Press Release
Coastal Bam Salt Jar for Collecting Brine by Liang Hou Is Granted the A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
Liang Hou honored for bakeware, tableware, drinkware and cookware design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design category for Coastal Bam Salt Jar for Collecting Brine by Liang Hou, designed for Zhejiang University. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Coastal Bam Salt Jar for Collecting Brine
Coastal Bam is a salt jar designed to collect brine in the coastal areas of southeastern China. Coarse salt is placed on the open upper bamboo funnel and scooped by hand for daily cooking. In humid air the coarse salt slowly deliquesces, and the brine passes through two woven bamboo filters that separate impurities. The clean brine is then used to make tofu and other soy products or to season food. Hand-woven moso bamboo funnels are joined to a corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy bottle of 300 milliliters, linking a local craft with a daily kitchen task.
About Liang Hou
Hou Liang is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in industrial design at Zhejiang University. He loves design and education. His research focuses on design thinking and design tools. He believes that design may not be able to change the world, but it can warm the world.
Award Record
This recognition makes Liang Hou a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award
The A' Kitchenware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good kitchenware designs by best kitchenware brands and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to kitchenware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and kitchenware brands from all countries. Entries typically include pots, pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses. Awarded kitchenware designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/kitchenware
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/165829
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/165829
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!165829
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/360999
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Coastal Bam Salt Jar for Collecting Brine
- Function
- Salt Jar for Collecting Brine
- Category
- Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Food & Hospitality
- Colors
- Ghost White, Light Gray, Antique White, Gainsboro and Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Zhejiang University
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Liang Hou
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #165829
Credits
- Team
- Wenqi Wu, Yichen Chen and Hanshu Shen
- Image Credits
- Creator LiangHou, CoastalBam Jar, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- CoastalBam Jar is a salt container designed for Chinese coastal communities to collect brine from coarse salt used in tofu and soy product preparation. It integrates dual bamboo weaving filters with a metal vessel to improve durability and hygiene. Drawing from regional customs and Feng Shui principles, the design modernizes tradition while ensuring cultural relevance and everyday usability.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by traditional fishermen in southeastern China, this design addresses the local practice of collecting brine from deliquescent coarse salt, which contains magnesium chloride impurities. To support this sustainable process, porous salt jars are crafted using regional bamboo weaving techniques. Bamboo, known for its flexibility and fast growth, is deeply rooted in the local culture and offers an eco-friendly solution for effective brine filtration.
- Research
- This design research is an applied ethnographic study aimed at improving tools for coastal fishermen. The goal was to create a sustainable salt jar that aligns with traditional practices while solving issues like brine contamination. Through fieldwork and material testing, we identified challenges in fishermen’s cooking routines. The Brine Jar features an open-mouth design, inspired by fishermen’s habit of using their fingers to measure salt and the tradition of leaving coarse salt for Feng Shui purposes. We also explored bamboo weaving techniques to integrate them into the design.
- Challenge
- The most challenging aspect of this project was mastering the bamboo weaving techniques. As a beginner in this ancient intangible cultural heritage craft, I initially felt overwhelmed by the vastly different rules of each weaving method. Under the guidance of traditional artisans, I practiced tirelessly—from cross weaving to trapezoidal weaving, and finally to hexagonal weaving. My fingers were cut countless times during this process. Ultimately, I mastered each method and understood their unique characteristics, allowing me to seamlessly integrate this ancient craft into the design.
- Realization and Technology
- CoastalBam Jar combines traditional handmade bamboo weaving with modern metal processing technology. The bamboo weaving part adopts hexagonal holes and cross weaving method, which not only enhances the air permeability and filtration effect, but also ensures the smooth flow of brine. The metal bottle body is closely integrated with the bamboo weaving part through precise CNC processing.
- Operation and Interaction
- Step 1: The user places the coarse salt on top of the crystal funnel and uses their hand to scoop the salt for daily cooking. Step 2: In the humid coastal environment, the coarse salt gradually deliquesces, and the brine flows into the filter funnel, where impurities are further separated to yield clean brine. Step 3: The user uses the collected brine to make traditional soy products or season food.
- Project Duration and Location
- This project commenced in January 2024 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, and was completed in March 2024 in Xiangshan, a traditional fishing village in Zhejiang. Following its completion, the design received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in June 2024, recognizing its innovative approach and cultural significance. In October 2024, the project was showcased at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore.
- Specifications
- Overall Height: 12.00 cm Crystal Funnel Diameter: 16.00 cm Crystal Funnel Height: 2.50 cm Filter Funnel Diameter: 10.00 cm Filter Funnel Height: 8.00 cm Metal Bottle Opening Diameter: 10.00 cm Metal Bottle Bottom Diameter: 6.00 cm Metal Bottle Capacity: 300 ml Bamboo Weaving Filter Aperture: 2 mm (Crystal Funnel), 0.5 mm (Filter Funnel) Bamboo Weaving Funnel Material: Southeast Coastal Moso Bamboo Metal Bottle Material: Aluminum Alloy (Corrosion-resistant Treatment) Weight: Approx. 500 g Color: Natural Bamboo Color, Green (Plastic Ring)
- Keywords
- Bamboo weaving, folklore, kitchenware, fishermen, salt pot
