Sara Vignoli / MO.NAT Modular Nature

Biography:

In 2011, Sara Vignoli (creator of MO.NAT) was awarded a postgraduate degree in Architecture at the Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning of the University of Sassari. Later, in 2012 she was awarded the International II Level Master’s Degree in “Urban Research Lab Sardegna” on Environmental Design co-organized by DIA - Dessau Institute of Architecture – Bauhaus in Germany and DADU - Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning of Sassari. In 2013 she did a traineeship in Berlin, working with prof. Gunnar Hartmann from Dessau Institute of Architecture. In 2015 it was born “3D Elements of Nature”, MO.NAT's first prototype. It was within “Generation Faber 3”, a grant on digital fabrication supported by Sardegna Ricerche. Working at FabLab laboratory, she became interested in 3D modelling and numerical control machines. In October 2015 the first prototype was exhibited at the Maker Faire in Rome. In the same year, the project was chosen among the three finalists of the national “Artigenio” competition for digital artisans, promoted by Mercedes- Benz Vans & Confartigianato. In September 2016 an upgraded prototype was selected for exhibition at Maker Faire Berlin and later at the Maker Faire in Rome. From 2016 to today, she works on the design and the creation, using digital fabrication technologies, of educational board games with school students, within “Tutti a Iscol@” project, funded by Sardegna Ricerche. In November 2016 it was officially born MO.NAT, within the INSIGHT program - Validation path from the idea to the business model, funded by Sardegna Ricerche. In October 2017 MO.NAT ranked second in “Start Up Sardegna”, a contest for the best business ideas in Sardinia, which allows MO.NAT to participate in the National Innovation Award (PNI 2017) in Naples, the most important business plan competition in Italy. Due to the funding provided by Sardegna Ricerche within the Insight program, MO.NAT could benefit from the support of the Business Incubator (BI) at University of Sassari, which enabled MO.NAT to validate its business idea. BI also led MO.NAT to the definition of the business plan and to realize the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that allows to analyze the market and to identify the suppliers in order to start the production.

Product:

Mo.Nat

There is scientific evidence that plants in living and working places improve air quality, make people more creative, more productive, and while at the same time reduce stress. MO.NAT 's vision is to bring well-being to people's lives through a combination of the beauty of Made in Italy design and the nature of plants as a decorative element. Modular Nature makes nature modular with the aim to be easy, adaptable, flexible and customizable, according to the needs and availability of everyone's space.

MO.NAT’s first product is based on two complementary elements, designed for plants and flowers in order to furnish your own “place” in a green and healthy way. MO.NAT: "Your Place, Your Nature".

MO.NAT’s strengths are:

- Modularity and simplicity. It allows free combinations of modules;

- Flexibility and customizability. It allows the free combination of each component;

- Sustainability. It makes everyday life ‘greener’ as it is made by recycled and recyclable materials.

- “Smart” component. Is it also possible to equip the elements with a lighting and irrigation system.

The geometrical structure is inspired by rocks on which plants grow.

In particular, MO.NAT was born by a 3D system that aims to not to limit the connections between elements, while making possible to potentially create infinite, simple or complex and totally customizable combinations based only on two different modules.

Depending on how many elements are connected, MO.NAT allows creating green customizable furniture or walls, both as interior partitions, vertical garden or urban garden. The product development will make it possible to choose on a wide range of colors and eco-friendly materials. Furthermore, next step development will consider the addition of luminescent elements, to give the composition the added value of lighting. Thanks to “Lifely’s” team partnership, customers will be able to monitor and control plant vital parameters and automated irrigation through a technological set of specific sensors. The product will be made by a “rotational moulding” technology that allows keeping the original project layout.The material is LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene), with eco-sustainable properties when made by a mix of raw material and PSV material (30-100% from plastic waste). The connection system is based on a joint, based on a metal insert (put into every face of the modules) and a magnetic pivot. The outcome is a dynamic modular system that allows connecting the various elements and continually modifying the geometry of the composition, while at the same time guaranteeing the stability of it.