Project Description:

A smart, adaptable medical assistant which aims at minimising contact between patients and healthcare workers.

As per a research conducted by ijmr, In India, almost 5% of the HWC’s are affected on average by cross-contamination. With growing COVID-19 cases every day, the innumerable slogans of health workers as our superheroes, apart from supplying and providing PPE kits and other hygiene equipment what else can be done for their safety, health and hygiene especially in these pressing circumstances? Considering the need of the hour, ISO.BOT is designed with the aim of minimising contact between patients and health-care workers, reducing strenuous activity of health workers and controlling the spread of virus. ISO.BOT is a portable, compact, smart and adaptable medical assistant which acts as a supporting entity to the medical staff. With the main aim of reducing contact between the patients and the healthcare workers, ISO.BOT automates the entire process controlling the spread of infection as much as possible and easing strenuous activity of healthcare workers. ISO.BOT’s can carry Food, Medicine, Water, Clothes, Newspapers, Reports and even Love from family members using integrated Live Hands Free Video calling option. It supports biometrics, alarm systems and has a storage provision to store data and helps in management, collection and analysis. ISOBOT is made of an aluminium frame structure with FRP skinning with space for Ipads, food tray, medicine tray, anti skid tray, rear gears and battery packs.

Handkey is a Handheld tool designed to access commonly used public surface safely during Covid.

Handkey is a simple Handheld tool that lets you access commonly used Public surfaces like Elevator Buttons, ATM touchscreens, Public doors, etc. safely without the need to touch them directly with your hands and avoid contracting Covid-19. Made with a sliding Antimicrobial Brass clamp that self disinfects in 4 hours, an ABS Plastic Cover and a Self-Closing Cap, Handkey is designed to be kept safely in your Pocket or Handbag after every use making it a daily essential to carry whenever we are going out of our homes. As soon as Lockdown hit India, we started observing people getting scared of touching elevator buttons, door handles, atm's etc and eventually using unsafe hacks like using elbows or their knuckles to access such surfaces with a false sense of security. From the beginnging, we wanted to create a solution that is easily accessible to the masses as quickly as possible. And we raised funds for tooling through investors, found manufacturing partners, vendors for raw materials, did multiple DFM iterations and handled supply chain and operations all during the lockdown with all kinds of labour crises successfully helping us get the product from Idea to market within 2.5 months during this pandemic.

Kaapi is a traditional South-Indian drip style coffee filter in Ceramic, Brass and Cork.

Kaapi is a traditional South-Indian drip style coffee filter made in Ceramic, Brass and Cork. The material combination ensures that the product is comfortable to us and serve even when hot. The set consists of a Ceramic Top Cup, Ceramic Bottom Cup, a Brass Press disc and two closer corks. The bottom collector is designed to function also as a serve ware. Ground coffee powder is added to the top cup and pressed evenly using the Brass Disc. Hot water is then poured into the top cup, it drizzles through a two part perforations in the brass and ceramic. The decoction (coffee concentrate) is collected in the bottom cup and served for Filter Coffee. Each piece in this Pour-over coffee filter is individually hand thrown by the potters of Ullavaikal colony in Pondicherry.

Mollie, the most elegant yet fun Salt & Pepper Shaker ever, inspired by Zen aesthetics.

Getting inspired by ZEN aesthetics without keeping the presence of preteens, Mollie embodies the true essence of the Japanese way of living. The concept promotes a joyous and relaxing sprinkling experience as that of when you get in ZEN Gardens by paving off the sand. The form semantics follows structure from a simple mallet having two halves of ellipsoid shells to contain salt and pepper on either side held by a turned wooden handle inscribed with its signature emblem. The fine diamond texture on the surface adds up luxury quotient to it without compromising elegance and added a fine grip to remove the shells for convenient refilling. Mollie rests graciously upon a sleek magnetic base cast in frosted glass with fine textures to hold it upright. To sprinkle salt or pepper just flip it around and you get the taste of two while handling one single object. This leaves out clutter on your table and its unique form of language will sure act as a conversation starter in social gatherings at home.

Modular wooden toys range of 50 animal figurines intuitively triggering imagination / aiding cognitive development in children.

Plastic usage in toys is staggering approx. 90%. ZÜLO attempt to provide a better option than plastic toys. Presently there are no wood-turning craft based magnetic toys in the market. ZÜLO toys are FIRST of its kind that combines this craft and magnets to form different movable building parts. ZULO toys are handcrafted from wood. Along with children (age 6+), adults too can enjoy ZÜLO. Smooth, gentle curves bring a distinct character, warmth and charm which captivates at once. Natural wood grains provide a calming sensory and tactile user experience. Interchangeable parts having magnets provide multiple joineries, thus intuitively triggering imagination and aiding cognitive development in children. In other words, captivating/addictive fun puzzles to solve (a range of 50 toys) for both children (6+) and adults.

A project combining craft and technology to create functional e-textiles for everyday applications.

E-textile technology has now been around for two decades, however, few products have successfully made it to the market. Despite the availability of materials; the lack of good design and integration of technology in textile products has created a gap between the lab and the market. Not only that, as the market and its need evolves, there needs to be an active conversation around sustainability. On the other hand, Traditional crafts have an innate sense of sustainable practices as well as open ended processes that allow for exploration. At ANUVAD we create, design and innovate tech-textile products that feel familiar, human and can be adapted organically into the user’s lifestyle. Smart textiles often tend to look 'techy' and therefore not interesting. We at Anuvad are trying to blend innovation and tradition/heritage to create e-textiles that not only integrate technology in the structure of the fabric seamlessly but also look, feel and function in a familiar way, so as to eliminate the phobia that revolves around the adaptability of tech-textiles in our day to day lives. Through this phase of the project we have worked with a community in the village of Bhujodi, Kutch and developed products with integrated heating and lighting in them, such as Heated cushions, Heated rugs and stoles with integrated LEDs. These products are fully functional prototypes that are powered by a power bank, laptop charger and coin cell batteries respectively. The core focus is to create e-textiles that are unobtrusive, uncomplicated, functional and 'human'.

A vegan & all-season alternative to Cashmere wool with ecological & social impact.

