The alarm that doesn’t frustrate you
A handful of students from Sweden’s Umea Institute of Design have created a cost efficient earthquake alarm that also acts as a source of calm. The students created Terra for people living inside the Ring of Fire where earthquakes are a constant threat. Nearly 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur inside the Ring of Fire. The group urged to create an alarm that would not stick out like a sore thumb in people’s homes and also be affordable enough for the poor communities to have access to it. The project was named runner up in the Sweden James Dyson Award, which recognizes the best new inventions. Terra responds to an earthquake’s non-destructive primary waves, which travel at a higher rate of speed, to alert those affected faster.
This is interesting to me because this invention could actually save a person’s life. I know all architecture items have a purpose, however some I look at more as for show then actually serving a purpose. This invention and design both serves a purpose and also displays a modern design. As an architecture, this is what you want to strive for. When I consider alert devices in homes, I think of smoke alarms and natural gas alarms. What comes to mind when I think about the image of these two is ugly. Both serve a very important purpose, however both items are very hard to look at. Not only does the Terra serve an important purpose, but it is also not an eyesore.
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/10/23/terra-earthquake-alarm-umea-institute-of-design-technology/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Dezeen&utm_content=Daily%20Dezeen+CID_2de75195684d2621778d98b7c2c2e146&utm_source=Dezeen%20Mail&utm_term=Terra%20alarm%20alerts%20people%20before%20an%20earthquake%20hits