THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE AUGUST 2022 264
designer Future Directions How embedded technology is helping to shape the homes and workspaces of tomorrow
Rising Stars Snapshots of emerging creative talent
Older & Wiser Design’s vital role in meeting the needs of a changing demographic
INSPIRING PROJECT CREATIVITY Designer 264 Cover 2022 IDEAS v2.indd 1
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VIEW THE FULL, COMPREHENSIVE NE W P RIME R AN GE O F BUILT IN H O O D S AT WESTIN.CO.UK
Kitchen project by Thomas Ford & Sons.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2022 / ISSUE 264
Welcome to the August issue of Designer. It’s sometimes difficult to notice when you are in the middle of big changes that are taking place all around you, but we have undoubtedly lived through a seismic technological change over the past few years. The huge impact of the Covid pandemic on all of our lives took many forms, but the shift towards the rapid and transformational way in which we use technology is arguably one of its lasting legacies. Video conferencing and remote communications were already developing at pace, but such tools always require a somewhat organic buy-in from businesses and individuals to really accelerate. Inevitably, some are more enthusiastic adopters than others, and resistance to new processes can often slow the scale and speed at which new ideas can be rolled out. But the pandemic changed the usual order of things, forcing businesses and individuals to adapt in a way none of us could ever have imagined or really prepared for. Offices have become flexible, adaptable spaces with a focus on collaborative working for an employee base that has become well versed at working across different locations, the hospitality sector has discovered new ways of servicing its customers, while homes around the world have found spaces to accommodate a desk or work area that facilitate this new approach. Tech is at the heart of it all, and its role in helping us adapt will extend even more to its increasingly important function in boosting the mission to get to grips with the climate change emergency too, through waste reduction and energy saving. Whether you’re an early adopter or a technophobe at heart, over the next few years, technology is certain to enhance the way we live and work, more efficiently and seamlessly than ever before.
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Enjoy the issue!
Martin Allen-Smith Editor, Designer
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anna PRESENTING
we don’t just deliver a product, we deliver an experience…
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2022 / ISSUE 264
CONTENTS 17 08 SOURCE Our monthly round-up of the people, products and events that matter from across the design sector 14 SHOWROOMS Exploring the new Surrey showroom of flooring specialist Havwoods 17 FUTURE DIRECTIONS The role of technology in our everyday lives has become increasingly seamless, as pandemic lockdowns and evolving ecommerce have supercharged the implementation of new ways of working. We sought views on how some strands of design have
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30 embraced new functionality and equipped for the challenges to come 30 SMARTER LIVING A new build on the site of a former farmyard in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, this home incorporates a host of innovative technology and eco features 36 RISING STARS Design writer and photographer Barbara Chandler marked 37 years of the New Designers graduate showcase with an exhibition of 37 portraits from her extensive archive of photos taken at the event. She shares some of the shots plus her perspectives on the importance of encouraging new creative talent
40 NORTHERN LIGHT A sensitive restoration of one of Helsinki’s landmark buildings has completely rejuvenated an iconic hotel thanks to a stylish, art-led design scheme 46 OLDER AND WISER A new display at the Design Museum London – The Future of Ageing – explores how design can support significant demographic changes that point to a future in which there will be more older people than young 50 EXIT The legendary Simpsons sofa gets a real-life makeover
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EDITORIAL EDITOR MARTIN ALLEN-SMITH martin@thedsgroup.co.uk CONTRIBUTOR ANNA-MARIE CASAS BRAND AMBASSADOR MELISSA PORTER PUBLISHING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR CLARA DEEKS clara@thedsgroup.co.uk PUBLISHING ASSISTANT GEORGE DEAN george@thedsgroup.co.uk MANAGING DIRECTOR ALLISTAIR HUNTER OPERATIONS DIRECTOR TRACY MEAD