Cashmere Cotton™ is a 100% cellulose-based textile with the comfort of cotton and the aesthetics of Cashmere. Woven in our private cluster in Jammu & Kashmir, it is a vegan alternative to wool that works across seasons, has a longer shelf life, is 100% biodegradable, and almost carbon neutral. Once converted into a product, it can be repurposed and has 3/4th of the carbon footprint as compared to regular hand-made & machine-made textile-based products, even when shipping is factored in. Woven in Jammu & Kashmir, the fabric goes through 5 stages. The process starts with hand spinning the yarn, processing the ready yarn, setting up the loom and warp beam, weaving the fabric, processing the fabric and giving it the final treatment to mimic Cashmere. Being woven in our private cluster, we control the width which eventually helps in controlling the textile wastage in the product-phase. Almost zero waste patterns and making practices add to the existing sustainable aspect of the fabric. What still gets left behind (scarps or unsold garment) is recycled into quilted jackets that are 100% biodegradable thereby closing the design loop. The fabric is woven by a group of weavers who were originally farmers. However, due to their lands coming underwater after the construction of a dam, the weaver/farmer community got dispersed to Punjab & Rajasthan because of jobs given by the government in lieu of their land. With Cashmere Cotton, we have been able to build up excitement in some people to come and join.

Resurgence of Indian aesthetic-Purity, through unstitched and unpierced.

“Cultures with meaning unknown, ignorance is what really shown, what we thought we had, is gone, may not be… What was once a way of life, may still be… What was lost may return in the same way.” Identity crisis due to urbanization is prevalent in every region of India. The confusion among people especially among youth as to who they really are and what they want to be is causing a loss of individualism resulting in loss of identity. The aesthetic and ethos which were once a way of life, now are just a vague idea of the cultural richness of the Indian sub-continent. The intangible aesthetics of saree being unstitched- thus pure is the key inspiration of this project where the six yards of grace has been looked at in an unconventional manner. Unstitched cloth has been a part of India’s traditional repertoire and due to its purity considered for ceremonial use. The project is inspired by ‘off the loom, unstitched and unpierced’ concept of saree and the fact how a piece of fabric can be turned into a garment which is totally unstitched and unpierced. The textile has been woven using a dying craft of Khes (heavy cotton shawl) weaving from Haryana with indigenous cotton and wool. Each panel is set on the loom and assembled together through knotting to form a garment with no stitching or cutting involved. The style of the silhouettes developed is inspired by traditional Indian costumes (Choga, Abho).

The project explores Shibori and Indigo dyeing from a contemporary and sustainability point of view.

Out of the Blue as a collection arises from the philosophies of zero waste pattern making which allows every inch of the fabric to be used. Use of natural Indigo to dye the fabric and the Japanese craft of Shibori is employed to give the collection its aesthetic footing. Apart from lending the pieces its distinct look, Shibori has been engineered in a way to become a functional part of the garment through sleeve,neck and pocket openings. We have allowed the material memory post the process of Shibori dyeing to guide these functions. The materials which have been used are handwoven Bengal silks for sarees and more fluid drapes; and Kala cotton for outerwear and overlays which is a locally grown cotton, handspun and handwoven in Kuttch. The entire collection has been realised by training a small community of women in one Delhi’s unauthorised colonies in the craft of Shibori and natural dyeing. The collection consists of trans-seasonal silhouettes that fit all. Out of the Blue is ageless, season-less and timeless. Simple, striking and elegant, the collection is a statement for the woman interested in passing down her legacy, in physical form as well as in ideology.

Upcycled meaningful textiles for apparel, accessories, home decor, and upholstery.

Paiwand is a unique textile studio through which we are weaving a change by upcycling fabric scrap into meaningful textiles. We collaborate with fashion brands, design houses, and artisans to provide them solutions to their fabric scrap issues and weave repurposed textiles for them using handcrafted techniques. Our design ethos revolves around zero-waste design and we look at textile waste as a resource/raw material for our design explorations. We are reinventing the way textile waste has been perceived by upcycling it using traditional craft techniques like handloom weaving. We have tried to use textile waste in both warp and weft to create textiles, which promotes art, craft, and sustainability. In our explorations, we have used all kinds of fabric waste like cotton, silk, leather, and even shibori threads. Through innovation is design and craft techniques we try to solve the challenges we face today, climate change in this case, and develop textiles that are rich in aesthetics and have a low carbon footprint. With each meter of fabric that we produce, we repurpose 300 grams of textile waste, saving 70 liters of water.

Bahi, ceramic-wooden dining accessory, built around the unique and interesting concept of stackability and modularity.

The colours, designs and swirling robes of Rajasthan have mesmerized Indian and Western women for years. As a state that is home to numerous tribes and indigenous cultures, Rajasthan has several traditional folk dances to call it's own. However, it is the Ghoomar that reigns supreme in the royal state. Its name comes from the word ghoomna, meaning pirouetting or spinning around. Traditionally, Ghoomar wasn’t just an act of dancing and singing but was also meant to be symbolic of femininity. Young girls took part in this dance, making it known to everyone that they were stepping into womanhood. The graceful dance form is presented usually by newly married young brides at their new home where the vibrant whirling skirts create a kaleidoscope of colours and spread happiness and jubilation. We at Nirantharaa have designed this alluring set of bowls which we call Bahi, inspired by the beautiful dance form from the deserts of India.

By repurposing Tarpaulin into bags, we have reduced the manufacture of fresh plastic.

The inspiration of the design was seeing the sea of blue tarpaulin while flying into Mumbai. What followed was two years of research into the material, the strengths weakness, market research into competition, and the finally was the design. We used Tarpaulin as the first repurposed material, this was followed by other used materials such as BOAT SAILS, ART CANVASES, AWNING CANVASES. Our bags are designed with the highest quality which ensures the product lasts for a long long time. We wanted to change the thought of fast fashion to a sustainable design philosophy. The design was also created to ensure the user was free to use it the was they wanted to. like a sack, like a laptop holder, a backpack, a sling a tote, all rolled into one, yet keeping the structure simple to make manufacturing simple. While shipping, we use old boxes. this reduces use of fresh cartons. we ship is via India Post reducing our carbon footprint. We are trying more and more innovative ways to repurpose. Apart from the design and manufacture. we are sure that repurposing makes good business sense and is profitable.

A wall panel installation inspired by moss. An attempt to mend Nature and Design together.

