Kritnara Kroongjit
Proliferate
LOCALISED GARDEN GRID
Lo3 Energy x Airbnb
A business future in this project developed from the development of clean energy that already been pushed forward by many company including Lo3 Energy that developed an alternative grid of solar energy on top of the traditional power grid, however, the main idea that the company aims to develop on top of the energy production is the localised system that allow members within this energy network manage their own energy within their neighbourhood. This program already been use in the campaign 'Brooklyn Microgrid' in the area of Brooklyn, NY.
In this design phase, the future development of food production and harvest become the extension of the energy development business..
Lo3 Energy paired up with Airbnb to develop the new grid for localised food production as an alternative abstract idea that equally to electricity as a power to operate the house, food is the power source to human body.
Lo3 Garden Grid
Brand page
The brand aims to create a network between household that participate with Airbnb to integrate with the food production within the community, the greater network than the existing Brooklyn Microgrid is developed in this campaign where guest of Airbnb is able to participate in the garden and get the discount according to time spent for work in the garden grid. Full time work with the garden grid workshop will get full discount in staying. The main program of the campaign are gardening and harvesting, occasional program is a weekly market of production from the grid and night party for associated members.
Brooklyn future context as location
context plate
The futuristic context show the more distribution of green energy technology used in the local area, focusing in this project is the area of existing site of Lo3 energy in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY. The development of technology tries to limit the personal usage of energy outside of the house, hence each person needs to provide enough energy from home solar panels to bring as the batteries to use outside. The advance technology of phone and interaction is also another part of the concerned element in the context where the developed technology creates the boundary of interaction between people even in public area, the only place that seems to have the most interaction is the green area of the park and backyard space as the private activity area. Therefore, in this garden grid, the interaction is also the concept that the brand wants to bring back in consideration.
Individual unit structure of the garden
design explanation plate
The design of the garden or vertical garden brings back the element of the prior phase from Focus motion brand with the movement in the structure that operated by twisting columns. Once rotated the surface area of the top solar panels attached on the fabric to have flexibility is expanded and start the solar power production. The garden area happens just outside the layer of circulation where the planter is also the facade for the structure to be viewed as a garden from outside as well. The top extendable columns provide the ability to increase the solar power production by adjustable angle of the solar panel surface area according to the angle of the sun. The circulation is also the working space for gardening and well as main circulation to the network of the grid.
Nearby unit network and power flow
design explanation plate
This plate is an introduction to the 'public boundary', which is the sculptural concrete wall with the platform on the top for dwelling space between participated units. This dwelling space is used as the shared space fore associated members as the substitution of the occupied area on ground level of the garden structure. The circulation can be folded together to close the path to and from the public platform. The idea is to let the space encourage people to interact with each other starting with the nearby units. The plate also shows the comparison of power grid that generate on to of the existing grid, but the new extra energy provided by the garden grid only flows through the public platform, hence that only people associated with the campaign is able to use this extra energy.
Greater network of the grid and density comparison
design explanation plate
The density of the network is defined by Airbnb unit that is participated with the garden grid where the present maximum density is at 7 units inside a block, the next phase of the density will develop in terms of interaction and bringing in more social activity happens on the public platform such as night time meeting space. The final phase of the whole block participation will have a social event and the market that welcome product from the grid of other block to sale in the market as well as dinner and night party event only opened for members of the grid network to create a state of full interaction. The public platform of this final phase will be doubled in size to occupy members outside the block and customer of the market.
Role diagram of the grid network
The main member of the grid is divided into 2 categories, the house owner and the guest. Main focus type of the house is the Airbnb house that participate with the workshop, hence the guest that comes to travel and staying is more likely to gain this new experience from the grid and bring back the idea to home after leaving.
Customise mode of the structure
The additional idea of the uniqueness of the structure is applied in the decorative element of the garden where the house owner can pick the material, colour, and number of the planter to match with a specific requirement and to personalised the identity of each unit within the network.
Example view of the garden on Airbnb site
The guest will have an opportunity also to choose the house from the certain garden structure and is a way to get the feed back as the mirror of the respond of people in the network of the garden grid to keep up in quality and hospitality.
Perspective view of the garden
Perspective view of the grid
Physical model representation of the grid density within a block
