UnLimited Akpa Azụ by Kuan-Hua Chou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz in Nhazi Ngwaahịa Na-adịgide, Ọrụ na Nhazi Akwụkwọ Ndụ Competition Category.

BronzNgwaahịa Na-adịgide· 2020

UnLimited Akpa Azụ

by Kuan-Hua Chou

Client: Kuan-hua Chou

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz Winner in Ngwaahịa Na-adịgide Category

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The Design

About UnLimited Akpa Azụ

UnLimited bụ akpa azụ enwere ike ịnwughachi enwere ike ịnwughachi (recycle) e chere maka ndị na-agba igwe na obodo. Akpa azụ a anaghị ata mmiri ma enwere ike ịgbanwe ha n'ogo dabara adaba. Ihe owuwu yiri concertina na-eme ka akpa ahụ saa mgbe ihe ndị a na-atughị anya ha dị, ma megharịa n'ime ụdị dị mkpirikpi nke na-eme ka mmegharị dịkwuo mfe. UnLimited bụ ihe e ji otu ihe mepụta - elastomer thermoplastic enwere ike ịnwughachi nke nwere ọkwa ike dị iche iche - a na-emechikwa ya site na nkọwa ọkụ (heat welding). Ọtụtụ akpa azụ ndị ọzọ na-ejikọta ọtụtụ ihe dị iche iche, nke na-eme ka ọ sie ike inwughachi ha. Owuwu nke otu ihe na-akwado ojiji ọzọ na inwughachi mgbe ọrụ ya gwụsịrị.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz

UnLimited Akpa Azụ meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị pụtara ìhè nke a ma ama maka nzụlite ihe, ọgụgụ isi na nghọta. Ndị meriri na Bronz bụ ihe e mere nke ndị nwere nka nke ukwuu ma dị mma n'imepụta nke na-egosi ahụmahụ buru ibu, echiche na ọgụgụ isi nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na UnLimited Akpa Azụ ga-abụ ihe a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz na-agụnye ụzọ kacha mma n'ime nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ, ma dị mma nke ukwuu maka nlebara anya ya n'obere ihe. UnLimited Akpa Azụ na-emezu mkpa nke ọma, na-emetụ ọchịchọ aka, na-adọrọ mmetụta obi ma na-adọta ọchịchọ ịmara.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: UnLimited is a recyclable, fully waterproof and size adjustable backpack tailored to the needs of an urban slow cyclist. This project aims to demonstrate the unlimited and limited requirements of space and material through a daily backpack. It can both expand to accommodate unexpected items and compress to keep the backpack streamlined to allow for better mobility.
Dimensions & Packaging: 290 mm x 410 mm x (20~150) mm, 860 g
Tags: backpack, material, exploration, sustainable, plastics, responsible consumption and production, slow cycling, commuting, unlimited, limited
Production Technology: The concept and production focus on concertina structure, material features and plastic production methods. Following the design philosophy for 'design of reduction', the backpack is sealed by heat welding and made of mono-material DuPont Hytrel, or similar recyclable thermoplastic elastomers with different levels of hardness. This feature is in stark contrast to the backpacks on the market today, which are multi-material and hard to recycle.
Design Challenge: How to bring DuPont Hytrel from industrial usages to daily life market is the first challenge of this project. Another barrier is to search suitable hardness and thickness for the concertina structure, which should provide an instantly positive user experience.
Research: The design research was conducted through material exploration firstly and discovering the target audience and market through survey, road observation and 1:1 interview.
Inspiration: Plastics that improve with age. The project is to design a product, with recyclable plastic, that is sustainable and creates a genuine bond with the user. An object that improves with age and counters some of the negative attributes often attributed to plastics such as cheap, transient and unemotional. Considering the longevity of a solution but also its place in a circular economy. What is its service life, how can it be reused, recycled or repurposed if it comes to the end of its useful life?
Project Duration: The material research started from visiting DuPont Geneva Innovation Center in October 2016. The concept development was implemented during the springs of 2017 and 2018 in London, following a release in the 2018 degree show at the Royal College of Art. The latest prototype was made in November 2019 in Tainan.
Operation Flow: Enough? Enough! UnLimited provides cyclists space depends on their needs. However, for the limitation of a bike, cyclists should not be a greedy user. They have to ensure the load they carry can keep their journey comfortable, not an obstacle. The project reflects balance and interaction between cyclists and their freedom of bringing as much as they can or as less as they can.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Kuan-hua Chou, 2018.
Image Credits: Photographer: Kuan-hua Chou

VIDEO CREDITS:
Filmmaker: Hiroki Yokoyama
Composer: Eternity Bro
Starring: Victoria Lynn-Hamilton, Anthony Fanna, Beatrice Maione