A wall Panel installation inspired by moss. An attempt to combine Nature and Design together. It all began with a contemporary thought. thinking about this chaotic world which we live in, where there is a huge disconnect with nature when it comes to people living in urban and sub-urban areas. A great opportunity to associate with Greenopia (Indian moss company/lab) and further to design and develop wall panels for spaces. The entire design itself is so easy to understand and easy to construct, with only few size variations and with pinewood as the base material used. Overall with this process of manufacturing, the scalability part of each units are taken care by carpenters in a very simple manner.

Mollie, the most elegant yet fun Salt & Pepper Shaker ever, inspired by Zen aesthetics.

Getting inspired by ZEN aesthetics without keeping the presence of preteens, Mollie embodies the true essence of the Japanese way of living. The concept promotes a joyous and relaxing sprinkling experience as that of when you get in ZEN Gardens by paving off the sand. The form semantics follows structure from a simple mallet having two halves of ellipsoid shells to contain salt and pepper on either side held by a turned wooden handle inscribed with its signature emblem. The fine diamond texture on the surface adds up luxury quotient to it without compromising elegance and added a fine grip to remove the shells for convenient refilling. Mollie rests graciously upon a sleek magnetic base cast in frosted glass with fine textures to hold it upright. To sprinkle salt or pepper just flip it around and you get the taste of two while handling one single object. This leaves out clutter on your table and its unique form of language will sure act as a conversation starter in social gatherings at home.

Varaha is a tough, multi-modular bag designed to cater to all carry & travel needs.

Inspired by the mythical shape shifting wild boar, "Varaha" is a modular & extremely tough backpack & travel pack. Designed & created by "Crea - A Carry Solutions Company" (www.creaindia.com), Varaha is an ideal carry for travellers, photographers & bag enthusiasts looking for form, function & modularity. Varaha has 3 interchangeable modules The Varaha Backpack: - fire retardant layering between the outer surface and lining to ensure maximum safety of your belongings - RFID Blocking quick access pockets for security of your digital details and cards. - Water – resistant outer body - Many Quick access pockets and Organized separate sections - Wide 180 degrees opening. - Stowable waist belt and mesh water bottle pocket. Ergonomically designed back support system, give you a comfortable carry experience, even with heavy loads. Module 2: The Varaha Travelpack/Camerapack A travel pack that almost carries your entire world. This multi-purpose bag with a 180-degree zipper opening can be used both as a carrier for your camera or clothes. The storage space within is intelligently configured with flex fold padded dividers. It also comes with an external tripod holder, a wire organizer and an accessory kit. It can be also individually used as a backpack with stow able straps. Module 3: The Varaha flatpacker / Rollie .A compatible flat packer spacious enough to accommodate your essentials for up to 2 days. Developed over 6 months with multiple iterations, Varaha is culmination of a decade of experience in designing and manufacturing bags & carry solutions.

The project exploring a reclaimed rubber that can substitute plastic furniture.

Whether we play with classics or fall for contemporary good looks, one thing that will remain a constant in our lives is the penchant for all the things comfortable, especially when it comes to our space. Único is a Portuguese word for sole we use for footwear. Made from reclaimed rubber sheet it incorporate wide beneficial properties like durability, long lasting, water resistance and heat resistance, making it perfect for designing a piece of furniture consisting of only 1-material; My objective was 1. To fully exploit its many unspecified qualities 2. To create a simplistic furniture-- both aesthetically & functionally. 3. To meet the price range, that cost less than $10 4. Mobile and easy to handle. By using simple dye cut & interlocking process as the means of manufacturing & assembling, I was able to design and add geometric stability to the furniture, ÚNICO. The simple cutting & crafting folds it into a stool. The physical testing of different seating angles has produced just the right balance between comfort & efficiency. Ensuring that the stool is designed for disassembly, it is easy to carry on trips or to stack it and store. Integrating one of the many factors of sustainability this design is produced so easily that it generates very low carbon footprints and is completely an eco-friendly green design thus making it a complete package of savings energy as well as motivating for a greener approach that holds the highest value potential.

Flower inspired minimal bench design.

It all starts from the idea of altering the formal expression of a traditional bench to a fluidic, organic and morphing entity with a strong materiality of wicker and some stimulus from the blooming flowers. This resulted in an ergonomic bench design that had complexity of form in it's simplified lines. The blooming end of the bench functions as a side table for the user. The technique for cane weaving used for the making of the bench is traditional to most parts of India. The aim was to adapt the local technique to designs that were complex and new from global market standards. Our methodology gives us an oppurtunity to create a seamless design with zero material wastage.

The recycled plywood pavilion “worms” through the landscape offering a unique reading experience.

Book Worm Pavilion The Sustainable Development Goals call for “all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, to achieve literacy and numeracy” by 2030. Approximately 750 million people over the age of 15 still lack basic reading and writing skills. There exists a direct relationship between reading / human literacy and issues such as reduction in crime, poverty alleviation, improvement of health and increase in employment. The “BookWorm” pavilion aims to foster a sense of learning through the creation of an interactive learning space. Most library and institutional structures are often intimidating for children. The aim was to create a landscape of books which invites children to explore and learn simultaneously. We wanted children to engage in “reading” as a fun activity , encourage children to pick books and read, irrespective of language. The pavilion “worms” through the landscape to offer a unique browsing experience along a meandering pathway. The “BookWorm” is a deployable pavilion measuring 120’0”L x 40’0”W constructed out of approx 3600 modular pre-fabricated components to house books and spaces for reading. The pavilion has a low carbon foot-print and promotes sustainable building technologies to house “reading”, storytelling activities for society at large. The pavilion was fabricated off-shore and deployed on site within a week. Books have been donated by severals schools across the city. These books shall be donated to NGO’s and needy children. We are hoping that the “BookWorm” travels across the country in both rural and urban areas, spreading the message.

A flexible furniture system to support dynamic work spaces.

Our working habits are going through a transformation, expanding the way we adapt and interact with spaces. Versatility of working culture has opened up the need to create environments that are flexible and can adapt to diverse work habits. Levitate creates a flexible system allowing for a wide range of workspace habits. Levitate is a continuum with a perspective of dynamically enhancing work spaces for the new normal. A simple low cost manufacturing process allows for easy customizations. The furniture line is designed to adapt to extremes of work styles - digitally connected, dedicated thinking time or collective collaborations. Levitate expands the idea of work environments to far more diverse spaces than just a conventional office space; its can seamlessly adapt to industrial environments, shop floors, educational spaces and lean studios. The manufacturing processes allow for quick adaptations and customizations. The collection looks at the perspective of scalable manufacturing using processes that do not require large tooling investments and designed with elements that are customizable and adaptable. Designed for processes that allow for planning based on orders and de-risking production over-runs.

