For my upcycle project, I chose to get my inspiration from the biophilic aesthetic. I like this aesthetic because I visually like modern styles, but find that greenery and being around living things is very stress-relieving. I chose to create a pencil holder because it is something that I would use every day and it also located on my desk next to windows, so it could support plant life. With it being on my desk, I thought this was a really appropriate place to have something that is stress relieving and living and growing amongst all of my stressful studying and working.

Some pictures that I used for inspiration of biophilic architecture can be seen below [1] [2].

The inspiration I took from these pictures was the contrast between the green plants and then the shiny modern windows and mirrors surrounding it that give a more modern look. The biophilic aesthetic comes from research that humans tend to want to be connected to nature even during the everyday lives [3].

The specifications I had were that the pencil holder must fit on the ledge of my desk and hold at least three pencils since this fits my needs for my space and work. I used old logs cut from trees in my parent’s yard for the pencil holder part, cut these to size using a chainsaw and then drilled out holes that would fit pens/pencils.

IMG-4019 (a video of drilling out the logs)

I then used old plastic from trash I found from an empty container as well as plastic from a folder to create the area needed to enclose the soil and plants that would be in-between the two log pencil holders. I glued these pieces to the logs using epoxy and then sealed the edges to prevent any leaks.

The next aspect was my “modern” detailing. I used old DVDs and cut square pieces from the DVDs after removing the plastic. This gave me the modern, reflective look I was inspired by in my inspiration photos while using an upcycled material.

After this was done, the last step was to add the plants. For this, I was able to use some larger clippings from my grandmother’s indoor garden. I included some leafy plants in the middle and then a succulent on the left pencil holder, but this succulent could be replaced by another pencil slot. The final product can be seen below.

 

I think it definitely achieved my functional goals because it successfully holds up to 8 pencils/pens, which is plenty for my needs at my desk. It also adds a bit of plant-life to my workspace, which accomplishes my goals with creating a more stress-relieving space. Artistically, I am fairly happy with the way the DVD pieces contrast with the log and plants and I do think it follows my inspiration aesthetic fairly well. I would have liked to get cleaner lines and better uniformity in those square pieces like they were windows, but given I only had scissors, I am still happy with the result. I think in the future, I will try to expand on this project by making it bigger, so I have more room for the plants to grow or to create more of a mini garden instead of just one pot’s worth of space.

[1] https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fplanradar.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2Fbiophilic-office-building-singapore.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.planradar.com%2Fgb%2Fbiophilic-design-10-great-examples%2F&tbnid=AE9XVSoadYMJgM&vet=12ahUKEwjWuenuiav9AhVtNN4AHXziCCQQMygBegUIARC4AQ..i&docid=Okbiu_zC3zb6CM&w=826&h=552&q=biophilic%20building%20exterior&ved=2ahUKEwjWuenuiav9AhVtNN4AHXziCCQQMygBegUIARC4AQ

[2] https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgreencities.com%2Fnews%2Fbiophilic-design-creates-better-environments-in-residential-buildings%2F&psig=AOvVaw3lXPDSoO-WCXUPHBlkvGPX&ust=1677008606442000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA8QjRxqFwoTCKCxlojupP0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

[3] https://www.terramai.com/blog/biophilic-design-making-humans-happier/#:~:text=The%20concept%20was%20introduced%20by,and%20structures%20in%20everyday%20life.