# Multifunctional Wind Turbines The Savannius from Hirotaka Matsui Doubles as a Bench By Michael Hines | Published 2011-03-10 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/savannius-from-hirotaka-matsui References: [ecofriend](http://www.ecofriend.com/entry/savannius-a-wind-turbine-with-a-social-purpose/) & [hirotakamatsui](http://www.hirotakamatsui.com/) Taking a nice sit on a wind turbine was a bad idea until the Savannius from Hirotaka Matsui came along. Savannius is a wind turbine designed to generate small amounts of electricity and [act as a bench](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/immaterial-0001) at the same time. You would think with all the eco-centered designs out there today that there would be many [solar panels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/michael-jantzen-2) and wind turbines designed to also act as benches and chairs. That isn't the case unfortunately, but hopefully Savannius from Hirotaka Matsui can rally designers toward creating more functional eco-friendly designs. One of the biggest complaints against the wind turbine is that its an eyesore. In truth, wind turbines aren't much to look at, but I can't remember the last time somebody refused to sit on a bench because it wasn't the most appealing. Take a look at the Savannius from Hirotaka Matsui in the featured gallery and decide for yourselves. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 22% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Multifunctional Wind Turbines:** The Savannius wind turbine doubles as a bench, showcasing the trend of integrating renewable energy with functional design. - **Eco-friendly Design:** The lack of solar panels and wind turbines designed to also act as benches or chairs presents an opportunity for designers to create more functional and aesthetically pleasing eco-friendly designs. - **Improving Aesthetics of Wind Turbines:** The Savannius wind turbine's design addresses the common complaint of wind turbines being eyesores, inspiring innovation in making wind turbines more visually appealing. ### Who This Affects Most - **Alternative Energy:** The integration of wind turbines with functional design presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the alternative energy industry. - **Furniture:** The combination of wind turbines and benches/chairs creates new possibilities for the furniture industry, encouraging the development of unique, multipurpose pieces. - **Environmental Design:** Incorporating renewable energy features into aesthetically pleasing designs opens up potential disruptive innovation opportunities in the field of environmental design. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Rotating Solar Powered Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eness-1.md) - [Rotating Solar-Powered Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-solarpowered-bench-that-spins-ever-so-slowly.md) - [Wind Turbine Compact Houses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blademade.md) - [Honeycomb-Shaped Wind Turbines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bladeless-wind-turbine-design.md) - [Urban Solar Charging Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/perovia.md) - [Turbine-Based Retreats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blademade-1.md) - [Single-Blade Offshore Wind Turbines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/singleblade-offshore-wind-turbine.md) - [Deconstructed Windmill Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wip-windmill-in-play.md) - [Travel-Ready Wind Turbines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wind-turbine-generator.md)