Plan Ta Modular Vase

My parents both grew up on farms and were passionate gardeners. They spent much of their time cultivating fruits and vegetables, and I would often accompany them as they tended to their garden. While they worked with plants, I found myself more drawn to drawing and playing with building blocks. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the beauty and effort my parents put into their garden, and I started to develop my own interest in houseplants.As a designer with a background in 3D printing, I wanted to create something unique for my plants—something that was different from the standard vases I had seen. The idea for the Plan Ta Modular Vase came to me as I reflected on my childhood memories. I wondered if there was a way to combine my love for building blocks and my newfound passion for gardening. I realized that the two could come together in a fun and interactive way. The concept of modularity in the vase design allows users to customize and "build" their own arrangements, making the process of caring for plants both creative and playful. This fusion of childhood memories with a practical design for plant care felt like the perfect way to merge my past and present passions.

Traditional building blocks are typically rectilinear—shapes like cubes or rectangular prisms—because they’re easy to stack and connect. While a simple cube is the most straightforward shape for both a building block and a functional planter, I wanted to create something more unconventional. I wanted the design to be visually striking while still maintaining the same intuitive functionality of stacking and connecting blocks.This led me to explore space-filling polyhedrons. These shapes, unlike cubes, have more complex, multi-faceted faces but still function in a similar way, allowing for easy assembly while creating a more dynamic aesthetic. By using these polyhedrons, I was able to maintain the modularity of the design while offering something visually distinct and engaging. The result is a system that balances both form and function, inviting users to interact with the design in a way that’s both playful and practical.

When developing the Plan Ta Modular Vase, we initially chose PLA for its many advantages: it’s quick to print, inexpensive, and made from renewable resources, making it biodegradable. It seemed like the ideal material for both reducing waste and producing a sustainable product. However, during early testing, we discovered that PLA has a significant drawback: it’s porous. This led to water leaking through the material and mold developing between the 3D printed layers, which compromised the functionality of the vase.To address this issue, we transitioned to PETG, a material with similar quality to PLA but much better at retaining water. PETG is commonly used to make products like water bottles because of its water-resistant properties. While it’s not biodegradable like PLA, PETG has the advantage of being recyclable. Just like traditional water bottles, PETG can be recycled and repurposed into new products, which still aligns with our sustainability goals.In the end, PETG provided the right balance of functionality and environmental responsibility. The ability to 3D print the vase from recycled PETG and its recyclability after use made it a suitable and more durable alternative to PLA, addressing both the practical needs of the design and our sustainability concerns.