Unplugged by Eddi Törnberg

In this day and age, a designer will work to make his design sustainable, but Eddi Törnberg makes his sustainable design work for him. For his thesis project, the Swedish design student has envisioned a workspace that harvests energy from regular tasks and states of being, and converts that energy into powering appliances, gadgets, and other devices. The setup consists of a desk and power strip, chair, planter, and carpet, all of which are connected electronically. Törnberg taps into some creative engineering with these commonplace office furnishings. Through the chair, the Seebeck effect converts heat from the human body directly into energy, and photosynthesis in the nearby plant contributes its share. Heat generated from the electrical outlets on the desk is another reservoir of energy. Piezoelectricity, electricity generated from pressure, picks up the slack when the user walks across the carpet. The wooden furnishings of the workspace are also eco-friendly, and a cylindrical light hangs overhead to demonstrate the project’s concept. In commentary, Törnberg cites a quotation from Harriet Beecher Stowe: “Human nature is above all things lazy.” In light of Törnberg’s work, perhaps a revision ought to be made to draw the distinction between “human nature is [above all things] lazy” and “human nature is above [all things lazy].”