MARTIN ALLEN-SMITH
CLARA DEEKS
MELISSA PORTER
STUART SINCLAIR
DAVE WALLACE
DOM LITTLER
ADVERTISING BRAND MANAGER STUART SINCLAIR stuart@thedsgroup.co.uk SPONSORSHIP & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER DAVE WALLACE dave@designerati.co.uk MARKETING CREATIVE MARKETING MANAGER DOM LITTLER dom@thedsgroup.co.uk SENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE TYLER CHASE tyler@thedsgroup.co.uk PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR LEE THOMAS GRAPHIC DESIGNER BEN EMMERSON
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THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE AUGUST 2022 264
designerati.co.uk
designer Future Directions How embedded technology is helping to shape the homes and workspaces of tomorrow
Rising Stars Snapshots of emerging creative talent
Older & Wiser Design’s vital role in meeting the needs of a changing demographic
INSPIRING PROJECT CREATIVITY Designer 264 Cover 2022 IDEAS v2.indd 1
On the cover: This month’s cover story examines the transformation of spaces through embedded, connected technology
27/07/2022 11:03
Why compromise? +44 (0)1761 241133 sales@bathroom-engineering.co.uk www.bathroom-engineering.co.uk The Boat House, Wirral Park, Glastonbury, Somerset, England BA6 9XE
Choose the design and the finish to match your high standards.
Bathroom Engineering Ltd. is a joint venture and the sole U.K. trading division of TECE GmbH
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Pattern Creator
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2022
designerati.co.uk Polish architect and designer Mac Stopa has explored new themes and designs that let him express his artistic interpretation through the form of flooring. Using Forbo Flooring Systems’ high-definition digital printing techniques, the ‘Created by Mac Stopa’ Flotex range consists of graphical and expressive designs. The collection is split into four different designs, each of which are available in a variety of colourways: flower, trapezoid, wicker, and hexagon.
German kitchen brand Eggersmann has added the Glance glass cabinet system to its offering. Its aluminium frame and glass fronts and sides offer various open or closed furniture options and can be used in base and wall units, as well as tall cabinets.
Kitchen Centrepiece
Riobel is expanding its kitchen brassware collection with the introduction of the Trattoria kitchen tap. The contemporary design is the latest launch from the brassware brand from Quebec, following its introduction into the UK, and is one of five designs in the kitchen collection. Taking inspiration from the sturdy and practical kitchenware of a New York Italian diner, the tap features a tapered body and subtly shaped handle. It also has the option of a square or round spout, and a choice of finishes in brushed gold, black, stainless steel, or chrome.
Forbo / forbo-flooring.co.uk/macstopa Riobel / houseofrohl.uk/riobel
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Smart Casual
Bene has launched its new Casual range of office furniture designed to facilitate interaction and communication in the workplace. Focusing on what it calls ‘third places’ away from the desk and home office, the concept emphasises the role of the office in creating social engagement between colleagues. The range was designed by Bene designer Christian Horner whose inspiration came from the park bench where people might meet in either a planned or random way. The Casual Bench and accompanying table are available in three heights, alongside a lounge chair to complete the options.
Bene / bene.com
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The tap that does it all 100°C BOILING, CHILLED AND SPARKLING WATER With a Quooker in your showroom you can offer your customers the only tap in the world that dispenses true 100°C boiling, chilled and sparkling water. Well-known, extremely popular, and already sought after by your customers thanks to our extensive national marketing campaigns. Quooker offers high-quality, innovative kitchen taps that are already being used by millions of households throughout the world. As an official Quooker dealer, our in-house service team will take care of all after sales matters for you, and we can even arrange installation by a Quooker engineer. We also have a unique industry-leading virtual online platform that enables consumers to choose the right product for their kitchen without your involvement. This way, you can focus on what you are good at: selling beautiful kitchens. Contact us for more information on how to become a Quooker dealer.
