Plant Shade

2020. The frame for a hanging lamp in which the “shade” is formed by the leaves that spill down from a ring of small potted living plants.

Final project for an MIT class – 2.00a, Fundamentals of Engineering and Design. We were prompted to create “mini greenhouses or interior home plant care de- vices.” I found my inspiration in the MIT International Design Center (IDC) shop, which has many plants hanging in front of the window. I loved the way their leaves filtered the light and calmed the environment. Their presence in space also reminded me of the room’s low-hanging lights. I thought it would be beautiful to filter the harsh light of fluorescent bulbs through the leaves of house plants by combining a light fixture and hanging planter.

This project challenged me to invent new techniques and sharpen my existing skills. Through sketching, critique, and a dimensionless CAD prototype, I arrived at the final proportions. I made the pedals with a novel edge-banding- on-curf-cut-plywood construction, and I made the main rings with traditional steam-bending. The plant containers are also of my own design – a single-bodied vase-mode print.

Materials: 1/8” birch plywood, birch-edge banding, straight-grained 2x4, steam bender