Paffe is a flatpacked sofa series having 5 configurations with removable quilts and wide seating.

Paffe sofa is at its core a modular design series, which allows the user to reconfigure the scale according to anticipated lifestyle needs. A user first design that responds to the users practical, cultural and diverse needs. Paffe’s structural design is straightforward, consisting of three modules - legs, frame, and cushion, which you can configure to suit your needs and preference - from an ottoman to a daybed, from a single sofa to a three-seater sofa; with a wide colour palette from the classic ‘all-white’ to pastel tones, or from deeper neutrals to contemporary chic. Designed with particularly Indian habits in mind, the one seater accommodates the tendency to sit cross-legged, which makes the 3 seater variant wider than the standard. Its signature removable quilts serve as armrests but can be removed and laid out on the floor as additional seats. Once the quilts are removed, the monolithic teak wood armrest/backrest module is revealed, with an unpretentious and minimal form. The Paffe comes with the Sar Sustainability System, a “life insurance” offered on each piece where parts can be scaled (upgrade to a higher variant) and exchange skin (a new look) throughout its lifetime. This “Evergreen Collection'' (relevant for preceding generations and unfading traditional attributes) Modules are mindfully constructed to eliminate waste and only use what’s necessary. Pieces are made to order and joinery details are rationalized to self-evident for self-assembly or consolidated monolithically.

A smart, adaptable medical assistant which aims at minimising contact between patients and healthcare workers.

As per a research conducted by ijmr, In India, almost 5% of the HWC’s are affected on average by cross-contamination. With growing COVID-19 cases every day, the innumerable slogans of health workers as our superheroes, apart from supplying and providing PPE kits and other hygiene equipment what else can be done for their safety, health and hygiene especially in these pressing circumstances? Considering the need of the hour, ISO.BOT is designed with the aim of minimising contact between patients and health-care workers, reducing strenuous activity of health workers and controlling the spread of virus. ISO.BOT is a portable, compact, smart and adaptable medical assistant which acts as a supporting entity to the medical staff. With the main aim of reducing contact between the patients and the healthcare workers, ISO.BOT automates the entire process controlling the spread of infection as much as possible and easing strenuous activity of healthcare workers. ISO.BOT’s can carry Food, Medicine, Water, Clothes, Newspapers, Reports and even Love from family members using integrated Live Hands Free Video calling option. It supports biometrics, alarm systems and has a storage provision to store data and helps in management, collection and analysis. ISOBOT is made of an aluminium frame structure with FRP skinning with space for Ipads, food tray, medicine tray, anti-skid tray, rear gears and battery packs.

We are building NoCode, Multi Blockchain Platform to build business & Internet DApps, Reinventing Internet.

We are building Hybrid DApp blockchain development platform which will communicate with Public blockchain like Ethereum, Bitcoin and Private Blockchain (Hyperledger and Corda). We are building NoCode Blockchain as a service platform which will have inbuilt multiple tools to build, deploy, manage, and scale nodes and networks for decentralized enterprise or public applications. Problem: Building blockchain apps is hard because of 3 mains factors: 1) Lack of expertise: Understanding how to build and manage your network Finding engineers with the relevant skills Choosing the right blockchain protocol and consensus mechanism 2) Cost and time to set up: Complex process of creating and scaling blockchain networks and business consortiums Long time to proof of concept and even longer to production 3) Maintenance and security: Running a hybrid deployment across multiple environments Keeping your network stable and up and running securely Handling transparency, security, and privacy GSstudio ThinkChain is a 30 mins model Blockchain Platform as a Service will empower developers and enterprises to build, deploy, manage, and scale nodes and networks for decentralized enterprise and public applications. Key Features: •Instant Public or Private Network •Multi Cloud Deployment •Vault Transaction •Ready to use Smart Contract Templates •Monitoring Notifications •Tokenization •Open API •Multi-Protocol ( Hyperledger) We are building Low Code Development Platform, New Addiction For Blockchain Devs which will communicate with Public blockchain and Private Blockchain Under the Global Blockchain Ecosystem, Thinkchain is collaborating and disrupting 5 Major Segments – Cloud Based Platform, Blockchain Platform, API Provider, BaaS and Smart Contract companies.

A project identifying and exploring vernacular material as an alternate to balance ecology.

The Earth possesses the properties of constructing as material. Earth construction has many diverse and varied forms of applications. These techniques turn out to be environment friendly as when the structure gets demolished, the remains of earth return back into the soil and be easily recycled. Over the years due to industrial revolution these vernacular material sand construction techniques have been unnoticed. In today’s time as an indication to modern world, many high energy consumption materials like glass, aluminium, metal sheets, fibre sheets, etc. and techniques are used as products or surface claddings. These not provide aesthetics but are also costly and inappropriate for hot Indian climates. A transitional thought is required to save the environment from degrading and to come up with sustainable alternatives that balance the ecological footprint. We have rediscovered various designing thoughts on vernacular adaptive strategies for sustainable modern façade, products and flooring. Ancient history showcases use of traditional material constructed from natural sources like clay roof tiles, to be used only in one specified way. The various designing possibilities and application from clay roof tiles turns out to be the right material for the prevailing Indian Climates, keeping the interiors cool with aesthetics. Clay as a material minimizes pollution and waste, reduce carbon emissions and generate opportunity of recycling resources with local artists and local techniques. An aim to interweave aesthetics, traditional techniques and local material into modern designs, evolved the replacement to expensive materials to clad as surface.

A Sustainable, Portable, Accommodative, Affordable, and Compact housing solution for Homeless.

The increase in urbanisation is urging people to move to developed cities in search for employment, adding to the situation of homelessness. The non-availability of land and overwhelming prices has also led to development of slums. In reality even the lower middle and middle economic groups are now finding it difficult to invest in property. This urges one to find a sustainable and holistic approach to fight this social evil, because what is at stake is not just shelter, but welfare and wellness of a society. SPAC CAPS (Smart Portable Accommodative Compact Shelter) is devised with an aim to create holistic shelter solutions on the lines of portability and compactness. It is a housing design concept that provides shelter solutions to the homeless, low economic class and low wage tenants. Inorder to provide such shelter solutions we propose that the land be owned by the government or a private entity willing to lease out their land that allows legal settlement. Basic amenities such as water, electricity and drainage must be provided by the government; considering affordability factor, toilets are proposed to be common. It is a modular design with a foldable structure, portability and ease of installation with basic interior elements, facilities and service systems. The houses would include foldable basic furniture, portability on four wheels, FRP door structure, wooden exteriors, air ventilations, louvered doors, rainwater collection and solar power panels providing energy efficiency and sustainability.

