Pura-Case lets you purify your clothes (and environment) with ozone
Pura-Case by Carlo Ratti Associati is a unique enclosure which brings efficient industrial methods of sanitization into the home and office.
Nikaya is a designer and artist based in Berlin. With strong interests in materiality and the social dimensions of design, she is drawn to innovative projects which challenge existing processes and perceptions.
There is a general feeling in society that a “new normal” is emerging. One where everyone needs to be more vigilant and improve their hygiene routines. To this end, Pura-Case removes most microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses from clothing and fabric. It responds to heighten concerns about lingering viral and bacterial contaminants on clothing, by making simple industrial sanitizing technology available to consumers and small businesses.
Pura-Case is ideal for people whose job or lifestyle means that they are in regular contact with the general public. It will help create a more hygienic home environment, and can also reduce the need for washing clothing as often, which in turn reduces power and water consumption.
The minds behind Pura-Case – Carlo Ratti Associati
Pura-Case was commissioned by Scribit Creative Consultancy and designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati. Scribit is the start-up who created the write and erase robot which draws on walls and glass. Both firms are based in northern Italy, and Pura Case was developed at Scribit’s factory in Turin.
Carlo Ratti Associati is an international design and innovation studio. Projects are often extensions and relate to Carlo Ratti’s research at the Senseable City Lab at MIT, where he is Director. The lab is described as taking an “omni-disciplinary approach: it speaks the language of designers, planners, engineers, physicists, biologists, and social scientists.” Carlo Ratti holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and regularly gives talks on Smart Cities.
The studio investigates ways that new technologies are reshaping our understanding of cities and also transforming their development and our everyday lives. Carlo Ratti Associati uses data gathering capabilities to inform design, and regularly includes digital sensors and portable devices into design solutions.
The firm’s work has been cited three times in Time Magazine’s list of “Best Inventions of the Year”— for the Digital Water Pavilion in 2007, the Copenhagen Wheel in 2014, and Scribit in 2019. Working at a completely different scale, they also recently completed a new vision for the waterfront in Lugano Switzerland, and Carlo Ratti curated the “Eyes on the City” exhibition at the Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, which featured over 60 projects.
Materials & Techniques – Airtight ozone cleaning cycles with app control
The portable case can easily hang or be freestanding in a wardrobe environment. Up to four pieces of clothing will fit inside to be purified, at a time. The articles are cleaned and deodorized by an air purification system that uses ozone.
Ozone is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms, written commonly as O3, in contrast to the dioxygen (O2) we breathe. It is a pale blue gas which is formed naturally in our upper atmosphere through a combination of UV light and electrical activity. It is used widely in industrial settings for deodorizing, disinfecting, and sanitizing such things as laundry, fabrics, water, rooms after a fire, and also for removing insects from stored grain.
The case is battery powered and takes around one hour to complete a single purification cycle. It is made from sustainable fabric which has been treated to keep the ozone inside and closed with an airtight zipper. Ozone rapidly decays back to O2, so the case is safe to open once the cycle finishes. The cycle can be controlled via a panel on the case, or activated remotely using the Pura-Case app.
Style & aesthetics – Sleek and functional
Images of the Pura-Case show it in a soft beige and a light minty green. Its simple case form is rounded top and bottom and styled to fit comfortably in a domestic environment. It would also work in a small office setting.
Support Pura-Case development on Kickstarter
The Pura-Case is currently a prototype only. However, it is due to be launched through a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter, which starts on 9th June 2020.
Design memento – Adapt to changing needs
Pura-Case emerged after Scribit redirected its resources following the shutdown of most manufacturing to control the Coronavirus pandemic. Since March 2020 it has focussed its resources on developing products designed to be socially beneficial.
The product itself responds directly to the very sudden shift of concern that has occurred in society. Carlo Ratti identifies clothing as a key interface between us and our surroundings. Pura-Case also re-thinks technology, and how it is deployed, bringing industrial processes into the domestic environment.
The writer’s comment – Less washing, more possibilities
There is definitely confidence to be gained knowing you are safely removing bacteria and viral particles from your clothing. Though for many of us, most of the bacteria are still going to come from us, rather than other people we encounter. Not to mention the sweat and cigarette smoke odors from workouts or a night partying.
Performers and anyone who likes to venture out in any complex costume style outfits will love the option to simply deodorize without needing to wash or dry clean as often. It also might be very tempting to throw your pair of sweaty gym shoes into the bottom of the case for some purification.
