Vuvu: Črt Štrubelj and Luka Bernik

Vuvu is a design project created in response to an open call from the Center for Creativity, focusing on connecting contemporary design, craftsmanship, and trade. Industrial designers Črt Štrubelj and Luka Bernik developed it during their final year of industrial design studies at ALUO as a product aimed at promoting the rational use of water in caring for houseplants. The project also addresses the declining pottery craft in Slovenia and the knowledge that is being lost as a result.

Vuvu is a ceramic soil humidifier based on vernacular irrigation knowledge, utilizing passive irrigation through porous clay pots buried in the soil (known as olla irrigation). The goal of Vuvu was to design an aesthetically pleasing watering method for indoor plants that harmonizes with their green environment, is visually recognizable, practical, and positively impacts the environment.

Inspired by carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant, which attract insects and digest them to distribute nutrients through osmosis, Vuvu collects rainwater (or tap water), captures it under a lid, filters it, and distributes it to the soil around the roots through osmosis. This ensures that plants are optimally watered without the soil becoming overly saturated, preventing disease development. Furthermore, Vuvu simplifies communication with the plant; when it empties, the plant signals its need for additional watering, fostering a regular connection between the plant and the caretaker. Compared to conventional watering methods, Vuvu conserves over 50% of water, depending on the plant and environment. Vuvu has been tested on over 100 plants and will be available on the market this autumn.

Črt Štrubelj is a graduate industrial designer focused on sustainability challenges in his academic and extracurricular work. He is interested in socially and environmentally responsible entrepreneurship that prioritizes the welfare of workers and the environment over profit. He aims to design affordable, regenerative products and systems while exploring theoretical dimensions of design. His projects include the Vuvu ceramic humidifier, his thesis on developing regenerative products based on circular economy principles, the Kolektiv Četrtek project promoting interspecies empathy through thoughtfully placed sound objects, and the “Echoes of Tomorrow” exhibition at Milan Design Week, where he served as a designer and author of texts. He enjoys collecting socks and has recently taken an interest in plants.

Luka Bernik is a master’s student in industrial design at ALUO, currently studying in South Korea through an Erasmus exchange. He is interested in the holistic development of products from conception to production that have the potential to improve daily life. In the Vuvu project, he works on product development, prototyping, and production design. He has worked on a project creating outdoor furniture from repurposed production elements in Kamnik and is a member of Kolektiv Četrtek. He has also participated in several international workshops, such as “Model Making in the Digital Age” in Spain. In his spare time, he enjoys walking his dog Luna and cooking in a bit of a mess.