Urban furniture that harnesses the ability of algae to act as a greenhouse gas sink.

Our natural forests are being fast replaced by concrete jungles and we can no longer ignore the pressing environmental issues that we have created. We believe that the next step in preservation may lie in partnerships with some tiny representatives of the natural planet that we endanger, namely, ALGAE. These unassuming members of the plant family hold the awe inspiring potential to compete with their massive cousins on equal footing, often surpassing them in resilience and efficacy. We are therefore inspired to try and harness their capabilities to create a modular piece of street furniture, the 'Algal Microforest' that can act as effective carbon sinks integrated into the built urban environment. The tree-like rig of the Algal MicroForest is designed with a metallic frame holding up six hexagonal panels, a form designed for modularity. Each hexagonal biosystem attaches to the mainframe at a slightly different height and is completed by a removable metallic covering. The external face of the lid bears a photovoltaic film to power the LED lights which provide sustenance for and allow the algae to propagate. The intervention harnesses the superior abilities of marine algae to absorb CO2 from the environment, thereby sequestering large amounts of CO2 into biomass which can also be used as biofuel and animal feed. This makes algal cultivation a promising solution for the reduction of greenhouse gases in urban environments where reforestation is necessary but unviable due to space constraints.

Design intervention in Aranmula Kannadi to create a better market opportunity for the craft.

Aranmula Kannadi, or the metallic mirrors from Aranmula, Kerela are a testimony to the traditional heritage based knowledge of metallurgy. These mirrors hold a special place in local tradition and customs, and are firmly embedded in the heritage landscape of the state. Traditionally used as hand held mirrors, the craft has now expanded into wall mounted as well as other decorative products. There is a (perceived) need for developing additional products with the craft to open avenues for enhanced sale, thereby ensuring continuity and greater recognition of the craft. An overarching aim of the project is to enhance the value of the products vis-a-vis the input cost /effort. The craft, being primarily supported by traditional and tourist markets had become a little ossified in terms of product variations and is slowly declining in quality of workmanship as the markets are not supporting a higher value product. The perspective of the design process was to revitalize the craft community by sharing new product ideas and directions, so that the craftspeople are willing to explore new areas. The product language was deliberately kept within the design language of Aranmula, the idea being that the product continues to evolve even after the designer is out of the system. As the designer, the aim is to remove the designers hand and make a well-designed product, that has a life of its own, and looks like a product that had evolved naturally.

The first tile to be made with upcycled carbon emissions.

Carbon Craft Design is a Mumbai based design and material innovation startup building architectural and interior products by upcycling carbon emissions. In January 2020, we launched Carbon Tile, the first tile to be made with carbon emissions. We're into carbon upcycling solutions for architects, businesses and end customers. Addressing Climate Change issues through Craft and Design. Waste Carbon is recovered from the factories, and the extracted carbon is converted to slurry and dry mixes with waste marble chips and binder. The mix is precisely poured into the mold by our craftsmen and compressed into a tile, later cured and then shipped to our customers. Every Carbon Tile is handcrafted right from the start. The process begins with Cutting, Shaping, Joining, Filling and lastly, Forming the tile. We found that the cement tile technique consumes upto 80% less energy compared to the vitrified/ ceramic tiles. We work with local cement tile craftsmen in Gujarat whose craft is in danger due to the onset of vitrified tiles. We empower them through employment to create sustainable products. This creates an opportunity for people in the local communities to improve their standard of living. The processed carbon in Carbon Tile is used in replacing the industrial black pigments which by itself is produced by burning fossil fuels. This along with the natural materials like marble chips, and binder, we introduced a tile that is more durable than a conventional ceramic tile using traditional techniques.

Reimagining the beauty and symmetry of pine needle craft.

The project that we designed this for was in the hills of Uttarakhand. We wanted to create a linear and specific link to the craft of the state. Traditionally, the women of Chamba in Uttarakhand are known for the intricacy of the craft of Chamba Rumal embroidery. However, the lesser-known craft from the Chamba is that of Pine Needle weaving. This abundantly available raw material is woven using deft fingers to create intricate patterns. Primarily used for basketry and creating bangles and small ornaments, we decided to explore the craft more by creating furniture. End tables were created by using the woven pine on top that was made structurally sound by adding internal support to give it solidity. The design of the table was kept simple to allow the craft to shine through.

Sustainable fashionable wooden eyewear that zero's down chemicals & wastes that deplete the environment.

Background: Started with the concept: have a broken chair / old furniture? Don't thrash it. Give it to us and we'll make an eyewear of it. Currently, we source harvested commercially available wood to make our eyewear. We’ve set out to give our passion a purpose, and create India’s own sustainable global eyewear brand, that becomes a lifestyle choice offering comfort, style and is by its soul environment-friendly. Specifications: The Black Hole Wooden Eyewear Dim(mm): Small 44-15-140; Medium 47-16-140mm; Large 49-17.5-140 & customisable Weight (med): 27.75 g (24.5g w/l) Material : Wengai Hardwood with Indian Birch (4x3 const) with SS spacers & hinges A 60+ step process, the handcrafted The Black Hole Wooden eyewear is designed to surprise. With 2 years of R&D, we’ve built the eyewear as layers, with a 4x3 construction of wood, that gives the eyewear its lightness and strength, and sandwiched with birch for toughness for regular use, irrespective of sunglasses or Rx spectacles. The no direct-screws-to-wood temple design, ensures no wear & tear of wood with usage. The nose pad is handcrafted for absolute comfort. The coating on the frame makes it both water & starch resistant, further adding to its durability. End-to-end customization & personalization is a first-of-its-kind. The Black Hole design is inspired by celestial labyrinth, creatively uses the strength of horizontal grained wood with meshed lines to ensure durability with a visual experience. The exclusivity of the see through of the top layer is what makes this our signature piece.

Modular wooden toys range of 50 animal figurines intuitively triggering imagination/aiding cognitive development in children.

