Surface Tension
A faucet and sink system that uses water’s property of surface tension in a way that is seldom seen in the human scale.
In collaboration with Kohler Co., the goal of this project was to create an innovative product experience centered on the use and enjoyment of water that specifically caters to the human senses.
Work began with research into the Kohler brand and investigation of the human senses. Beside the usual senses of sight, sound, hearing, taste, and smell, Kohler encouraged research into non-traditional senses like acceleration, balance, direction, comfort, belonging, and temperature.
After exploring how appealing to senses can transform the emotional state of an individual, I researched consumer trends that have created value by catering to these senses. I translated my findings into concepts exploring new experiences centered around water. I found that keeping interactions with the fixtures subordinate to the interactions with the water they produce or hold gave rise to the most compelling and valuable experiences.
I also investigated the subject of water itself. This led me to the topic of surface tension. Despite its lack of impression on one’s physical senses, I found surface tension to be the source of water’s mystifying qualities that naturally invoke mankind’s senses of curiosity and wonder.
What I learned about surface tension spurred several new concepts, and I narrowed them down to interactions that take place in a sink, as they are both intimate and controlled. Before I got too carried away simulating fluid dynamics in my head, I took to the shop sink...
I conducted several rounds of experiments to identify forms that could demonstrate surface tension in a beautiful and surprising way. There were many variables to control and record, including the speed of the water, slide shape and material, and radii and angles between sloping surfaces.
The final design showcases water’s ability to defy gravity with adhesion and cohesion forces. The removal of knobs and levers from earlier fixture concepts appoints the water’s performance as the focal point, rather than the fixture itself.
A touch-sensitive surface on the basin controls the water’s temperature, and a light-sensor at the end of the slide activates water flow when a customer’s hands enter the basin.