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2008 Annual Design Review
Concepts
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Design Distinction
A Light in the Dark
“If this doesn’t exist already, it’s awesome,” said Caplowe. His fellow jurors agreed that this wonderfully obvious but unrealized invention was not only refreshing but also unique as the only category winner that generated alternative energy.
Starting with the premise that windows account for about 50 percent of the heat gain or loss of a typical house and that window blinds influence that quantity by warming in the winter and shading in the summer, designer Ivan Huber created a Venetian blind system that collects energy from the sun during the day and releases it at night as needed. On sunny days, photovoltaic cells on the blinds’ exterior collect solar energy, which is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack within the valance. At night, the battery powers tiny LED lamps enhanced by a sandwich of materials that spread and diffuse the light: a layer of reflectors facing the window and a network of hexagonal lenses facing the room. The hexagons open to admit air and daylight then close tightly for insulation and privacy. The jury found these blinds to be a bright spot in a tunnel full of some pretty dark, cautionary projects.
Design Libby Perszyk Kathman (Cincinnati): Ivan Huber, senior
industrial designer
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