A better way to wash

University of Glamorgan product design student Peter Feakes has won the £500 prize for the most marketable design in the annual eco-design awards sponsored by Corus and Design Wales.

Feakes was given the brief to create an innovative kitchen appliance that delivers all the required form and functionality while offering additional ‘value’, through being environmentally sound and easier to use.

 'Through my research I found out that if used to their full capacity, dishwashers can be more energy efficient than hand-washing. As a dishwasher is one of the last ‘large’ appliances people consider for their kitchen I thought it would be a good idea to design a dishwasher to fit in the space of half a standard kitchen cabinet,' Feakes said.

“I then decided to design a washing machine which would be part of the same unit, therefore making the product more efficient by only using one water pump for both appliances. It was important to fit both appliances in the space of a regular sized dishwasher or washing machine.'