It's what I do . . .

The Zeer Pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zeer pots have been used for thousands of years and today are still helping people keep food fresh in the heat of saharan and sub-saharan Africa. They are made up of two earthenware pots of different sizes, placed one inside the other. You fill the space between the pots with damp sand and keep it moist by adding water - you fill the smaller pot with food. The top is covered over with a damp cloth and  as the water in the sand evaporates the temperature of the pot is lowered from the ambient temperature by several degrees. A zeer pot can keep 10kg of food fresh for about 20 days.

I have seen Omani air coolers that work on a similar principle - clay pots filled with water and hung up in windows where the water evaporates and cools the surrounding air.

Clever, frugal and beautiful.

Headliners

This week we were asked to respond, in any way, to a newspaper story. I chose a headline from The Guardian Online about the Jewish festival of Sukkot and the way it invites us to think about those for whom transient living is normal.

I am interested in the idea of a transient lifestyle and the way in which it requires that some things or people remain still. If you are, or choose to be, always moving you often rely on hospitality. For those who are called on to be hospitable, the question of space can be an issue. I would like to invite people to stay with us, but we have no place for them to sleep. My children have a corner of the living room in which to play, but no seating. I have tried to address these issues and have designed an object that is both a bed and low level seating with play potential.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 'bed' mode

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 'play' mode

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 'seat' mode

Lifestyles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.30am

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.15am

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.30am

The task for our first MA workshop asked us to examine a day or scenario in our lives and, with a particular emphasis on consumption and sustainability, consider how we could improve that scenario or aspect of our lives through design.

A day in my life is littered with opportunities for redesign and reconsideration. For example, our accidental co-sleeping (our children get into our bed and, somehow, don't go back to their own) is not the cultural norm in this country as it is in much of the world, but imagine how everything from architecture to bed design to heating would change if we didn't aspire to a room for each member of the family in our homes. 

 

 

 

BTW I don't work for Etsy. . .

I was thinking about Christmas today and how my shopping and gift-giving habits have changed in the past few years. I LOVE giving other people presents and I really enjoy finding special things that I know/hope they will like - the whole point of a present you might suppose - but it isn't is it? As evidenced by the ever-growing mound of 'stuff' in my house - some people buy because they feel they have too, some people buy big -  because it looks generous and some people buy in great volume - because they just can't help themselves. 

Anyway - back to how great MY gift giving skills are! There are two reasons that I'm a better gift - giver now. Firstly - I realised that my life could not take much more stuff and all available room must be reserved for important stuff that I may need in the future  - like an ice cream maker - and on discovering that my friends  also feel this way I felt that I had to stop buying them unwanted crap gifts.  Secondly - I discovered Etsy - the worldwide online shop where makers of anything can sell it straight to you. It means I can send unique gifts to my friends and family all over the world from my bed and because you can search by country I can send them something from just down their road, saving me postage and the planet - whoop whoop. You also get to communicate with a real live person who has actually made the gift you are sending. I do realise that you could do most of this on Amazon - but to my knowledge (and I haven't checked)  you can't buy beautiful letterpress calenders, gorgeous screen-printed tea towels, handmade baby clothes and original paintings there.

I also just discovered that Etsy have a series of films called Handmade Portraits - I wish that I lived near this shop - he looks like he would always have what you were looking for.

There's No Place Like Here: Liberty Tool from Etsy on Vimeo.