AER

Home Air Filter - A Design & Material Innovation Concept

A New Approach To Air Filtration

Aer is a material-forward design solving for sustainable and affordable home air filtration.

Aer embraces charcoal's inherent values and versatility by using it as a compostable bioplastic housing and a filtration solution.

Aer elegantly solves two essential problems: accessible home air filtration and removing plastic from the consumer product lifecycle.

The final result is an innovative, affordable design solution based on a circular economy framework.

UC Berkeley MDes, Capstone Project

Core77 Design Awards 2023, Sustainability Award

Material-Driven Design - A Process of Making & Iteration

My journey began with a deep curiosity about charcoal's natural properties and potential. I explored its inherent filtration capabilities and its viability as a bioplastic to replace conventional plastic housings in consumer products. My specific design challenge was to create a material-forward industrial design solution that could provide affordable and accessible air filtration for small living spaces in urban communities disproportionately affected by high pollutant levels.

With this ambitious goal, I embarked on a series of hands-on material explorations, developing multiple variations of charcoal bioplastics while experimenting with diverse casting methods and shapes, rigorously testing them for novel design attributes and enhanced filtration benefits.

In addition to yielding messy and sometimes beautiful results, this hands-on material-based iterative process enabled me to craft an innovative design solution addressing my goals, underscoring the role of material investigation as inspiration in design and the critical importance of circular and accessible design principles.