]]> http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/2010/07/electrolux-design-lab-live-on-cnn/feed/ 2 http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/2010/05/integrated-kitchen-design-from-eurocucina-milan/ http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/2010/05/integrated-kitchen-design-from-eurocucina-milan/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 09:46:04 +0000 admin http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/?p=1790 At Eurocucina (the kitchen fair held during Milan Design Week), Pernilla Johansson, Design Director at Electrolux, found prominent examples of integrated and stylish design. Here are some clever details that caught Pernilla’s eye.

Rational Kitchen Displayed at Eurocucina, Milan

Pernilla found “the proportion of this kitchen from Rational (a part of the Snaidero group) to be stunning. The thin dark stone surface, emphasized by the wider metal gap provides clearance to open the doors.  The tall stainless steel base is set in to give a feeling of lightness and further maximizes space. There is a certain delightful feeling to simply using the foot to push open and close this lower drawer, where you can store those items not frequently used.”

Snaidero (left) and Rational (right) Kitchen Design

Both Rational and Snaidero show a great sense of detail in the way they make sure the side of their kitchen units as beautiful as the front, with  materials and proportions seamlessly continued.

Sensual Kitchen Leg - Snaidero’s kitchen designed by Pininfarina

This very sensual leg detail is a part of Snaidero’s kitchen designed by Pininfarina. This light thin table with its curved open leg contrasts nicely with the more soild kitchen installation.

Vitra ensures you can carry your own ‘chair’ so you can sit comfortably when and wherever you choose.

According to the UN, by 2050 around 74% of the world’s population is expected to live in an urban environment. This will mean we need to be more space efficient. As a suggested solution, the Electrolux Design Team in Porcia, Italy, devised the SHINE concept appliances – true to the Electrolux design values of simplicity and purity, the concepts are able to be seemlesly integrated within the bathroom.

“We wanted to make the appliance look more like bathroom furniture than just a washing machine,” says Levente Szabo, lead designer for the SHINE concepts.”The form and high gloss finish reference porcelain and ceramics as normally found in the bathroom environment.”

There are two Shine washing machine concepts: one freestanding and one wall mounted. The free standing apliance can be integrated underneath a bathroom sink, while the wall mounted version is easily integrated with bathroom cupboards.

The importance of light: When developing the concepts, the Electrolux Design team thoroughly studied the bathroom environment and developed new design trends linked to materials, colors, lighting and ambiance.
“The bathroom is more of a relaxation room than a cleansing room,” explains Calum Armstrong, Electrolux Industrial Design Manager, Fabric Care. “The SHINE concepts are thoroughly connected to this with our intention to contribute to a therapeutic atmosphere, akin to Japanese culture.”

Around the doors of the Shine concepts there are integrated lights that act as ambient lighting and the product’s interface. The light ring around the door will visually communicate both the cycle time and the phase of the washing process. Once the washing cycle is started, the ring around the door will start to light up in a clockwise manner, reaching completion at the same time as the washing cycle.

“This not only creates nice ambient lighting, but also provides a more emotional connection to the washing cycle,” continues Calum.  “True to Scandinavian design, the SHINE concepts are sleekly designed, yet functional at the same time. The small display above the door has a smaller selection of programs, depending on the type of garments that need to be washed.”

80% of respondents to an Electrolux survey* at the DesignBoost** event in Stockholm on 12th February 2010,  embrace urbanisation as an opportunity to make the world a better place.

A delegation of 350+ designers, architects and global thinkers were in situ at the Swedish Museum of Architecture to participate in a series of seminars and workshops addressing the theme: ‘Designs for Life’. Amongst many issues discussed throughout the day, the role of design was explored as a way of ensuring that the opportunities afforded by increased urbanisation can be maximized.

“Whilst urbanisation is often seen as a negative force, population growth makes this inevitable and thus requires sensible and planned solutions.” say’s Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President for Design at Electrolux. “It is essential that this change is embraced for the greater good. Clever, intuitive design and progressive architecture working together can help ensure a better future; with smarter cities that help reduce negative environmental impact. In fact, far from being a bad thing, urbansiation, if managed correctly, can be a force for good, facilitating sensible energy consumption, minimizing infrastructural impact and allowing communities to grow together.”

The day also saw the launch of ‘Heart of the Home’ an exciting new Electrolux kitchen concept positioned as an integrated and smart solution for the domestic requirements of the future.

DesignBoost attendee’s included Ineke Hans, Karim Rashid, James Irvine and Ross Lovegrove as well as many other distinguished names in the world of design.

*Electrolux surveyed 75 people at DesignBoost asking them for their thoughts on urbanisation.

** DesignBoost Stockholm saw a number of world renowned designers come together to workshop and discuss the future of design. The overall theme of DesignBoost 2010 is ‘Design for Life’ which concerns the way we plan, produce, transport and consume.

Imagine never having to use pans or pots again, never having to worry whether the ingredients are fresh or never having to look up a recipe in a cook book. Heart of the Home is a thought provoking vision of the kitchen of the future – an integrated solution functioning as a kitchen table, cooking surface and bar all in one.

‘Heart of the Home’ is an intelligent, amorphous, interchangeable cooking surface that adapts to user needs. When using the Heart of the Home one simply places one’s ingredients on the surface. The appliance then analyses the ingredients and presents a list of suitable recipes. After deciding on a recipe, the user marks an area with his hand to determine how large the cooking area should be. Then the desired depth of the surface is created by simply pressing the hand against the malleable material. After achieving the required width and depth it’s just a matter of setting temperature and time with a simple touch of a finger.

Heart of the Home background

2008 was the year when, for the first time in history, more people were living in cities than in rural areas. According to the UN, the number of people living in urban areas will increase to a staggering 74 percent in 2050. As a reference, a mere 29 percent lived in cities in 1950. Electrolux has developed the Heart of the Home as an illustration of how we will lead our lives in 2050 based on a number of assumptions:

Social needs are important: Just as today, social activities will be an important part of our lives, especially when it comes to socialising with your family and friends. The increased level of high-tech support in everyday life will also mean that we will want to experience true and real values

We need simplified homes: In the limited available space of future mega cities, homes will need to be flexible and able to adjust according to circumstances. The appliances of the future will need to be integrated and adjustable. We won’t have room for a whole host of products each with their own specific function.

Societies need to be more effective: When 74 percent of 9 billion people live in cities, we have to adapt our way of living to the resources we have. We need new ways of recycling our waste. Energy efficient products and buildings will be more important than ever before.

We won’t make it without technology: Technology is important today, but it will be a matter of survival in 2050. Technological advances are a prerequisite for us being able to have a sustainable development, environmentally as well as socially.

Heart of the Home was presented for the first time at DesignBoost in Stockholm February 12th 2010.

For more detail on the 2010 competition be sure to check out the brief.

The 2nd Space Age

Electrolux Design Lab 2010 invites global undergraduate and graduate industrial design students to create home appliances that consider shrinking domestic spaces. Your ideas will shape how people prepare and store food, wash clothes, and do dishes in the homes of 2050 when 74%* of the world’s population are predicted to live in an urban environment.  Growing populations living in concentrated areas dictate a need for greater space efficiency.

This year, special consideration will be given to designers that submit a design within the context of a range or suite of solutions/appliances. Your design ideas should address key consumer requirements; being green, adaptive to time and space, and allowing for individualization.

Deadline: 1 May, 2010

Prizes:
1st prize: €5,000 + 6 months’ paid internship at an Electrolux global design center.

2nd prize: €3,000
3rd prize: €2,000

*source: UN