Quooker UK Ltd. Beaumont Buildings Great Ducie Street Manchester M3 1PQ +44 (0)1617 685 900 enquiries@quooker.co.uk www.quooker.co.uk
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The Light from Within Patricia Urquiola’s new creation for Flos is a modular and customisable lighting system inspired by the fruit and flowers of almond trees. Designed to minimize the environmental impact, the system is composed of elements in aluminium and bioplastic, a special polycarbonate derived from a by-product of paper production. Almendra is intended for contract environments that meet contemporary living and hospitality needs but which aspire to be residential in feel. Designing in an almost biophilic way, with Almendra Urquiola thought of a module whose shape resembles that of two shells of an open almond, connected by a central pin. From within, thanks to a LED source, the light is diffused and comes out evenly across the entire open surface. The module, assembled on a linear or curved base, can be set with 3, 4 or 6 lights and positioned downwards or upwards.
Flos / flos.com Patricia Urquiola / patriciaurquiola.com
Photography: Tommaso Sartori
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
ROUNDHOUSE Roundhouse has opened its new showroom in the centre of Cambridge, showcasing its range of kitchens, wardrobes and other furniture. The new showroom is divided into two spaces; the ‘Design’ and ‘Studio’ Collection. The Design collection displays includes an antique copper wrap island previously unseen in any Roundhouse showroom, the Fulham Pantry – a new design with pull-out timber worktop to offer an additional worksurface, the 1200mm wide Nightingale cabinet, and the Brompton cabinet with corner banquette seating in the island.
Recently launched is the Studio Collection which combines an understated aesthetic with a modular design approach. The range features modular cabinets with fixed sizes and designs. On display is an bi-fold dresser in Fjord Green painted matt lacquer, a classic painted kitchen with a contrasting concrete door effect on the island, and wardrobes from both the Studio and Design collections. Allison Lynch, Head Showroom Designer, said: “With eighteen years’ experience at Roundhouse, I was delighted to be tasked with setting up the showroom. As I have worked on projects in the area in the past, it was clear to me that we have something new and different to offer and that we could make an impact.”
Roundhouse / 12 Sussex Street, Cambridge, CB1 1PW / roundhousedesign.com 14
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE TECHNOLOGY
Future Directions The role of technology in our everyday lives has become increasingly seamless, as pandemic lockdowns and evolving ecommerce have supercharged the implementation of new ways of working. We sought views on how some strands of design have embraced new functionality and equipped for the challenges to come
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE TECHNOLOGY
Full Function A new London office space incorporates the latest technology to ensure flexible and efficient working options for its users
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TAILOR MADE SOLUTIONS
Solid wood will make an honest difference to any interior solution At SPEKVA we are dedicated to creating kitchen worktops and furniture of the very finest quality from hand-selected wood. The finished product couldn't be anymore premium. We cater for your every wish and have something to offer for every taste and
Photographed by Sam Lock, designed by Adaptations – Surrey
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Contact Sales Manager Mark Williams on 07894698682 and visit us online.
SPEK VA.COM
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New York-headquartered meeting, event and workplace provider Convene, has opened a new location at 22 Bishopsgate, in the City of London. It is the brand’s first venture outside the US and combines technology with hospitality in a design-led space. It comprises 50,000 sq ft of meeting and conference rooms, gallery areas and an auditorium-style space with capacity for 400+ people. The space has been designed to support post-pandemic ways of working, attracting demand from companies for curated space away from the traditional office environment in which to gather and empower teams for sessions for knowledge-sharing, collaboration and relationship-building.