Plastic usage in toys is staggering approx. 90%. ZÜLO attempt to provide a better option than plastic toys. Presently there are no wood-turning craft based magnetic toys in the market. ZÜLO toys are FIRST of its kind that combines this craft and magnets to form different movable building parts. ZULO toys are handcrafted from wood. Along with children (age 6+), adults too can enjoy ZÜLO. Smooth, gentle curves bring a distinct character, warmth and charm which captivates at once. Natural wood grains provide a calming sensory and tactile user experience. Interchangeable parts having magnets provide multiple joineries, thus intuitively triggering imagination and aiding cognitive development in children. In other words, captivating/addictive fun puzzles to solve (a range of 50 toys) for both children (6+) and adults.

Restoration and rejuvenation of historic village well and shrine.

Asaon is a small agrarian village in the Siwan district of Bihar, India. An organically laid out settlement around a lake, the village has grown slowly over centuries with a low-rise, high-density residential fabric. At some point in history, few families migrated to Bihar from Rajasthan and settled in this village. A small village shrine and an old fresh-water well (constructed with Lahori Bricks) marked some of the initial public structures viscerally connected with the personal history of these families. A prominent member of the family was our client for a private project and wanted us to examine a possibility to rejuvenate these two small landmarks and create, in the process, a meaningful space for the community. One of the joys of working in Bihar is the omnipresent availability of masonry as a skill and fired brick as a material with its long history of kilns. Over and above the idea of preserving the sites through simple interventions, we wanted to create a small urban space for the village to convene. The design process ensured that the century-old well was de-silted and the water spring was re-stored. The peripheries of the well were strengthened and simple set of steps were made to make a place for rest and conversation. The shrine was restored and a porous protective envelope was created using wire-cut bricks and a light concrete shell roof. As the shrine was used by people of multiple faiths, we wanted to refrain from making any symbolic formal gestures.

An EV charger that leverages great design to bring EV charging to the center stage

Luxury hotels, malls, high street etc - that will be frequently visited by the Early Adopters of electric cars, all need to become EV friendly. However, they are faced with a unique problem. None of the existing breed of chargers is atheistically suitable for them. Hence EV charging is seen by them as a lone, electric-geyser-like, plastic-clad object that is relegated into a dingy corner of a huge parking lot. Our product, Monolith is created for these locations. It is a block of galvanized stainless steel designed to go with the architectural philosophy of these locations. It blends into their landscaped parking lots and doubles up as a soft footlight that comes from a diffused light source within the charger. The charging cable is tucked at the rear where another 16A socket can be configured which can be used for two-wheeler charging. The complete exterior is designed for sheet metal operation and is manufactured from 1mm thick Stainless-Steel sheets. Certain sections of the sheet metal are powder coated with a deep grey colour. The rest of the surfaces have a brushed finish. The top compartment comprises the charging pile that is housed in an IP-54 weatherproof box. All the components are attached firmly to an MS rectangular tube which is bolted into the ground. Every joint made with nuts and bolts is well sealed. The design has been made modular to ensure that the charging pile can be replaced in < 5 Min by a local electrician.

Pedestrian Centric design at Pondy Bazaar resulting in a 750m long shopping and cultural plaza

The Pedestrian Plaza at Pondy Bazaar, Chennai is a Smart City project spread over a 750 m long stretch that was envisioned as a car free zone motivated by placing the pedestrians as the primary users of the space. Set in the commercial centre of the city, the plaza caters to the many shoppers who visit Pondy Bazaar throughout the year encouraging all social activities like eating out, play, cultural events within the same urban space. The existing carriageway width of 30 metres was redistributed to create a 2 lane carriageway with a large pedestrian plaza on either side - 10 to 13 metres wide. This zone is currently transitioning towards allowing only two wheelers and public transport to encourage walking assisted by battery-operated cars for the aged and physically challenged. The design also addresses permanent solutions towards efficient and coordinated management of underground services to minimise any future breaking of the plaza surface for maintenance. The process of design and execution was done through continuous collaboration and conversation between all the stakeholders (shopkeepers, shoppers, local residents) and the project team. A sample stretch of 100 metres was first designed and completed in order to fine tune and physically experience all the small and large details. Community feedback on all the aspects of the sample stretch helped improve the design and execution process. The plaza has become a model for pedestrianization of Chennai, and as a precursor to the now on-going Mega-Streets project in Chennai (100km pedestrian friendly streets).

A mobile application that gives out live platform announcements as text notification for HOH / Deaf / any commuters

In India the system of giving Railway announcements is not an inclusive design. In every railway station around India a pre-recorded human voice has been used to pass on information about the trains with edits for train name and time. But when it comes to hard of hearing and the deaf commuters this information is of no use. Railalert can be an addition to the existing rail apps or as an application on its own which can provide live text notification on to the commuters' mobile with vibration alert. This feature is something is that is very easy to implement but neglected due to irrelevance. The system software that is in place at railway stations to edit the platform announcements needs to be connected to the rail server which could then easily be given out through the rail apps. A minimal feature which is not yet given thought about.

A toilet module designed upon ideals of community ownership, technological innovation and circular materiality

Access to adequate sanitation is still a pressing problem. The challenge of unplanned urbanisation is evident in our slums. Since providing individual toilets to slum residents is not viable, our solution proposes a shared community toilet. The design is positioned at the intersection of three frameworks – human-centricity of the design, use of available technology and materiality with a low environmental impact. Self-driven usage schedules attempt to impart a sense of ownership within the community for the toilet assets assigned to them. Other human-centric aspects include the reduction of touchpoints across the premises in order to address the health and safety concerns of the community. Waste management is heavily stigmatized therefore recently developed technology is leveraged to direct toilet resources (human waste) into a circular economy system. This system utilizes a waterless source-separating toilet to collect waste and process it to create valuable products such as biochar and organic fertilizers. It also helps monitor the health of the community and track the spread of disease. Contextual material such as terracotta pipes manufactured in Dharavi and recycled plastic panels have been used to lower building impact through materiality. A network of similar shared community toilets is envisioned to support one another by sharing toilet resources and generating revenue from the creation of innovative products. The toilet can then become a catalyst for social change bringing about safer sanitation practices and management of resources within the community.

