Esme Magnier

What is the project about

The project focused on how existing air purifiers could be improved for the classroom environment whilst considering sustainability, yet still works to clean and filter the air like other units.

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the project started with a focus on innovating to improve indoor air pollution in classrooms. My research found that indoor air pollution goes beyond the spread of viruses, contributing to a range of health complications that may impact anyone attending or working in schools.

However, existing solutions by Dyson or Philips use depleting natural resources, polluting both soil and water from the use of mined petrochemicals. 

What you were trying to achieve

The vison for the project focused on improving the classroom environment to be healthier, cleaner, and ‘greener’. Students and staff should expect healthy, safe, and breathable environments, but not at the cost of the planet. Values were identified that the new air purifier aimed to embody:

• Health - Indoor air pollution is a threat

  to people’s health, especially children as their lungs are still developing. This risk must be minimised.

• Sustainability – It is important to try

  and minimise the impact schools have on the environment through the products

  they use.

• Adaptability - Classrooms come in all

  shapes and sizes, so it is important that the solution can adapt to the school’s

  needs

• Non-disruptive - An innovation that

  disrupts students may affect their performance in school. C-Aire focused on

  trying to minimise the amount of sound that is produced from each unit by

  considering the acoustic properties of the materials used.

• Modular - For sustainability, the

  solution needed to be modular, allowing for repair, replacement, and recycling

  of parts. This encourages a closed lifecycle for the product.

What is unique about the design

The design aims to be innovative from the choice of sustainable cork and wool, its modular and repairable design, and a focus on minimising the noise to not disrupt students.

Cork is an eco-efficient material with a closed life cycle, allowing cases to be recycled multiple times. 3mm cork can reduce sounds by 10 decibels, a thick cork case could drastically reduce fan noise, making it suitable for use in class. Cork doesn’t leach harmful chemicals, is compostable, grows fast, and is highly renewable.

Wool filters are also a natural, sustainable alternative that can be recycled into new filters or easily composed. It is a biodegradable alternative to plastic that can capture viruses, pollen, and bacteria in its fibres.

The look and feel of your design

C-Aire has a simple, rectangular yet sleek shape that takes air in from the front and pushed it out at an angle from the top. It has a natural look from the cork granules which are moulded, forming the lightweight case of the air purifier. It is warm to the touch with smooth corners for an organic feel.