claesson koivisto rune: baker cookstove for developing countries

‘baker cookstove’ by claesson koivisto rune for developing countriesall images courtesy CKR

the majority of women in the developing world prepare food using a technology called a three-stone fire – basically three rocks that support a pot with an open fire in the middle. this cooking method is very inefficient and leads to many environmental and health problems. as children are sent to collect firewood – a walk takes all day and leaves no time for school – they are denied education and a future as they endlessly search for the material. since the three-stone method has been used traditionally for over thousands of years, a new stove must allow the user to keep their way of life intact to be successful. the solution provides a cookstove that burns wood, but as efficiently as possible.

the approach by swedish studio claesson kolvisto rune implements successful design solutions to increase functionality, usability and unification to the user. the ‘baker stove’ for top third ventures only needs one third of the wood of used before. in numbers from tests at the university of nairobi, the cooking device achieved a 56% reduction in co and 38% reduction in particulate matter. manufactured locally in kenya, sustainable methods of cooking, tools and containers were used as case studies and to gain cultural insight. as a result, the final shape reinterptrets traditional african cookware by utilizing recycled aluminium, trapezoid folding sections that correspond to weight, maximizing heat transmission.

the approach of the stove implements successful design solutions to increase functionality, usability and unification to the user

‘the somewhat eye-opening obvious is that we all have an emotional relationship with our objects. the psychology is no different if you have less or have it all; if you relate to a basic cookstove in africa or a high performance car in the streets of europe’ says CKR. ‘to hand out functioning – but crude and cheap – cooking tools to ‘the poor’ is commendable but condescending. would I myself really appreciate a cheap and ugly tool offered to me because it ‘works and improves my life’?

‘as designers we need to put the same effort into an african stove as were we designing an italian sports car. the baker stove project has inspired us not for the prospect of making money, not for the design itself, but for the extraordinary satisfaction of actually making a tangible, positive difference in many people’s lives and for the environment. and eventually, if the end users will come to tell us that they are proud to own this stove, our day is made.’

claesson koivisto rune: baker cookstove for developing countriesvideo courtesy top third ventures