planters

_2013

Master Thesis

California College of the Arts

Adobe Portfolio crystals felt thesis planters Plant

Covered with crystalized fertilizer these felt planters help to nourish plants over time.

The plants placed inside the planters have the opportunity to grow roots into the felted fibers. The plants feed themselves with the slowly dissolving fertilizer that is released from the crystals with each watering. In the end, the plant and the planters become one, inseparable, constantly growing system.

This project is an outcome of my year long thesis exploration that focused on experiments with natural materials and design process that is set out to fully use potential of the chosen material.

A word on my project on designboom. com:

http://www.designboom.com/design/self-nourishing-crystal-planters-by-maria-bujalska

In this system, the living plant becomes an integral part of the object. The planter functions only as long as a plant lives inside it and it is devoted to this one organism for which it provides an environment to grow. Each element: felt, crystals and plant, is intricately tied together and continues adapting to each other over time.

Process :

Each planter is made from a sheet of industrial felt, sew and steam-formed into a three dimensional shape. The felt planter is then subjected to the crystal forming solution. The emerging crystals finish the design process by curing the felt and creating unique surface textures.

In this process each object, even though created in the same way is unique. Materials have a chance to behave in their natural way and add their voice to the final design.