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DESIGN STUDY OF INDOOR FLOWER POTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THEIR
ADDED VALUE
Conference Paper · August 2018
DOI: 10.5593/sgemsocial2018/5.3/S21.021
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Architecture and Design
DESIGN STUDY OF INDOOR FLOWER POTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON
THEIR ADDED VALUE
Ing. Bc. Richard Sovjak1
Ing. Eva Fridrichova, Ph.D.1
1
Brno University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design, Czech Republic
ABSTRACT
The study focuses on the design of interior flower pots, which, thanks to a simple idea
and suitable selection of materials, can present the contemporary possibilities. Thanks to
the database of materials, a school project was developed during which students and
their teachers designed interior flower pots that included a description of selected
materials and other added features. Designs that met the requirements of the assignment
the best were selected for presentation in this article. The individual types of interior
pots are presented along with description of their parameters and functionality.
On a simple task - designing the flower pot for the interior, it is shown how we can
think about ecodesign today. This means carefully considering the environmentally
friendly product life cycle and added value in the form of functional design at the same
time.
Selected materials meet the ecological, production and aesthetic aspect. Products that
take account of ecodesign and the economic life cycle have a positive impact on both
the environment and the total volume of recycled material that would otherwise end up
in the landfill without further utilization or would be burned in incinerators.
Keywords: alternative, ecodesign, environmental, material, product
INTRODUCTION
Flower pots are preserved from ancient Greek and Egyptian culture. Pots were mostly
made of ceramics, metal or wood. [1]
With the development of pottery manufactory in the 18th century, decorated porcelain
products were created and porcelain pots were used as the main central decoration of
dining tables. In the 19th century, thanks to series production, great emphasis was
placed on the design of daily necessities in terms of aesthetics throughout the interior. It
is important to mention the Arts and Craft movement in England, whose members have
tried to preserve the aesthetic value of products based on historical trends and traditional
crafts, despite industrial production. [2], [3]
For example, cubist morphology has a great tradition in the Czech lands. A good a well-
known example are outdoor flowerpots made of metal (Fig. 1 on the right) by painter
Antonin Prochazka from the 1920s. [4]
5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences & Art SGEM 2018
Fig. 1 Chinese porcelain flower pot, 19th century [5], ceramic art nouveau flower Franz and Emilie
Schleiss, 1910 [6], Metal flowerpot, Antonin Prochazka, around 1916 [4]
Nowadays, it is still a simple, yet full-fledged designer task. Today the most used
materials are plastics that are a burden on the environment. Current production is mainly
focused on large-scale production, which has a negative impact on the environment.
Because of limited resources, it is necessary to create and respect the legislative
requirements that are laid down in international treaties and regulations. An important
legislative arrangement is Directive 2009/125/EC, which is a condition for the CE
marking [7]. The European Union also recalls the limitation of the use of hazardous
substances and elements in materials (mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium,
PBB and PBDE) as laid down in Directive 2002/95/EC [8]. International standards are
defined by ISO 14044 which assesses the life cycle of a product or service. Using LCA
analysis, it is possible to assess individual impacts of certain materials on the life cycle
of the product. [9] The aim is to get closer to single materials (environmentally friendly
plastics, ceramics, etc.), or to use recycled materials and composites that would
otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.
METHODS
In the framework of the semester tasks, the flower pot was solved as a household item.
The flower pot is an integral part of the interior and can be designed with added features
such as self-watering, modularity and the like. The task was solved in the subject Arts
and Crafts, where the students were acquainted with the traditional processing of the
daily necessity product and also the application of suitable materials for the design of
new products, taking into account the current ecodesign aspect. While solving the task,
students had access to the online library of materials. [10]
Students had 4 weeks to design the product - the output were a 3D model, visualization
and poster presentation.
The designs that met the requirements of the assignment the best and also show current
modern trends, including the use of less environmentally friendly materials, were
selected to be presentated in this article Selected flower pots have always added
functionality, use recyclable modern materials and are also suitable for most interiors.
Architecture and Design
Design No.1
Flower pot SUCCUPOT, Author: Katerina Dolezalova, 2018
The first design is a low table flowerpot for cacti and smaller plants, made of granite
powder with an internal wooden insert that can be used as a storage area for small office
and stationery products. The wooden part is removable and can also be used as a
separate stowage container. Without a wooden insert, the area is usable as an outdoor
flower pot for other plants, as both chambers are fitted with a water drain hole. In
addition, the pot is provided with a watering aperture which is located on the side wall.
Designed materials: Granicium F-0195 granite powder (produced in Germany),
internal insert - SIMOWOOD W-0598 (produced in Germany).
Fig. 2 SUCCUPOT, Author: Katerina Dolezalova, 2018
Design No.2
Flower pot Tube, Author: Adela Mandakova, 2018
The second flower pot design is intended for the kitchen countertops and is particularly
suitable for herbs. The pedestal is made of wood and its grid forms a place for
individual glass cylinders. There are two kinds of cylinders - either a vase for cut herbs
or a glass pot with a drain grid at the bottom for draining or sucking water that can also
be used as a greenhouse hatch to cover the growing plant. The wooden pedestal can also
be used separately as a seed germination plant. The pots are modularly shaped to create
sets with a different number of rows, pots and vases.
Designed Materials: Glass Tubes - Duran G-0202 (produced in Germany), waterproof,
fireproof and mold resistant wood OrganoWood W-0645 (produced in Sweden).
