SŌZU
A Japanese water fountain that collects rain water until it is full, tipping the balance and spilling the water.
Where does your water come from?
Modern households have lost their relationship with nature.
How do I create a harmony between nature and the modern home?
I was guided by two words, natural and harmony. My designs took inspiration from natural forms found throughout Japan's nature, while finding a way to bring these elements into a modern home.
I narrowed down my design to focus more on showing users where their water is coming from. It is important to show the impact their water usage has on nature, so making the act of turning on the water needs to be more interactive and feel more connected to nature.
SŌZU grew heavy inspiration from traditional Japanese outdoor fountains. The act of 'tilting' the faucet up or down to turn the faucet on or off is a natural human interaction. This also allows the user to feel more cognizant of their water usage.
I explored how the model would work, where the pivot point needed to be in the physical interaction and the correct proportions of the two tubes. I messed around with cardboard, and jumped into CAD as soon as possible to get the shapes set. Then I worked out a higher fidelity model from PVC piping.
Instinctual Control
Tilting the faucet down allows the water to flow, while tilting it back up turns the faucet off.
Point of Rotation
Water flows up through the pipe and the double layered funnel walls allow it to pass freely through the center pouring out of the faucet.
Temperature Control
The dial on top allows the user to set a preferred temperature. Keeping it consistent every time they come back to wash their hands.
