enstone
Images of Huashan
I aim for Huashan Farm's organic culture and agricultural progress to improve local life quality while advocating healthy eating, ecological conservation, and a balanced lifestyle worldwide. I created Enstone, a sustainable micro hydroponic farming system, to provide consumers with safe, convenient access to fresh vegetables.
Observation and Problem Statement
Fresh vegetable supply has become a social issue, with green leafy veggies turning luxury in cities due to the pandemic. Home gardening is a potential solution, but busy schedules hinder many, and young people often lack plant care knowledge. Hence, a self-sustainable farm product is urgently needed.
Vertical farming is not a new concept; it dates back to ancient times. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built 2,500 years ago, are considered early vertical farms. Throughout history, many cultures have modified environments for efficient farming. A millennium ago, the Aztecs in Central America created an early hydroponics system using floating "rafts" in swamps and rivers.
Humanity has evolved through primitive, traditional, and mechanized agriculture. With increasing food safety awareness, practices are shifting to biological and physical methods. Aquaponics represents this new agricultural era, utilizing a symbiotic system where fish waste is fermented into plant nutrients in a soilless setup. Bacteria convert waste into nutrients, while plants purify the water, creating a closed-loop system between fish and vegetables.
Design Aims
Address the Shortage: Solve the issue of insufficient fresh green leafy vegetables for homes and families.
Self-Sustainability: Design the farm to be self-sustainable, enabling everyone to cultivate their own vegetables without any prior knowledge.
Aesthetic Appeal: With its balanced and poetic design, provide aesthetic pleasure to viewers.
Encourage Reflection: Prompt individuals to contemplate our basic bodily needs and the essence of life as they observe plant growth.
User Manuel Design
In 2002, my family leased 600,000 square meters of barren land in Hualian Village, Nanjing. After two decades of restoration, Huashan has transformed into a thriving farm growing pears, strawberries, sweet persimmons, tea, grapes, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. My childhood on Huashan farm has deeply connected me to Chinese rural culture and agriculture.
Images of Huashan
User Survey
To get a better understanding of what people think about growing their own vegetables at home, I interviewed 12 people and distributed 200 questionnaires nationally. These are the data and some demonstrative examples.
Packaging Design
