Green innovation: An illustration of Murni.
Murni, which means “pure” in Bahasa Malaysia, is not just a public washroom but a reflection of Malaysian culture.
The project by Mostafa Elsayed Elsayed Marzouk (sic), a Master of Arts in Design Innovation Management student from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), was awarded the Grand Prize in the 2023 Global Capstone Design Competition.
Supervised and mentored by APU School of Media, Art and Design (SoMAD) lecturer Eekang Ooi, a certified industrial designer (CIDe), Mostafa Elsayed’s project secured the top award in the Public Facilities Design Category.
Adopting a sustainable environmental approach, his self-cleaning public utility design was inspired by hibiscus blossoms and traditional Malay wood carvings.
Designed to meet the demand for cleaner public facilities, the automatic self-cleaning system maximises water efficiency and cleanliness by harvesting Malaysia’s rainfall through a rain catcher. A sophisticated filtration system purifies the rainwater before it reaches the tank.
Advanced sensors and energy-efficient components minimise electricity usage, optimising sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
In case of insufficient rainwater, Murni – which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), specifically to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (Goal 11) and to ensure access to clean water and sanitation (Goal 6) – switches to the local water supply, ensuring uninterrupted operation and maintaining hygiene standards during periods of limited rainfall.
The 2023 Global Capstone Design Competition, which brought together Korean and Malaysian universities to design product concepts inspired by their respective cultures, was a collaboration between APU and Jeonju University (JJU).
Prof Song Joo of JJU’s Department of Industrial Design spearheaded the initiative, supported by the Korean Ministry of Education, the Leaders in Industry-University Cooperation (LINC 3.0) programme, and the Korea Research Foundation.
The online competition, aimed at promoting innovation and cultural exchange between the two countries, took place from September to December last year, received over 50 entries.
Ten shortlisted projects, including Murni, were presented to a panel of judges, and the winners were announced early this year.
