From a small car that runs on compressed air to a natural cooling system for fruit and vegetables, Carleton University students are thinking of ways to help people live lightly on the planet.
View LargeAn example of an eco town in the UK: Completed eco-homes built around a communal green are seen on The Wintles estate in Bishop’s Castle, United Kingdom. The modern designed houses on the estate are said to be among the most energy efficient in the UK.

HGTV: The green glossaryHGTV: Go greenGo green on topWalls that grow on youCMHC promotes minimal energy useFinal-year industrial design students imagined a healthy and sustainable city called Ecoville as the focus for major projects that are being showcased at the school’s 31st annual Industrial Design exhibition this month.

“We’re trying to promote better thinking about where we should be headed,” said associate professor Brian Burns.

Much of today’s sustainable design is about “making things from recycled pop bottles,” or reducing energy use, he said. “There’s nothing in this exhibition about that. It’s about how can we promote and facilitate a healthy lifestyle.”

Caitie Tzekakis designed a system for seasonal rotation of clothing storage at home. It is a four-drawer wooden unit that uses movable bins instead of drawers and provides either air flow or vacuum seals to protect clothes.

“This prolongs the life of clothes, they’re easily at hand, and it avoids melamine chip board furniture, which gets thrown out regularly,” Burns said.

Michael Grigoriev designed a model of a car smaller than a Smart car and described as “embodying the sustainable benefits of a bicycle and the psychological comforts of a car.”

It would run on compressed air, which gives no emissions, and the motor is wheel-based, freeing up space for items such as hockey equipment. The lightweight vehicle, which would reach speeds of 50 to 60 km/h, foresees a city that designates slower traffic lanes.

Dennis Cheng created a counter-top unit that cools fruits and vegetables through water evaporation and encourages timely consumption.

“We throw out 30 per cent of the food we buy,” said Burns. “We throw energy at so many products. This is part of a changing attitude to how we use food.”

Nicholas Kleemola envisioned a domestic grey-water treatment system in which water flows through containers of plants, cleaning the water for garden use.

Andrew Swanson came up with a desk chair based on the dynamics of an exercise ball, which some people sit on at their desk. Swanson’s design has no backrest and provides rotation in the chair to help prevent back problems.