We strive to create a circular economy for management of waste and sanitation problems

BasicShit is a waste recycling collective creating utility products and structures in public places. Since its inception, our goal has been to develop accessible toilet units targeting sanitation woes plaguing Indian landscape. The focus isn't just the creation of structures but also ensuring waste management by converting human waste into usable by-products. The structure is made up of shredded plastic bottles which are then compressed into sheets. And these sheets are composed as a lego structures for the toilet units which can be assembled at a site within 30mins. The shit pot is mixed with ash which helps in controlling the smelling pathogens. Apart from budgets and logistical constraints because of the same (transportation of sheets from one place to another), social structure and landscape across different geographies can come up with different situations that need to be dealt with. Having implemented pilot projects in metropolitan cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, we realized the difference majorly lies in the behavioral habits of the local population. While places like Bangalore and Mumbai proved to be most responsive and safe, the diverse socio-economic population in Delhi posed serious threats to the safety of the structure and users at certain locations. One of the most important mitigation strategies has been creative campaigning and engaging with communities to raise awareness about sanitation and sensitization towards public utility structures. Incentivizing the act of promotion and maintenance of the toilets by running a program will encourage everyone to collectively participate.

A social enterprise creating good looking high fashion products made from waste.

We started Doodlage to create awareness amongst younger Indian consumer about the environmental implications of mindless fashion consumption. How over the years we have been made to believe that our garments are disposable, by the increasingly growing fast fashion industry releasing up to 52 micro collections in a year. While acknowledging the problems of the fashion industry it is also important to understand the need to provide alternate solutions because of the pure scale of the industry and the employment across the world it generates. We worked towards creating a brand that supports and scales sustainable and ethical solutions available in India converting the same into tangible products and retailing it directly to consumer. We currently work to upcycle factory waste into short limited edition collections. Recycle post-consumer waste and post cutting scraps into new fabrics to create season-less well finished garments made for longevity. What we waste is segregated and converted into accessories, soft furnishing products and paper to make our packaging or stationery products. All our pieces and fabrics are made with ethical production units and our packaging is designed to be plastic free.

To address design stagnation in Dhurrie craft of Bhavani and sustain artisan livelihood.

Scattered units, unused dusty looms, unsold stacks piled to the roof and skill, the town once had, framed in a glass case. The present is far from the past in Bhavani, which once was a flourishing blanket and rug weaving town, in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, Jamakkalams (Flat weave dhurries, primarily composed in stripes of dark red, blue, green and mustard) were weaved by independent weavers in a pit loom in their backyards, From 1500 weavers in 2006 to less than 100 in 2019, with the average weaver age as 52, the craft faces a serious decline and extinction. Design stagnation, low demand, lack of market opportunities and exploitation by middlemen are factors contributing to this recession. We address this stagnation in design within the available tools and resources in the present condition to develop the livelihood of the artisans and continue the craft practice in the town. Considering the current skill set, we modernised stripes and introduced a contemporary color palette to widen the market range. We included a Pre and Post production system into the process by using a unit from the nearby Karur town to dye the yarn into any Pantone shade required and introduced Hand Embroidery post production.

‘Listen’ the next generation of Green Homes are here!

SUNOO or Sustainable Nature Oriented Objects is a thought and action platform for the Green living of the Future. In order to investigate the successful use of next generation materials; energy and weather friendly responses, including greener living and site friendly food consumption - it became essential to start with the first project and build on the real life feedback from it for the next generation of green living projects. SUNOO 1 is the India’s first and largest, most complex and prolific, residential green roof project. Built at a slope to withstand harsh weather the roof was created as a testbed to explore the impact of home grown vegetation and beauty greenery to insulate and lower house temperatures. Building the first one was challenging, considering that it may not work well. Not only did the sloping green roof survive a hurricane and torrential rain, it thrived, growing greenery faster and denser than before. With new species and a riot of flowers emerging thanks to enhanced pollination by birds and bees, the roof is now being prepared to grow food. It is also proven that green roofs lower the temperature of the structure by several degrees thereby decreasing overall energy consumption. Information on this project was presented at Milan Design week 2019 for Tesla motors and the University of Campania and Politecnico Milano to a fantastic response and it is time for our country and the world to see the potential of this in proven action. Imagine a world of self-cleaning, farming, water managing, solar - green houses changing the planets energy footprint. SUNOO 1 is amongst the first.

Mobility and business solution for Indian street vendors both men and women.

There are more than 10 million estimated street vendors in urban cities of India. Most of them use makeshift contraption on a bicycle to adapt their business needs. Since independence, the design of the bicycle and the life of these vendors remained the same. In our booming retail story, the hawkers or the mobile vendors of India has been awaiting their turn to earn attention and positive transformation. Tigoona V1 is a business and mobility solution for the Indian hawkers/ street vendors. Tigoona offers mobility, safety and comfort to all static street vendors, including women who had no access to mobility due to balancing the bicycle or due to traditional costumes. Tigoona (teen guna or three times) will help street vendors/ hawkers to achieve three times more from their life. Tigoona is a revolutionary mobility solution for Indian street entrepreneurs, sensitively designed for safe use for both men and women. A classic example of human-centric design, the Tigoona could well redefine the way merchandise and materials are moved, distributed and sold. What’s more, it comes in a flat pack, like simple bicycle parts, can be easily customised, and can be repaired anywhere in India. It comes with a solar-powered light for business during the night time and can carry big loads (up to 100 kg). It also enables easy waste management, offers protection against sun/rain, and is also very easy to use for women. Tigoona is envisioned as an enterprise to enable hawkers to get closer to their consumer.

Redesigning the User-Experience / User-Interface of a Heart-Lung-Machine to enhance & increase the efficiency of life-saving-of-millions-of-people-around-the-world.

Redesigning the User-Experience/User-Interface of a Heart-Lung Machine to enhance & increase the efficiency of life-saving of millions of people around the world. Completely designed new Control panels to support the user who is under intense cognitive load, to aid in the fast saving of lives in emergencies! Addressing the existing problems & critical issues that exist in the UI/UX of a Heart-Lung Machine that in-turn increases the time of treatment where every second is very crucial to save patients' life. The primary research was an Intense 5 days spent in the operation theatre witnessing around 8 open heart surgeries, filled with continuous observations and interactions with the user, usage, product, context. The Heart-lung machine that I have redesigned is the Maquet Heart Lung Machine hl-20. It has 3 control panels 1. System Control Panel(SCP), 2. Roller Pump Module(RPM) and 3. Cardioplegia monitor(CM). I have worked on all the 3 panels redesigning them according to user needs to drastically reduce the time and efforts of treatment where every second is very crucial to save the patient's life! The new concept- The initial wireframe (Information Architecture) of the SCP, there are unnecessary loops and frustrating jumps which made the user experience not that intuitive and increased the time of setting up the machine which is very crucial during emergencies. The new wireframe is more simplifies with very few complexities and has reduced the time drastically which will be very helpful during emergency surgeries.

