Chula Smokeless Stove

So often we see designs that have little to no practical value, it’s refreshing to see a design crafted specifically to solve a real problem. The ‘chula’ smokeless stove is a finalist for the INDEX design award, an award which was created to reward practical ingenuity aimed at improving life in a concrete way. The ‘Chula’ is designed by the Philips design team, consisting of members from India and the Netherlands. The stove helps to channel smoke out of the interior of the home through a slotted clay chimney, thereby preventing health issues caused from indoor cooking, a problem common in developing countries of the world.  While it may not seem much to those of us used to hooded fans, the Chula could have a real impact on a rampant problem that takes more than an estimated million lives per year. The team is making the stove available to social entrepreneurs to help combat the issue. Looking at the traditional stove below, it’s easy to see why this type of design is needed. [via Design Boom]