Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro Invented by Simin Qiu, a student at the Royal College of Art, the Swirl tap reduces water waste thanks to a hypnotic vortex effect: an innovative solution never commercialized that combines sustainability and unique design
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Indeed, efforts to reduce drinking water waste and save this invaluable resource are numerous. It is quite unfortunate that most inspired by academic projects never reach the implementation stage. This issue is critical, as UNICEF reports that over 2.1 billion people around the world lack access to clean drinking water.
Meanwhile, we keep on wasting it-what a nonsense. In 2015, one design student from London’s Royal College of Art, Simin Qiu, designed the extraordinary invention: the Swirl. This faucet combined functionality with beauty in its uniquely designed creation of a vortex flow that reduced water waste. Let’s take a closer look at this innovative faucet that, considering the right investment, could make a difference.
A marriage of aesthetics and sustainability
Qiu’s concept was born from a design ethos that puts great importance on the aesthetic, not at the cost of sustainability. The Swirl faucet was intended to reduce water waste by restricting its flow while creating a mesmerizing display of the water spiraling out. With the faucet featuring a double turbine, it was designed to reduce water flow by a maximum of 15% without hindering the pressure for an effective yet breathtakingly beautiful flow. While other nozzles, such as aerators, are able to partially cut the stream of water, Swirl outstripped their merits with incomparable style: it turned the stream of water into an incredible show.
Design and sustainability: interchangeable accessories and their functionality
One of the innovative peculiarities of the Swirl was the possibility to change water flow patterns using different nozzles. The faucet came with three different accessories: each produced some sort of distinctive and hypnotic pattern of water. Had it hit the market, users would have been able to regulate temperature and water pressure via a touch button at the top of the faucet. With its 15% water-saving efficiency, the Swirl would have been just perfect not only for private homes but also for luxury hotels in their quest for practical and elegant solutions.
An invention that never hit the shelves
Despite the ingenuity and market potential, Simin Qiu’s Swirl was never commercialized. An invention that combined technology and beauty in equal parts, this was a breakthrough approach toward water conservation. With the refined water flow which married aesthetics with functionality, it stays there as a sample of how design can make a difference in even the least of daily actions.
