The INDEX: Award is a bi-annual event that supports the INDEX mission to generate more design to improve the quality of life all over the world.
The Chulha is a result of the Philips Design workshop entitled ‘a sustainable design vision – design for sense and simplicity’. It was designed to limit the dangerous health effects caused by smoke from the traditional indoor cooking in many rural areas of the developing world.
Philips Design worked together with local stakeholders, including end-users, in India to realize the Chulha. As its philanthropic contribution to sustainable development Philips Design allows local stakeholders to use the Intellectual Property for free.
The relatively cheap production process stimulates local entrepreneurial activities for the replication and the diffusion of the Chulha. Potential local entrepreneurs receive training to produce, install and maintain the stoves in order to serve the villages in rural areas.
The Jury of the INDEX: Award chose the Chulha as the award winner because it burns bio-mass fuel efficiently and directs cleaned smoke out of the house through a chimney. Also awarded is the open-source business model for distribution of the design. Finally, the fact that a large, multinational corporation like Philips is now moving to generate design to improve life is being recognized.
The INDEX:Award is financed by the state of Denmark, and comes with a total prize money of 500,000 Euros across five categories.
The other candidates in the category Home where: the Pink Project (known because of its founder, actor Brad Pitt), Hippo Roller and ParaSITE.
