LIFE PODS

Project Description:

I designed the Life Pod in 2021, while enrolled in a design engineering course at Brown University. Life Pods are small biodegradable containers filled with ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and redwood seeds, species native to California’s forests. My intention with this project was to create a beautiful and usable object that could be either opened by hand, or thrown intact into an ecosystem (inspired by seed bombing golf courses) to help reestablish California’s native trees. The exterior of the pod is designed to break down without harming soil, allowing seeds to grow and disrupt. Throughout the process of creating my prototype, I researched species loss and habitat degradation in California, particularly in relation to increasing wildfires in the Western United States.

My prototype was constructed from recycled cardboard and egg cartons, featuring a stylized organic shape and a hollow interior. The process of making them began with several rounds of soaking layers of cardboard in warm water to remove inorganic adhesives. Next, I peeled apart the layers of the cardboard, revealing both corrugated and smooth brown paper. To dry the paper, I baked it in the oven. I then created a hollow egg shape from two scoop-shaped sections of an egg carton, and filled it with seeds. I tore and cut strips of cardboard paper, using a natural resin based glue to secure them to the outside of the structure.

Below are some notes from my design process.

The final prototype for the Life Pod.