The Colourful Potholes
A simple and cost-effective solution that may save lives — or just your outfit. Working with Phibious, we explored how environmental design could address a genuine public safety issue in Vietnam.
Why not just fix the potholes?
Budget
Roads potholes are managed by different municipal authorities with varying priorities and budgets.
Politics
Whilst cities prefer cost-saving, long-term repairs for pothole hotspots, cash-strapped municipal councils take a reactive 'patch-and-dash' approach, fixing potholes quickly — often in poor conditions — resulting in rapid breakdowns and reoccurrence.
Lack of a Systemic Approach
Fixing potholes only addresses the symptom. Eliminating them requires a systemic approach, including predicting poor drainage, weather patterns, traffic load, and implementing preventative road maintenance.
How it works
Hydrochromic paint applied to potholes changes colour when wet, making them highly visible during rain and floods — exactly when they're most dangerous. Three colour levels indicate depth: green (1–5cm), blue (6–10cm), and orange (>10cm).
- Low cost: ~1 kg of hydrochromic paint per m² costs $10 USD, vs $24 USD for plastic road barriers.
- Logistics: Paint buckets take far less storage and transport space than barriers.
- Different warning levels: colour-coded by depth for real-time decision-making.
Testing & Durability
We tested with 3 different colours for 3 different levels of danger. The reflective coating allows the sensitive varnish to last up to 3 months throughout summer — which coincidentally is also the duration of the monsoon season. As the proposal wasn't designed to be a long-term solution, we were satisfied with this result.
Reception & Results
The idea was met with enthusiasm from the local community and authority. The next step was to find a long-term supplier and present the proposal to the city municipal — however, on our way to the meeting we were informed the project was axed due to new budget constraints. Vague as it sounds, that's just how things work politically. As a consolation, we went back and continued to refine and develop the idea, waiting for a better occasion to bring it back to life.