VERDANT THE ECO REFRIGERATOR
IN COLLABORATION WITH GENERAL ELECTRIC
The design goal was to develop a home appliance system that integrates sustainability strategies throughout the refrigerator’s life cycle, while encouraging sustainable user behavior and creating an enjoyable kitchen experience.
This semester-long project was sponsored by General Electric and completed as a team effort alongside fellow undergraduate student Erin Glaberson and graduate student Yolegmma Marquez.
One of the primary challenges was understanding human behavior and habits in the kitchen. Through a range of research methods—including surveys and user studies—we were able to successfully address this challenge and inform the final design.
Our concept was selected as the winning design by Professor Alex Lobos and the General Electric Design Management Team.
Key features include a “Green Garden” section that encourages the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, a display screen that alerts users when food is nearing expiration, and physical construction utilizing new mushroom-based Styrofoam insulation technology. The final 3D digital and full-scale model were developed by Yolegmma Marquez.
This final design concept was also selected as a finalist for the IDSA IDEA Award.
INSPIRATION
Gathered from the juxtaposition of geometric and organic, natural forms.
DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
Deconstructing a refrigerator allowed my team to gain a comprehensive understanding of its internal mechanisms and exterior structure.
We also conducted market research in stores, viewing the latest technology in the refrigerator industry.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Initially, it was difficult to envision organic, sustainable changes within the design. Adopting digital sketching earlier in the process allowed us to quickly iterate, evolve and refine early concepts.
FRESH PRODUCE SECTION
PARTS ARE REMOVABLE FOR EASY CLEANING
FULL SCALE 3D MODEL
OUR TEAM
