Dan Torizuka wants to make the world a greener place – literally. “I feel the city needs to re-associate itself with nature,” he says.
So Torizuka, a recent Industrial Design grad, created the Verti GFS as his final year thesis project. Designed for condos and high rises, the sustainable, eco-friendly system stimulates the growth of vines on building exteriors, giving the structure an organic, natural appearance.
Before enrolling in Humber’s Industrial Design degree program, Torizuka worked as a system administrator – but decided to change careers so he could be more creative in the workplace and make a difference in people’s lives.
Humber’s Industrial Design degree students are taught how to design and build – and, in Torizuka’s case, grow – products from the ground up. “Our students enrich everyday technology through innovation,” explains Industrial Design professor Bruce Thomson. “They understand how to solve problems so, once graduated, they can tackle real-life designs.”
For Torizuka, that meant figuring out how to turn a concrete jungle into a real one.
“I wanted to design a product that could change the face of a city and help the environment,” says Torizuka. “My goal is to transform the city-line from concrete and glass into flowers and glass.”
