OASYS old | Celine Diz

OASYS

Omni-Agricultural System

Download Processbook

TEAM

Celine Diz

B.F.A. Industrial Design

Samiha Khan

M.F.A. Design for Sustainability

Erin Hull

B.F.A. Fibers

Adero Brooks

B.F.A. Architecture

Em Côté

M.F.A. Design for Sustainability

Student Gold in Sustainable Living/environmental Preservation / Alternative Energy Source Equipment

Student Bronze in Sustainable Living/environmental Preservation / Rural Sustainable Design

MENTORS

Scott Boylston

Professor of Design for Sustainability, SCAD

Cathy Sakas

Biologist at the Design Table

ROLE

Head of Design

Industrial & Logo Designer

Primary CAD Modeler

SKILLS

Collaboration

Research

Presentation

PROJECT SUMMARY

Please view process book for full scope of the project and research.

Due to climate change and large industry-sized farms utilizing unsustainable farming methods, the food shortage crisis and the overall health of farming soil are worsening. OASYS is an agroforestry implementation system designed for mid-sized farms seeking efficient, affordable, and sustainable farming methods. Taking inspiration from the Begonia pavonina’s resource management, this system features solar energy, irrigation, and carbon sequestration systems. Although designed to bring specialty crops to the Mid-Mississippi Delta region, this system can be implemented in urban settings to encourage efficient urban farming practices.

WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY?

"The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes." Oxford Dictionary

For this project we closely studied nature to view how the natural world may solve problems similar to ones we found in our context area. How is the Begonia pavonina's ability to manage resources a core inspiration for the OASYS solution?

PROBLEM

Through extensive research in our Biomimicry Methodology course, our team discovered a terrifying fact: the Earth's farmable land is quickly dying. Many farmers drain their land dry of resources through monocultural, linear farming, which includes over-tilling, nutrient destruction, over-chemical fertilization, and other damaging tendencies. Without a new, innovative system in place to heal the Earth, we will probably have little to no farmable land by the year 2100. Fixing this seems impossible, so our team looked to nature's own impossible situations for a solution, and eventually developed OASYS.

Begonia pavonina

This particular begonia has three main functions: to capture, absorb, and filter energy; protect from UV damage; and regulate cellular processes. To understand how the Begonia performs these functions, it’s essential to first understand this species at the cellular level.

Unlike classic plants, the Begonia pavonina has developed iridoplasts: highly specialized chloroplasts that have adapted to thrive in tropical forests under seemingly unthinkable low-light conditions. These iridoplasts are made up of multilayered membranes called Thylakoids. This stacked structure acts as a dense crystal, slowing the rate of incoming UV rays, employing the quantum physics term “slow light.” The densely stacked thylakoid structure also interferes with light wavelengths, reflecting back the color that we see as iridescent blue.

At its core, the Begonia pavonina is one of the most impressive displays of efficient resource management in nature, all due to the impossible nature of its own home.

Design Principle

Structural interference can redirect resources for various functions.

SOLUTION

With OASYS (the Omni-Agricultural System), we’re encouraging the return of regenerative farming techniques, especially agroforestry. Rather than fully replacing the function of a tree, OASYS works in tandem with agroforestry techniques; when OASYS is placed, saplings are planted on the other flanking side of the crops. Because trees take a certain amount of time to grow, the OASYS system provides many of the benefits one could expect to have from agroforestry, but without having to wait many seasons.

Too hot? OASYS’ leaves fold down to protect the crops below from UV rays. Too much wind? OASYS’ leaves can fold back up to prevent damage to the system. Too dry? OASYS can release additional water into the soil through an underground piping system. OASYS is also equipped with flexible solar panels that gather solar energy and power a miniature partial carbon sequestration system, pulling carbon down from the atmosphere, sending it through a filter, and releasing clean air. This captured carbon is then processed off-site into a carbon cartridge, allowing it to be injected back into the soil with our integrated irrigation system.