This project is featured as part of the D5 Digital Design Week: AI & Sustainability. To learn more, click here.
The Bough Pot was generated through a partnership between Carleton University and a local community center. Based on research on the center, a brief was developed to create products connecting users of the community hub with urban farming practices. The Bough Pot facilitates that connection.
A system was designed in tandem with the physical artifact. In this system, pots are gifted to facility users (e.g., daycare, food bank, gym) and sown with vegetable seedlings. Users then take the pots home and care for the plant. In spring, pots are returned and planted in community gardens with a head start on the annual growth cycle. As the Bough Pots are decomposable, they can be planted directly in the soil, reducing the risk of transplant shock and streamlining the planting process.
The Bough Pot uses free, open-source, 3D-printed compression molds to encourage broad use. The accessibility of 3D printing means grassroots manufacturing can occur at makerspaces, often within the community centers from which the pots are distributed. The product measures 11 cm in width, 11.5 cm in depth, and 12 cm in height and is crafted from post-consumer pulp with a rice paste binder using compression molding. Since the pots are made from post-consumer pulp, their material can be sourced from community center waste, promoting sustainability.
The pot’s form has both an impression and a protrusion, creating a nestling effect when placed in series. This feature encourages various arrangements by the user, allowing self-expression through their chosen arrangement of the pots. Initially, the Bough Pot was designed with a handle to improve transportability between community hubs and users’ homes. Later, a handle-less version was also embraced.
The Bough Pot connects community members with urban farming by providing a desirable growing experience in users’ homes and linking it to local urban farming facilities.
Instagram Handle: jacobboyd.obj
Link to Moulds: https://sketchfab.com/jacobboyd
Contact: jacob_boyd@live.com
Image credit: Courtesy of the designer.
