Hydrojar

Kevin Brown and Henry Tsai

Henry- Hydrojar: A deployable vertical hydroponic system that adds edible greenery to the space it occupies, specifically the notoriously sterile Kendall Square. The system is unique as it allows the audience to take it home, transforming their own personal spaces with the Hydrojars.

 The area of Kendall Square in Cambridge is often called "the most innovative square mile on the planet," yet as a center of human innovation Kendall is known for having no intrinsic human culture. While the population of Kendall is extremely diverse, few people actually live in Kendall, exacerbating the lack of local culture and natural life in the area. Furthermore, many workers in Kendall work in engineering or other professional fields that limit outdoor exposure to plant life and sunlight, both proven to improve human health in the workplace.  The Hydrojar system is a self-contained hydroponic jar based on the Kratky-drip method of hydroponics. Each jar is self-contained and only requires basic maintenance to grow plants. The Hydrojar System would be a set of these jars arranged in a public space with heavy foot traffic, encouraging the audience to take the jars home. There is a tear-off recipe booklet on the side of the system, outlining basic recipes requiring fresh herbs: and which jars that the audience can take home to make the recipe. The System is simply a plywood-and-wire frame that hangs multiple Hydrojars for display to the audience. The frame is almost purely for display and is designed for maximum portability. The frame can be displayed with a limited amount of jars or have a volunteer to replenish it when the jars run out. The ultimate goal of the Hydrojar system is not just to transform a specific, single space in Kendall, but to also add greenery to the lives of locals that may not be regularly exposed to it.

Kevin- Hydrojar: The Hydrojar is a deployable structure to get the people of Kendall square to bring fresh ingredients and greenery into their spaces. It consists of a large wood frame with hanging jars that are occupied by herbs and a self contained hydroponic system for each jar, enabling a user to pass by, take a jar, and bring it home.

The Hydrojar uses the frame to hang the jars on ropes that span the frame vertically.The jars are held onto the rope by a sinch attached to the cup holder that the jar sits in. Each jar has their own self contained hydroponic system in them, allowing the user to only need to water it around once a week for it to stay alive. The Hydrojar was created to get the community of Kendall square to interact by having this deployable structure out in the sun where people would pass by it often, and maybe on their way home from work. This would make it so they may want to take one of the jars home to keep in their window, and use in their meals. The large frame would be placed in a sunny area near the T station. Many people who work or study in Kendall square don't live there and take the T, so this may be near to their path to work.