Angelin Mariya Jiji
Much of the Earth is covered in water, but not all is safe to drink. Many isolated communities don’t have access to clean water, leading to health problems from drinking contaminated water. This tragic reality resulted in approximately 370,000 children under the age of five dying from diarrhea in Asia alone last year. The lack of electricity further complicates matters, rendering typical filtration methods, especially those based on solar power, impossible. This critical situation necessitates innovative solutions, and Stil has emerged as a revolutionary idea intended to impact many lives. Stil is the world’s first domestic, low-cost water purifier that harnesses the sun’s energy to transform contaminated water into a safe source of hydration.
Hanz Ramzan, the designer of Stil, embodies human-centered design values. He developed a solution that transcends functionality by addressing practical issues and demonstrating strong empathy for communities in need. Stil’s design goes beyond just cleaning water; it seeks to improve lives by ensuring everyone, no matter where they are or their situation, can access safe drinking water. Hanz’s design philosophy, grounded in curiosity and a commitment to solving major problems, serves as a model for the kind of innovation needed to tackle significant global issues such as clean water access.
Simil
Stil’s design reflects its commitment to offering an effective and affordable solution to a pressing global problem. The device is both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional, drawing design inspiration from basic geometry and soft, elegant junctions. Unlike many water purifiers that employ expensive metal bodies or vibrant colors that may be ill-suited for rural environments, Stil opts for simplicity. Its smooth edges and detachable design facilitate easy cleaning, a crucial feature in areas where water quality is a persistent concern. Stil can be positioned on snap-on metal legs or an outside table to maximize sunlight exposure in developing countries.
The innovative design of Stil incorporates various elements to produce clean, safe drinking water. The device employs a domed Fresnel lens to utilize sunlight to boil and purify impure water, condensing it into a drinkable state. The lens magnifies the sun’s energy from all angles and transfers it to an aluminum plate in the lid, heating up the core like a kettle’s thermal conductor. When unclean water is poured into Stil’s chamber, it quickly reaches the hot core, initiating a rapid boiling process that effectively eliminates bacterial residue. The resulting steam transitions to the slope-topped cooling chamber, where it condenses into pure, distilled water. Constructed from sustainable bamboo composite material, Stil has a generous capacity of 12 liters, sufficient for a family of six. The design ensures that no steam escapes through the covered overflow hole in the lid. This process represents an efficient and sustainable approach to addressing the urgent need for access to safe drinking water in remote regions.
