My design college was right beside a large cement warehouse. I’d usually keep my hostel windows shut because even though the warehouse was a kilometer away, the dust would carry itself to the campus, through the windows, and form a coating over all my things. I imagine construction sites are much worse… making it quite dangerous for the people working there (studies show inhaling too much dust can increase changes of lung ailments including cancer). The Solar Dusting Fence isn’t just a collection of random words. It replaces the tarp scaffolding you see on buildings under construction. This new tarp is lined with flexible solar panels that connect themselves to a motor. The solar panels are mounted on hollow pipes with perforations on either side. These pipes suck in dust particles from the work-site as well as the outside, making sure you’re inhaling air that’s relatively cleaner. Neat, no? I’m also reminded of the artist in Beijing who used a vacuum cleaner to suck in atmospheric dust to make a brick. Imagine if this system allowed construction sites to make their own bricks too! Wouldn’t that just be awesome?!

Designers: Huang Tao, Shi Xiaoming, Qiu Liwei, Shen Lihua and Liu Guona.