The Arc, as the name suggests, resembles a high-tech, smooth, curved shower system with touch screen panels, temperature and pressure control buttons and eco-saving modes built into the system.
The Arc shower system recycles warm shower water on the spot. It comes fitted with a control panel, preliminary ceramic filter, home water pump, activated carbon filter, heater and water mixer, power supplier, fresh water hose, drain outlet, and a concave floor top to accumulate water drops. The shower head is leak proof; the shower splash control allows the user to control the pressure and speed of the shower splash by dragging, to change the size of the circular icon on the waterproof touch screen; temperature can be controlled by pressing one of three, colored circular icons on the water-proof touch screen.
During shower time, fresh water is first taken into the system and heated. The heated water is mixed with the cool water, according to the temperature range selected by the user. The warm water is sent to the shower head ready for use. After a while, a shallow water pool is formed on the concave floor top – the other end of the arc’s tip. Soon after, the system starts to pre-filter and pull in the dropped shower water, which is pumped further.
The Arc is eco-friendly with a 500W domestic water pump that maintains a constant circulation of water and recycles warm shower water. A large amount of water is saved by the on-site water recycling compared to normal water conservation methods. The shower system is adoptable to mass manufacture and saves on electricity usage.
David Koo is a product designer from Hong Kong, with a BA in industrial design from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Zheng Yawei is a researcher and designer, with a Masters of Artistic Design; she is currently enrolled in a PhD with Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