A simple, Inclusive Retrofittable-product that enables the Blind to consume Liquid-medicines precisely & distinguish between-medicines.

HOPE is an Inclusive-product that aims in enabling-Blind & making them independent. India, home to the world’s largest % of Blind. Only 10% of the blind-population in India knows braille (Blind-reading-Language) yet all the existing-products are in braille failing to cater the needs of the community. Medications being one of the basic-necessities for lives, Knowing Braille shouldn’t be a barrier from them being independent. Moreover, due to their inability to consume precise medicine, they are exposed to multiple-health-hazards. Till today there hasn’t been any solution that enables the Blind to consume liquid-medications & such a crucial-problem has been overlooked for all these years. HOPE is first of its kind Inclusive-product that enables the Blind to consume-Liquid-Medicine. Due to their inability to consume precise medicines, it has led to under-dosing, overdosing, missing-out-of-dosages & not completing-treatment-courses, in turn, they are exposed to multiple-health-hazards. HOPE is a simple retrofit-attachment to any liquid-medicine-bottle. It has a completely new approach; it serves a whole new experience of measuring liquid-medicines. It uses both audible & tactile senses for precise measurement, enabling the blind to consume medicine precisely & to distinguish between medicines. Besides enabling the blind to consume liquid medicines HOPE provides a very-comfortable and enriched user-experience for everyone who consumes liquid-medicines. It makes the process of consuming liquid-medicines more hassle-free and Comfortable! HOPE would serve as back-support, upsurging the scope for betterment for blinds in the Healthcare-sector. Let’s make blind people more Enabled & Independent by making HOPE a reality.

Hot & Cold therapy device for quick pain relief & speedy recovery.

Iceheal is a medical device designed to help the post-injury rehabilitation process by giving both hot and cold effects required for muscle conditioning. The cold effect curtails injury expansion by reducing the speed of blood circulation while the heating effect relaxes tense muscles, and increases range of motion. Current hot and cold therapy products heavily rely on ice and hot water along with the external unit (refrigerator & oven). This makes them difficult to use as carrying, storing, and maintaining ice and hot water can be troublesome. Iceheal gives the chilling effect with the help of electronics technology by eliminating ice from the whole process and uses a heating coil for the warm effect. Iceheal has developed by constant consultation with many professional athletes, coaches, and physiotherapists. With Iceheal you get 2-17 °C and 40-55°C range for cold and hot effect resp. Iceheal uses TEC1-12706 Peltier thermoelectric cooler, heat sink, copper plate, 12 v rechargeable battery, a heating coil, and liquid gel (Sodium polyacrylate). Iceheal eliminates the handling of ice and hot water and gives the desired effect anywhere anytime. With Iceheal forget about injuries and push your limits.

Assistive device for knee patients to walk and lift their legs onto bed by themselves.

Ept, meaning ‘adroit’ or ‘skillful’, an antonym of the word ‘inept’, is a multifunctional walking stick designed to facilitate the elderly suffering from knee ailments such as inflammation, weakness, joint pain, to walk, be able to lift their leg onto the bed and to do other daily activities, eliminating the need of a caregiver. It is height adjustable to cater to people with different heights and to use in different scenarios like pulling things closer or lifting things from the floor with the hook. Height can be adjusted by rotating the grip which is big enough for easy rotation and firm grip. Ept is a classic example of form and function as the hook-shaped foot gives a multifunctional feature to Ept benefiting the user. The foot also reduces the strain on the wrist. The tabletop holder allows the user to keep Ept aside on tabletops of different heights without dropping it down when they are resting. The product'ss body is made of hard plastic and the foot is made of aluminum alloy for strength with slip-resistant rubber at the bottom. The handle is padded with medical-grade silicon.

A modular air purification system that adapts to its environment and clean air sustainably.

Delhi is the most polluted capital city in the world. With the rise in air pollution, it is creating a serious threat to the population. Because of this Indians lose more than 18 months of their lives to air pollution. As my graduation project, I took a deeper look and tried too understand the problem and create a solution. India is 2nd most populous country. We have huge economic and space constraints to design a solution for crowded cities of India. For this, the solution should be versatile enough to be able to deployed in various scenarios. We collaborated with a research lab “Airth Research Pvt Ltd” and humanized their patented technology, which is able to capture the pollutant particles without using any filter. We then designed a modular air purification system which is versatile and flexible enough to be deployed in multiple scenarios. In this the whole structure is made up of modular panels. Each of the panels takes polluted air form the back and gives out clean air from the front. All of these panels works in tandem to create a clean air environment around the structure. Since this is a filter less technology, it produces no waste and one can even upcycle the captured pollutant particles.

High tech off-grid prefabricated facility targeting primary maintenance care on national roadways with added amenities.

Ternion Axle - an attempt to primarily provide solutions to regard road accidents resulting in non-acute injuries in an effective manner. The project is essentially focusing on coexisting as a secondary layer with the primary medical system. Thus, resulting in optimisation of effective resources available by generating an infrastructure that is self-sufficient in terms of operation and maintenance aspects. These solutions are generated by conglomeration between production processes and Derivative programs. The venture is equipped with primary medical sustenance within a condensed space that is modular and reprogrammable in nature. The program provides simple design that can be clubbed providing added services such as sanitation and resting pods with medical care. The system is designed as a set of combinations that can be used with respect to local needs, environmental settings and adjusted to local linguistics. This facility is expected to be installed at certain distances on the stretch of national roadways where the nearest medical facilities are less accessible aiding casualties via various sorts of injuries. Each pod is facilitated to be connected using most used digital platforms and is also connected to independent cellular application that can be used to reach out to the facility. The project tends to connect with local medical representatives via digital application and similar popular platforms. In continuation, when an information on such occurrence is entered on the digital platform, the medical representative enrolled for the service is notified and they start their journey to the facility by the time the patient reaches the facility.