Verdure, a design project for a modular "green wall" system, led by NUS Division of Industrial Design (DID) students Ong Kah Min and Chong Zi En has clinched a prestigious "Red Dot" award for its high-quality design.
The concept for Verdure was inspired by one of DID's core modules where the topic was to design something that improves everyday lives.
The designers took the inspiration for their project from the windows and communal corridors in Singapore's HDB public housing blocks.
The primary aim of the project was "to create pockets of engagement that people can have with the greenery, improve cognitive function, and foster rooms for conversations within the co-shared corridor", said Kah Min.
The design of Verdure is constructed to integrate it into the building and the frame is designed in a modular and cost-effective manner, allowing people to customise it according to their needs, Kah Min said.
"We realised that reusing captured rainwater could be a good source to supply a self-sustaining watering system," she added.
The team say this reduces the need for residents to manually care for their plants, one of the pain points identified during the early stage of the design process.
With a variety of plants that can be grown in Singapore's tropical climate, Verdure also aims to educate users on the plants that residents can grow. An app was designed to help users identify different types of plants and their origins.
"Overall, this project aims to create rooms to foster harmony between people and nature", said Kah Min.
The award ceremony will be held in Singapore on 27 September this year together with the launch of the winners' exhibition and unveiling of the 2022 yearbook.
The Red Dot Design Award is an international design competition that showcases excellent design based on product design, communication design, and design concepts.