5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences & Art SGEM 2018
Fig. 3 Tube, Author: Adela Mandakova, 2018
Design No.3
Flower pot Crystalline, Author: Darina Ianishevskaia, 2018
This transparent flowerpot is made of a more resistant borosilicate-type double-walled
glass, that is produced in the Czech Republic in Železný Brod. In the lower part of the
inner wall there are small regular openings for draining and sucking water. The outside
area has a larger hole for the watering. Elegant design using full transparency is
especially suitable for growing orchids.
Proposed material: Borosilicate glass G-0634 (produced in Czech Republic).
Fig. 4 Crystalline, Author: Darina Ianishevskaia, 2018
Architecture and Design
Design No.4
Flower pot SUCU, Author: Juraj Klas, 2018
Cubist-style flower pots with many bent areas where each surface is otherwise
illuminated by ambient light and creates an impression of a cut crystal. The main design
material is concrete used to prevent unwanted glare, and a white glaze is used to
emphasize the outer topline around the plant, a black glaze is used in the lower design.
There were two types of pots created - higher and lower, which can be modularly
stacked together in regular and irregular groupings.
Designed materials: Concrete Flaster S-0347 (produced in Hungary) or Quantz S-0297
ecological cement (produced in Germany), colored edges - oyster shell powder
Ostrécal® O-0662 that can also be tinted (produced in France).
Fig. 5 SUCU, Author: Juraj Klas, 2018
Design No.5
Flower pot LEVEL, Author: Jakub Rucka, 2018
This modular hanging flowerpot system is made up of identical segments that form a
symmetrical wave. Individual segments can be hooked up following one another or
placed irregularly on the wall. It is particularly suitable for placing on the corridor or
staircase, as it has a phosphorescent strip on the lower edge that lightly illuminates the
space. The suspension system is provided with holes for the bolts at the rear.
The upper area is equipped with two flower pots for overhanging plants, orchids and
other plants that require heavy watering. There is a water compartment designed
forming a self-watering tank inside the entire flower pot body. Segments do not only
serve as pots, but can also be used as vases.
Designed materials: flowerpot body - bio composite material ForMi W-0513 (produced
in Germany), glowing stripe of Veluna G-0288 phosphorescent material (produced in
the U.S.).
5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences & Art SGEM 2018
Fig. 6 LEVEL, Author: Jakub Rucka, 2018
Design No.6
Flower pot Ela, Author: Richard Sovjak, 2018
The flower pot is made of flexible silicone, which allows controlled deformation of the
flowerpot and thus volume change. With this simple physical law, you can control the
level of watering. At the same time, the flowerpot is visually interesting due to shape
changes, which is also the way of communicating with the user.
Proposed material: Nearflex R-2146 thermoplastic composite material, made of silicone
skin and a polymeric core (produced in France) or flexible silicon SILBIONE R-1746
(produced in France).
Fig. 7 Ela, Author: Richard Sovjak, 2018
Architecture and Design
CONCLUSION
Within the framework of a school project using the digital library MatériO there were
designed flower pots, which show the possibilities of modern times in connection with
the tradition of these subjects that are part of the applied art.
From the semestral work, 5 proposals and one independent proposal of the PHD student
were selected. The main materials that have been designed to produce flower pots are
single-layer materials such as wood, ceramics, glass, plastics and recycled materials. In
the context of reducing transport emissions and due to economic benefits, materials
available in Europe have been selected.
The resulting flower pot designs correspond with the modern design concept of this type
of product. It meets ecodesign requirements and as well as easy manufacturability. The
materials used are optionally made from waste that would end up in a landfill or be
incinerated. The study, thus, serves as an example for the further development of the
production of everyday objects intended for the interior with potential use of non-
traditional materials. Creativity and aesthetics were the main parameters when
designing, as well as the use of available resources and production processes. Some
materials are also selected with respect to Czech production, which is famous for its
glass production.
The added value of the designs is in the multifunctional use of pots, especially
throughout the development phase from germination to ergonomic treatment of pots,
where the plant does not have to be grown in different containers. Interior flowerpots
are not just a decoration of a room, but they also create interactions between the subject
and the user. Visual communication was aimed at simple physical principles without
nowadays frequently used electronics.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work has been supported by Brno University of Technology, Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering, specific research project number FSI-S-17-4632.
REFERENCES
[1] Lane, A. (1971). Greek pottery (3rd ed). London: Faber.
[2] Dolan, B. (2004). Josiah Wedgwood: entrepreneur to the enlightenment. London:
HarperCollins.
[3] Blakesley, R. P. (2009). The arts and crafts movement. New York, NY: Phaidon.
[4] Kubistická urna – žardiniéra [Online]. Retrieved May 27, 2018, from
[Link]
[5] Chinese Export Porcelain Hexagonal Famille Rose Flower Pot and Under Plate
[Online]. (2009). Retrieved May 25, 2018, from
[Link]
5th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences & Art SGEM 2018
[6] Secesní květináč Franz a Emilie Schleiss [Online]. (2016). Retrieved May 25, 2018,
from [Link]
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Standardization.
[9] Směrnice Evropského parlamentu a Rady 2002/95/ES [Online]. (2003). Retrieved
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[Link]/LexUriServ/[Link]?uri=CELEX:32002L0095:cs:HTML
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materiálů a technologií pro architekty a designéry. Praha: Happy Materials.
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