Alasdair is an interdisciplinary designer with a physics degree and a passion for scalable low-carbon ideas.
Education
MA/MSc Global Innovation Design, Royal College of Art & Imperial College London
BA Physics, First Class Honours, University of Oxford
Coming into GID straight from a physics degree, I have used the past two years to explore design through a wide variety of projects.
Linking many of these are a hunt for ideas that will play a role in preventing a climate crisis; ideas that have clear and scalable impact on metrics like reduction in carbon emissions. Crucially we need to focus on how we generate and use energy.
I am often driven by scepticism towards purported idealistic solutions that fail to address the complex nature of environmental impact. I believe much of the technology we need to prevent a climate crisis already exists, such as nuclear power and train travel, and we must focus on how to utilise these tools more widely.
Some of my projects have examined what circular design for household products would really look like; how we might improve perceptions of nuclear power; and how machine learning can inform consumers what might lie in the supply chains of products.
GreenLandlord is a tool for landlords to choose property improvements that maximise environmental and economic benefit whilst adhering to the latest regulation.
Problem: As the UK transitions to net-zero emissions, it has been decided that all rental property will have to have a high enough Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Landlords will need to spend billions of pounds in the next few years to meet these obligations. Yet the EPC is a fundamentally flawed tool, that was not designed to be used for this environmental purpose, and often favours fossil fuel consumption over clean electric heating. The outcome is a waste of capital expenditure, confused and frustrated landlords, and potentially little gain for tenants, governments and the environment.
Method: Our team travelled to a rural part of North-East Scotland to better understand how this nationwide legislation was impacting individual situations. We interviewed key stakeholders (landlords, tenants, EPC assessors, and technical experts) involved with affordable let-property in the area - all of whom expressed enthusiasm for measures to protect the environment. Traditional stone houses in remote locations became a focus of our research, exemplar of the failure of EPCs to adapt to difficult challenges posed by certain properties.
Proposal: GreenLandlord simplifies the transition process for landlords and gives real-world meaning to energy ratings. In collaboration with the Scottish Government, we take advantage of smart infrastructure and visual data analytics to help landlords find the upgrades that are right for the unique challenges posed by their properties while maximizing environmental impact and minimising cost.
Learn more about GreenLandlord on our interactive demo website here.
The Takeu Clip is a part-implant part-wearable designed to push the boundaries of our sense of smell.
It introduces the ability to control your sense of smell through an implanted odour sensor and an olfactory nerve stimulator. The external, removable part of the device, called the Clip, provides battery power and connection to computation, and can take several forms.
Most suitable for those suffering from loss of smell due to the invasive nature of the device, the technical function is based on ground-breaking research conducted by Takeuchi Biohybrid Systems Laboratory and others, albeit with optimistic hopes for continued success in the years to come.
How do you think such a device would change our lives?
Nuclear power is a vital tool in the fight to prevent a climate crisis - yet public perception can be so negative towards it. In this essay I questioned how might we change these perceptions. I offer no easy answers to this problem, but hope the points raise help us move in the right directon. Read the essay here.
Over the course of my masters I have worked on fourteen projects. Here is a handful to illustrate the breadth of the course and what we've been able to delve into.
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![[untitled]](https://res.cloudinary.com/rca2020/image/upload/w_1920/wip2022/61e7fa3b9df5664fc123e75b-345976)