Designed by architecture and interiors practice Woods Bagot, Convene has been designed to be flexible to suit events of various sizes and purpose. An in-house tech and production team is available to work within spaces that feature state-of-the-art technology, high-speed WiFi, AV and conferencing tools that enable in-person, hybrid and virtual events for up to 10,000 virtual attendees. Clients have the opportunity to access premium production elements, such as set design, as well as cutting-edge audio and video capabilities, which have all been pre-built into the space. The concept is for a hybridenabled space that utilises in-built cameras, microphones and speakers in the ceilings, floor and the walls. Woods Bagot also installed a smart
Woods Bagot / woodsbagot.com
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fresh air system which manages the air flow in the larger spaces by detecting levels of carbon dioxide and redistributing fresh air from one area of the venue to another. Elliott Sparsis, Head of UK at Convene, said: “We are bringing a new meeting, event and workspace offer to the UK market which is tailored to how progressive companies want to meet and work to empower their workforce. Convene at 22 Bishopsgate is a unique environment, enabling businesses to bring teams together and retain and develop their company ethos, personality and culture as well as giving them confidence to host their clients. This has driven us to provide a beautifully-designed environment operated according to high-end hospitality principles.”
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Raising Service Standards Chris Gwyther, Founder & Creative Director at hospitality design specialists Phoenix Wharf, on the changing hospitality landscape and the role technology will continue to play…
Bristol Loaf at Bristol Beacon by Phoenix Wharf
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In what ways has technology impacted or influenced your design decisions in recent years? What are some of the key features or products you look to include now that were not previously available? The main impact of technology, certainly in the fast casual dining sector, is the introduction of ordering kiosks. We’re seeing the demand for this more and more with customers now accustomed to viewing a menu on a tablet, ordering, and paying, before using the counter purely for pickups. This signifies a big change in terms of layout, customer flow and collection points, with previous long counters with an abundance of food on display no longer needed and a greater focus on increased seating and efficiency. Digital menu screens are another element that is now becoming standard and more readily available. This is often because it’s more sustainable for updating and changing menus, with digital screens also offering the opportunity for video content and lifestyle imagery alongside food photography. Another area we’re seeing technological advances in is materials and finishes. Options like concrete-effect paint, recycled plastic materials and countertops made using coffee grounds or even grains of rice offer an ever-expanding range of options for designers.
How can designers look to ‘embed’ technology within their schemes? Invisibly. There have been developments with automated baristas and smoothie makers as well as kiosk ordering but, after being contactless for a few years, we’re also finding that many clients want to get back to real life interactions because the human aspect of warmth and welcome in hospitality is so vital. Any embedded technology therefore focuses more around ordering systems and making back-of-house operations run as smoothly as possible. One front of house element we’re seeing integrated more is music and ambient sound. Technology is available now to adapt music to target demographics, time of day and restaurant type, which can be invisibly integrated into a scheme but which transform the experience when done correctly. There’s also technology that can be embedded from a practical point of view, such as re-using heat generated from the kitchen and filtering it as an ecofriendly way to heat a space. We have also implemented things recently such as milk taps that conserve energy, reduce waste, and save time – things that were not even an option a few years ago and which work effortlessly behind the scenes.
How have the expectations of clients changed in recent years and how is technology enabling changes in how we live and work? Within the hospitality industry, the pandemic rapidly accelerated the integration of technology into the dining experience. Being able to order via QR codes from your table is seen as much more ‘normal’. Now that places have opened up again, many are still using the QR code system and offering customers a contactless way to order and pay. From a design perspective, this presents its own challenges in terms of communication – in terms of where the QR codes go and how easy they are to use. There’s also more emphasis needed on customer service when delivering food and checking on customer satisfaction as contact points between staff and customer are greatly reduced.
What prediction do you have for the future evolution of technology in your area of design? Continued development on seamless experiences from entering a restaurant to ordering to paying. Technology has advanced rapidly in the last few years, but many people still have a disconnect between front and back of house. We predict an increase in being able to order before you arrive – no more waiting for tables and queueing for kiosks in high footfall areas. Much of the technology increases will likely be back of house and operational. From a hospitality design point of view, we still firmly believe that people go to cafes and restaurants for the experience, tactility and social aspects and that technology should remain behind the scenes as much as possible.
