photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl, modeled by Emily Elhardt
photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl, modeled by Christina Bayer
Project 7 was developed in Product Design 1, in collaboration with Emily Elhardt, under the guidance of Prof. Anja Lapatsch and M.Sc. David Meier during the winter semester 24/25.
It envisions a future where rain has become an invaluable and scarce resource. As climate shifts drastically reduced rainfall and groundwater levels reach critical lows, the need to rethink how we capture and manage water becomes urgent. How will we harvest rain in a world where every drop counts? How can we transform what falls from the sky into a sustainable, life-sustaining resource?
The outcome is a wearable device that collects and purifies rainwater, making it immediately drinkable. Its design is inspired by the desert beetle, which has developed the remarkable ability to channel moisture from the air to its mouth—a lesson in adaptation. The beetle’s unique back structure captures water in one of the harshest climates on Earth. The project explores how we might adapt to the challenges of tomorrow and encourages a future where design is a direct response to the urgent needs of our environment.
The research focussed on developing an efficient structure that would allow the rain to run off naturally. In addition, a method of storing and reusing the collected rain was essential. The material chosen had to be both mouldable and waterproof, avoiding synthetic materials that lacked durability.
Leather proved to be ideal due to its inherent water repellent properties. In addition, certain vegetable-tanned leather retains its structure when moulded when wet - a key factor in the success of the project. A negative mould was needed to shape the leather. For this purpose, a 3D scan of the body was made and modelled in CAD. The mould was then CNC milled so that the project could move into the manufacturing phase.
The leather was soaked for 3 hours to make it mouldable. Then it was stretched over the mould and shaped with a wooden tool. Once the texture was visible on the leather, the model was placed in a vacuum press to enhance the details. The piece was left to air dry overnight to harden. To shape the back of the model, the mould was first sanded down, as the back should have less volume than the front. The moulding process was then repeated with the leather.
The finished moulded front and back pieces were joined together using a special tool to punch holes for the seam. The parts were then sewn together at the shoulders. The remaining parts, such as the funnels to collect the water and the tubes, were also added. A drinking bladder was chosen as the water collection solution, which was connected to the funnels. To ensure the correct weight distribution, a strap was sewn to hold the bladder to the shoulders and buckles were sewn to the sides.
photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl and Emily Elhardt
photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl and Emily Elhardt
photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl and Emily Elhardt
photopgraphed and edited by Pauline Vogl and Emily Elhardt
Form Follows Flow.