Anna Ryzhova

"Soul of foliage" is a foliage incarnation in a product, a curtain system and a room divider. The design of the room divider was created after a series of experiments I made to develop a structure, which can contain different materials and thus creating thermal insulation. In this research I emphasized on experiments with foliage and superficial structures that are easy to fill with leaves and protect the foliage from wind and moisture. The choice fell on the material foliage, because I have concluded after my research that foliage can serve as a good natural means insulation.

In the design of each module I was inspired by the cell structure of the leaves. The cell-like openings on the surface that lets the sound waves through, without reflecting on the surface. The sound waves should then be absorbed by the filled-in materials in the modules, thus protecting the adjoining room from noise.

The space divider "Soul of foliage" consists of individual triangular modules, which are free to model, and can be filled with different materials to create a space, a special atmosphere and protect against noise. Even without filling, the modular system "Soul of foliage" creates a special aesthetic in the room.

The modules of the room divider "Soul of foliage" are made of semi-transparent plastic using the injection molding process. Each side of each module has two hinges that can ensure maximum angle rotation of the modules and provide the ability to disassemble and link modules easily. Full performance of this hinge function has been tested using 3D printed models. The modules consist of two parts and can be opened so that the modules can be filled with different materials. The parts are connected to a film hinge and have an additional closure.

Considering the aesthetics and the structure of the dry foliage, I shifted the center of the entire project from the outer space to the direction of inner living and office space. The crumpled structure of the foliage, which forms self-contained, air-filled tunnels and other materials which may have similar crumpled structures, such as paper which can serve as a good soundproofed agent for a room divider in homes or offices and don't need protection from external factors. Thus, the idea arose to design a room divider, in which the basic idea of the structure filled with different materials is reflected and realized in a modular system.