wandered around the forest and asked yourself if this or that berry was edible? The Forager allows you to easily analyse anything, giving the user basic information about what it is and whether or not is edible. Besides, it allows them to storage a handful products, enough for a nutritious meal. However, and aligned with thee less extractive values imbued in this project, the reduced size of the storage unit sends a clear message to the user: be mindful of what you take and take only what you need.
The forager allows to easily analyse anything,
giving the user basic information about what it is
and whether or not is edible
The Water Purifier
Water is crucial for most cooking processes and it can be used in many different ways. However, the first step is always to collect it, and in a polluted world like the one we live in today, it is also crucial to ensure you’re using clean, drinking water. From dangerous chemicals to micro plastics, microorganisms or even salt, most water sources have become toxic for our bodies. The water purifier is not only able to collect and store water, but it is also able to purify and filter it when needed, making it perfectly suitable for human consumption.
The water purifier is not only collects
and stores water, but it is also able
to purify and filter it when needed
The Solar Kitchen
Fire is the number one tool in the kitchen. And what better way to use fire in nature than channeling the energy we get from this huge fire ball we call ‘sun’? Using sunlight to light up a fire is an ancient technique that requires nothing but a lens and some wood chips. However, getting the angle and the range right can be a quite difficult and tedious process, and that’s when the technology comes in. Using a variety of sensors to calculate the optimal angle and range, the lid of the device will assist you in the process. In addition, it includes an instant fire extinguisher mechanism in case of an accident.
The Solar Kitchen uses nothing but the energy
form the sun to create fire, combining this ancient act
with the assistance of technology
Ancient values for new tech products
This product is a mix of primitive and bleeding-edge technologies. Our goal was to shift the way we approach technological devices and the values associated to technology (such as efficiency, speed or convenience). In the end, after many different iterations, we came to the conclusion that the only way to do so was by removing technology from where there’s no need for it to be.
The Modern Forager doesn’t have a screen, buttons, controllers or any other invasive technology features, but rather a minimal hidden screen that provides you exactly with the information needed and only when you need it. This radical ‘tech minimalism’ is what allows the user to focus on cooking, reconnecting with nature and enjoying a more mindful outdoors experience. Beyond cooking, our goal was to reassess the values we currently associate with tech and spark conversation to reexamine and rethink the devices we use today.
The Modern Forager doesn’t have a screen, buttons, controllers or any other invasive features. This radical ‘tech minimalism’ is what allows the user to focus on cooking, reconnecting with nature and enjoying a more mindful experience.
THANK YOU!
