Maxime Louis-Courcier Designs Unique Sustainable Home Appliances
- Name
- Maxime Louis-Courcier
- Project
- Paper clay air-humidifier
- Photographer
- Véronique Huyghe
- Words
- Devid Gualandris
Eager to provide new answers to today’s ecological challenges, French product designer Maxime Louis-Courcier reinterprets household objects for a sustainable living. His new invention ‘Paper Clay Air-Humidifier’ is a durable solution made from unconventional materials, that marries design, craftsmanship and sustainability.
Since his first venture into product design, the 27-year old Parisian has made a commitment to challenging the issue of overconsumption, by designing products dedicated to domestic comfort that champion sustainability and longevity. ‘Paper Clay Air-Humidifier’ is an eco-friendly home appliance that does not require any electricity or energy source to function, but uses instead the physics principles of capillary action and evaporation. The object’s core component is earthenware-clay, a natural material with high water absorption properties and ancestral applications for the regulation of temperature and humidity. For his invention, Louis-Courcier has created a vertical structure made of a paper composite, porous earthenware-clay that can gradually absorb the water contained in its ceramic base—designed to contain up to four liters of water. The water flows upwards through the slopes, permeating the paper-earthenware surface until it gently evaporates and moistens the room. Lacking any electronic indicators, it is the design itself that activates and shows the humidifying process taking place. Besides its innovative materials, the ‘Paper Clay Air-Humidifier’’s carefully considered design also guarantees the same efficiency as electrical humidifiers—its wavy shape optimizes the distribution of moisture and increases the range of dispersion. The white color further allows the object to blend seamlessly into any domestic environment, adding a minimalist decorative status to the home appliance.
All Images © Véronique Huyghe