Biovessel 堆肥器 by Chen Hsiang Chao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 可持续产品、项目与绿色设计 Competition Category.

铜可持续产品· 2025

Biovessel 堆肥器

by Chen Hsiang Chao

Client: Bionicraft Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 可持续产品 Category

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The Design

About Biovessel 堆肥器

Biovessel是一款室内生态堆肥器，其设计灵感源于自然，专为处理厨余垃圾而生，它将自然带入都市家庭，通过将食物垃圾转化为滋养新生命的养分来重新定义废弃物。借助蚯蚓、土壤及其微生物以及水的作用，Biovessel内部的生态系统重新定义了原本被丢弃在垃圾桶中的废弃物。这一有机废弃物分解过程完全由自然力量驱动，创造出一个自给自足的生态系统，实现无异味、高效率的分解。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铜奖

Biovessel 堆肥器是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计Biovessel 堆肥器将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。Biovessel 堆肥器出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Biovessel is an indoor ecosystem/composter inspired by nature and designed to deal with food waste, it brings nature into your urban home and redefines food waste by turning it into nutrients that feed new life.
With the help of earthworms, soil and its microorganisms, and water the ecosystem within Biovessel redefines waste, which is otherwise disposed of in bins. The process of breaking down the organic waste is purely powered by nature and creates a self-sustainable ecosystem that achieves odourless, high-efficiency decomposition.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 450mm x Depth 225mm x Height 165mm
Tags: foodwaste, upcycle, bionic, nature, rewild
Production Technology: The form of Biovessel has not been deliberately designed for aesthetic appeal, neither is it another machine created to deal with the waste that humans have created, instead, we let nature decide. Biovessel has been created from the data collected and compiled from 20+ months of biological research, experiments, and observation on the process of food waste decomposition.
The information documented from these observations and experiments was then translated into quantitative data. By putting the data into a specially developed algorithm, Biovessel was born based on parametrics, ergonomics, etc.
Design Challenge: Transforming experimental data and overcoming the challenges of mass production are crucial aspects of this project. We spent a considerable amount of time converting virtual data into physical design forms using algorithms. Subsequently, we further refined these forms to suit mass production requirements. The form of the vessel is produced through blow moulding technology, and controlling its variables to achieve high production yield poses significant challenges.
Research: Biovessel has been created from the data collected and compiled from 20+ months of biological research, experiments, and observation on the process of food waste decomposition.
The ventilation holes on the top caps imitate the patterns of sunflower seed spirals, using the golden ratio and air permeability as parameters, we achieve the most optimal state for the internal environment.
The most suitable position and density for the openings on the cork wood lid are determined by the analysis of aerodynamic parameters.
Data from parameters such as experiments, biological behaviour, and other factors from the manufacturing process are integrated to create the form of the vessel. The end result of Biovessel is a form that fits the biological decomposition process and efficiency within the vessel to the largest extent.
Being defined and designed by nature, the ecosystem that Biovessel creates is most suitable for its inhabitants and is one that is most effective and convenient for its users.
Inspiration: According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year gets lost or wasted and ends up rotting in landfills, needlessly producing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change. Biovessel is a solution that can be managed in urban homes and creates a self-sustainable ecosystem that reverses the vicious food waste cycle.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2016 and finished in October 2016 in Taipei.
Operation Flow: 1. Place approximately 3000g of sawdust soil mix, containing 500g of composting worms into Biovessel. Spray the surface with water to moisten the environment and check for moisture(3-5), light(100-300), and pH level(7-8) through Observation Hole.
2. Put chopped bits from food ingredients into a waste container and empty containers into the Food Waste Inlet Hole. Do not exceed container capacity each time. Put top caps back on Biovessel and wait for the ecosystem to work its magic.
3. Spray the surface with water to moisten the environment through the Outlet Hole and check for moisture(3-5), light(100-300), and pH level(7-8) through the Observation Hole.
4. Harvest an adequate amount of fertilizer from the surface layer of the Outlet Hole. Feed your plants.
Patents: Patented: Biovessel - Device for converting kitchen waste to organic fertilizer
Patent No: TW 105208269
Patent Holder: Chen-Hsiang Chao
Year: 2017
Jurisdiction: Taiwan Intellectual Property Office
Team Members: Designer: Chen-Hsiang Chao
Image Credits: Copyrights belong to Bionicraft Co., Ltd