Brandon is an articulate, enthusiastic senior who’s majoring in multidisciplinary design in the College of Architecture. He’s also a plant fan, and it’s this passion that drove Brandon to develop the “Leggy Pots” using the 3D printers in ProtoSpace. 

“I realized that some of my house plants were getting root rot because the pots were sitting flat on their coasters,” explains Brandon. After watering, the liquid would pool at the bottom and the roots would decay. 

So Brandon came up with this idea. Create a pot with legs and holes at the bottom of the pot, so the water can drain freely and not accumulate at the bottom. “All of my plants in my Leggy Pots have done great, so I know the design is working,” comments Brandon. “But I also like for each plant to have an aesthetic home, a pot that looks just right for them.” 

So Brandon started experimenting with the colors and textures. He found an algorithm that offsets the 3D printing just a little bit around the perimeter, to give the pots an earthy, rough texture. He also started using material that is 20- 30 percent wood powder, which also contributes to the natural aesthetic and is a more sustainable option. Lastly, he painted some of the pots, mixing-in sand to give an almost velvety, muddy look. So there are currently a number of different sizes, shapes and colors to choose from. 

What has Brandon learned? “I learned that if I printed the pots upside down, then I could avoid having to use a structure to keep the pots upright and this saved me on both time and material. Now I can crank out the pots super-fast.” 

And what’s the best part of working in ProtoSpace? “I love the community here. You can get help from staff who are really knowledgeable and you can also check out what other people are working on and learn from them as well.” 

Brandon Hoyt will be graduating in May with a Bachelor of Science in multidisciplinary design. He will be doing a Kickstarter campaign to, “hopefully gift more plants the legs they deserve!”