Solar power system designed for portable bach

A solar power system specially designed for a revolutionary new portable building has featured in an exhibition of work by design students at the Wellington campus for the past week.

Charlotte Bowie, 25, designed the Bach Pack to complement a retro-fitted shipping container turned into a portable dwelling called the Port-a-Bach developed by Wellington architecture firm Atelier Workshop.

It uses four solar panels and batteries and is designed to enable anyone to install it. By developing a portable renewable energy system it reduces the environmental impact and encourages self-sufficiency, she says.

Her exhibit, along with the work of 15 other Master of Design postgraduate candidates from the College of Creative Arts, was exhibited from February 27 until today.

The exhibition represents the culmination of a year’s work for postgraduate students from a variety of design disciplines including spatial, textile, digital, graphic, industrial, communications and performance design.

Other exhibits included a tailoring system in which clients can bring in their own clothing and have the bespoke garments refashioned, and a visual re-interpretation of the history of Fijian commandos during World War II.