Phoenix Wharf / phoenix-wharf.com
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align’s project for Foxley Kingham features super-efficient low-level lighting
Numbers of VC-enabled spaces are increasing, such as this one for a global consulting firm by align
Embedded Efficiency Nigel Tresise, Director of multidisciplinary interior architecture and design practice align, shares how technology is shaping current and future projects… In what ways has technology impacted or influenced your design decisions in recent years? What are some of the key features or products that you look to include now that were not previously available? Any technology that saves natural resources and eliminates waste has got to be top of the list for us right now. This could be super-efficient low energy lighting or more efficient building management control systems that direct services to where people are physically located (rather than the whole of a building all of the time). We’ve also embraced water saving technology a lot in recent years and have been specifying hightech, vacuum-assisted toilets that reduce water consumption by over 80%. One of our clients is predicting saving 1.8m litres of water next year thanks to this. It is great for the planet and great for the client too. How have the expectations of clients changed in recent years and how is technology enabling changes in how we live and work?
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I think everyone was surprised how the technology infrastructure just simply worked over the pandemic. This has meant that things that were previously seen as obstacles to, for example, remote working are now accepted without question. This has led to many more VC-enabled spaces within workplace settings or the need to plug these in to supplement existing arrangements. It’s not unusual for every work position now to have a webcam and headphones, for example, for impromptu Teams calls. For more complex VC settings though, for multiple users, we are delivering bespoke solutions that include face lighting, D tables and active acoustic surfaces to mitigate reverberation How can designers look to ‘embed’ technology within their schemes? Depending on the scale of the project, it’s important to use the initial briefing sessions with the client team to deeply understand their appetite both for initial cap-ex
spend and ongoing running costs. Both of these can be significant. Engaging with the M&E consultants and controls specialists early will help this but it’s always important to make sure your infrastructure is flexible. You don’t want to be lumbered with the equivalent of a Betamax VC system when everyone else is using VHS! What predictions do you have for the future evolution of technology in your area of design? I think my only real prediction is that there will be more of it doing things we probably don’t even know about yet! With transient levels of workplace utilisation, anything that monitors occupation patterns and reconfigures services accordingly – thus saving energy and resources – will become the norm.
align / aligngb.com
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A Human-Centric Future William Poole-Wilson, Founder and Managing Director at workplace design specialists WILL+Partners, on the necessarily rapid tech changes that have reconfigured working processes and paved the way for an automated future
In what ways has technology impacted or influenced your design decisions in recent years? What are some of the key features or products that you look to include now that were not previously available? Clearly the largest impact has been the advent of Zoom, Teams, and Google Meets. This proliferated and accelerated beyond expectation during the pandemic. Prior to that, Skype and Facetime owned the face-to-face platforms. The difference the new platforms made was to allow social media engagement and genuine meetings, where information and documents can be shared. It is untrue to say this was an immediate thing. We knew it was coming and were designing for it pre-pandemic. We just accelerated the process without measuring its impact or truly understanding the outcomes due to an apparent necessity. Other digital influencers are sensors which measure human behaviour. We are entering a fascinating period of digital design that connects with human behaviour but also reacts to human centric design. The design decisions we make today are completely different from 2019. That’s not to say we didn’t know it was coming, but it was just design theory. The accelerated
rate of change in working patterns impact placemaking, and even our cultural timeclock. Some of the only constants that remain are that children go to school at a set time. Almost everything else had been challenged, from the visit to the GP to the office meeting. That doesn’t mean it is right. The accelerated rate of change means we haven’t measured, had time to pilot, or test what we are doing. Accelerated design forms an impact on everything from placemaking, to master-planning, through to the interior design of the hotel or home and the accelerated agile office. The outcomes we need from technology are that we have to rethink and repurpose the digital acceleration to support our need for net carbon zero and improved health and wellbeing. How have the expectations of clients changed in recent years and how is technology enabling changes in how we live and work? Clients have not changed but what they are dealing with has. In this sense, they have had to rethink the design of space, how we live and work. The last two years has seen an unprecedented rate of acceleration. Essentially, technology has enabled an entire new era of choice, based around human experience, sustainability,
health and wellbeing, through to engagement with people. This perhaps enables more opportunity for inclusivity and diversity and requires a rethink of what leadership means, even the way in which we design spaces impacts leadership. Choices in how you design office space, more agile design to dynamic density, and utilisation impact, all mean that we need to think about how we design spaces differently. How can designers look to ‘embed’ technology within their schemes? The most important step is to embed sensors; sensors that can provide data and interpret what it means so that we can test, pilot and check design decisions, where we can design to real time evidence. Right now, we have extremely limited evidence of what the real impact of the pandemic has been on space design decisions. For example, we have very few buildings that actually measure who is entering, where they go and why. Yet we all seem to know the answer. In 2010, the British Council for Offices cited an average occupancy in offices of 60%. Today Remit Consulting say that occupancy figures for London are 29.3%. Latest TFL data says 25% fewer people are using the tube than pre pandemic.
