New Blog for Major Project

For my major project which is designing a product to improve indoor air quality.
I have created a new blog, http://icleanair.blogspot.com/
please have a look.

平 - Vasilla Umbrella Stand

In China, most people put their wet umbrella at the balcony where is 5-10 meters away from the entry, so that provide some drips on the floor. As these reason, an umbrella stand should be placed at the walkway behind the main door. However, most existing product doesn’t match the decoration or other furniture in vestibule to Chinese. Therefore, for Chinese market, an umbrella should have some Chinese elements.

In my design of umbrella stand, I used the shape of Chinese ancient vase which was blue and white porcelain, and used the lucky pattern which is four season flower, and it also has a god meaning because vase and safe is same pronounce as ping in Chinese. Hence, a vase shape umbrella stand is sitting at the vestibule to bless people safe in whole year.

In my final concept, the product will use two materials, one is acrylic sheet with screen printing at double side, another is cast steel with Chromium plating. And all parts are disassembled. They are joined together without any glue and screws.

The design is not only for traditional umbrella, but also for telescope umbrella which Chinese people use mostly. A hook is at the top for hanging up telescope umbrella, and two flowers shape ring are for holding umbrella when it stands on the base. A small dish under the base is for water container. Cross structure provides four compartments, so wet and dry umbrellas can be separated in different space.

Concept development -4

Concept development -3

Concept development -2

This concept will use white plastic sheet instead of ceramic. Hooks on the top are for telescope umbrella. And all parts can be assemble.

Concept development -1

Material will use ceramic and stainless steel.

Vestibule for Fengshui

Vestibule (Xuanguan) is an entrance for families’ energy. It looks like a throat of hose. The design of vestibule will affect householder’s money, fortune and heath. A good design should make vestibule bright, wide, tidy and transparent. It not only hide living room at the back, but also keep the money more and more at home.

Key points of good design for vestibule

• The divider between vestibule and living room is a key part. It can be a wall or a piece of furniture. The lower part of the divider should be solid and no-transparent, and upper part can be used bright or transparent material to decorate such as a piece of sanding glass. Wall or the surface of furniture should be smooth.
• The graphic on the floor cannot be rhombic pattern.
• Lamp in the vestibule can use square or round shape, but cannot use triangle shape.
  
• Don’t put a huge shoe cabinet at vestibule. Its height is similar as householder’s height.
• Don’t put too many plants there. A high, big, green plant will provide more money to householder.
• Lucky patterns can be put in the vestibule, such as lotus, fish, dragon, phoenix and lion.
• Mirror is not allowed to put on the wall which opposite the main door.

There are some images to show what is bad for Fengshui.

1. Don't put sharp conner forward to main entrance.
   

Be safe, glass at lower part of divider will be damaged easily.












Rough bricks might affect householder's health











More shadow is not good











Big vase might bring some trouble in householder's loving.











Clock cannot opposite to the main door. Clock is same pronounce End or Dead in Chinese.











Too much vases.
Vase should have some fresh plant not dry plant.











Don't put head of god and antique in Vestibule













Don't put crossbeam on the ceiling.









Don't put strong lighting under the divider.











The colour of decoration is too dark.











Because of mirror will reflect light, that will change the good things. So don't put mirror in vestibule as possible.

model test 1

This concept I used two pieces of vase-shape plastic sheet crossing with each other.

Pos: simple, disassemble, new tech in a old shape
Cos: long umbrella is all right but telescope one looks messy when it is opening.

I used three kinds of umbrella putting on a dish to test how many water they provide. after 4 hours, there was about 10ml water in the dish, and some parts of umbrellas were dry. That is a good result to show umbrella doesn't have to open to get dry.

Vase shape

The complex innovations of Chinese potters are unique accomplishments in the cultural heritage of mankind. Chinese ceramic has been a symbol of China.

For my concept develop, using a ceramic vase shape but with plastic sheet will be interested to user, especial Chinese consumer.

Lucky patterns

There are lots lucky patterns which were on furniture, clothes, windows, tableware, etc. I would like to choose some of them to my vase shape umbrella stand.






More patterns: http://www.esgweb.net/PIC/%D6%D0%B9%FA%B4%AB%CD%B3%CD%BC%B0%B8--%BC%AA%CF%E9%CD%BC%BC%AF/index.htm

Cool umbrella stand

伞 - Umbrella

According Wikipedia.com, the collapsible umbrella is said to have been invented during Cao Wei in ancient China, roughly 1,700 years ago. The Chinese character for umbrella is 傘 (sǎn) and is a pictograph resembling the modern umbrella in design.

At past, people use bamboo to made the frame for umbrella.

At now, most umbrellas in global market come from Chinese manufacturers.

雨-Rain

China is the world's third- or fourth-largest country in area， so the climate is extremely diverse. It is tropical in the south to subarctic in the north.


This is the map for the average annual precipitation of China (Drawn by Alan Mak in March, 2006). We can see precipitation varies regionally even more than temperature. China south of the Qinling mountains experiences abundant rainfall, most of it coming with the summer monsoons.

In coastal area, there is lots of rainfall every year in spring and summer. Coincidently, that area also is economic developed region. Most people who are living that area are middle class.

China china

Why call China for "Central Country"? There are lots of answers. one of them is about china, a type of ceramic.

Several centuries ago, when European people marveled at the fine pottery shipped from a mysterious nation in the Orient, they decided to give the works a name. The trader explained that the exquisite products were made in a town called ‘Chang’an’, which people began to pronounce as ‘ China’. Possibly out of the conventional practice of referring to a country by that for which it is best known, ‘china’ came into use to refer to the whole nation.

Antique Chinese Furniture Culture

The first armchair in Chinese furniture history. It happened in 2500 years ago.

Bauhaus style, yes, it looks like. Simple, geometric, pure colour. It was made in 300 years ago, it is early than Bauhaus.


It is desk and chair for last Chinese emperor's office.


For information and images, check it http://www.antique-chinese-furnitures.com/index.html
This is a English website.