Rutuja Dorlikar
MSc in Interior Design, Bangalore
AI-Driven Indoor Greenery – JD Design Awards 2024
Rutuja Dorlikar, a creative student in the MSc in Interior Design at JD School of Design, Bangalore, has created an innovative project entitled “AI-Driven Indoor Greenery” for JD Design Awards 2024. It is a work reflecting on the integration of hydroponic environments into kitchen furniture and thus transfiguring the way indoor spaces—apartments most of all—could adopt elements from nature.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Rutuja’s project associates biophilic elements with the interior space, usually kitchens. Her design envisions a kitchen island as multi-functional furniture combined with a hydroponic growing system that raises fresh herbs, vegetables, and microgreens directly inside one’s home. The impetus behind the project was the emerging need for people to be close to nature within urban living spaces, especially for those who could not afford to have an outdoor garden or balcony. She became interested in new indoor farming technologies and then focused on hydroponics—a method of plant production without the use of soil.
The system not only maximizes space but also provides a sustainable and efficient way of producing fresh produce indoors. In Rutuja’s design, this hydroponic system is incorporated into the kitchen island. It gives a practical solution which makes the entire functional construction aesthetically beautiful. It retains the traditional purpose of the kitchen island while adding an extra role as the plant cultivation counter. This is enhanced further by the addition of LED lights to maintain ideal lighting conditions for plant growth in this two-in-one design.
JDDA 2024
The “AI-Driven Indoor Greenery” project is themed around biophilic design and sustainability, underscoring the great necessity of introducing green elements into everyday living spaces. Bringing greenery indoors ensures a better indoor climate and well-being and adds character to interior design.
The materials used in the project are carefully chosen to accommodate a hydroponic system and the overall aesthetic of the design. Durability is provided by waterproof plywood and laminates; simultaneously, glass components are applied to achieve a sleek and ultra-modern look. It has a hydroponic system with containers, circulating pipes for water, and a storage tank integrated into the kitchen furniture. Finally, strategically placed LED lights ensure that, regardless of the level of natural light in the apartment, plants will receive exactly the amount of light that they need.
That makes this project relevant in a more holistic sense against the backdrop of growing urbanisation and space limitations in modern apartments. Rutuja’s design enables farming in furniture to overcome space constraints in the case of most urban residents. It promotes a lifestyle that is more symphony-oriented, which makes a statement in interior design by being forward-looking towards sustainable living with technology enhancing everyday life.
Rutuja Dorlikar
MSc in Interior Design, Bangalore
www.jddesignawards.com