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This information needs investigating as it creates so many questions. It is also the best example of why we need technology in buildings and even our personal places. Our changing habits for how we are working, taking our children to school, and our culture really matter to how we think about design. Design is more complex in an accelerated digital world and technology helps unlock the answers, providing an improved human experience. We need design that can pack and unpack into different ‘look books’, and design that allows investors to have a vanilla answer to make their decisions but, equally, that vanilla responds to net-zero commitments. These are complex algorithms we need to think through and adapt. Parametric design can help with that. Our need to design to the circular economy means a need for technology that can just as easily rethink the ‘Mecanno’ of what we have designed. We need to be able to unpack and redesign with what we have, reuse and repurpose, if anything to meet our commitments to 2030. That isn’t to take away from the ability to design but really think about our design decisions for future generations.
What predictions do you have for the future evolution of technology in your area of design? Technology will evolve. However, there are some balances. We still need to learn, and it is significant that we know we need to teach physically and not virtually in schools. A university student will clearly tell you how they pay for their education and expect lectures in person, and about the need to meet and interact with their peers. Whilst we have accelerated in the last two years there will be a correction factor, where unevidenced assumptions that were incorrect will be checked. We will design more 3-in-1 sets, where we understand flexibility. Perhaps we will have sensors that let us know when we need to make that change, and even automate that for us. How about if the vehicle we travel to work in is our workplace and connects to form the Hive HQ? Maybe that’s too distant but it’s not far. We have, after all, designed and built a world where since 2007 more than half the population live in urban areas. In 2017, 4 billion people lived in urban areas compared to 1 billion in 1960 and we predict that two-thirds of the world population will live in a metropolis by 2050. That said, we will also need a digital detox.
WILL+Partners / willandpartners.com
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NATURAL BENEFITS Parterre explores the application of plant life into workspaces and the benefits to employees. Intended as a fresh take on Biophilia, it represents a desk system that fills the negative spaces between desk surfaces, connecting seating and working areas with plant life. Built into the fabric of the modern workplace, Parterre creates a modular system of plant life that works seamlessly within office spaces and also benefits employees and organisations.
NewTerritory / newterritory.io
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Empathic Technology is a collection of futurefocused product concepts that explores how technological objects can be embedded within the domestic space in unconventional, yet meaningful ways. It includes Connect (top row), which features a central connective router tray with dispersible elements (including omnidirectional speaker and wifi booster) migrating throughout the home to provide network connection, power, and sound, allowing users to more easily communicate with one another.
Sense (middle row) is a set of monitoring devices that integrate into the home to generate data and build a richer picture of our physical and mental needs. It includes a switch, a pendant, and a surface that monitor people and place through sonics, atmospherics, visual references, touch and sound.
Enhance (bottom row) is a class of devices that act on sensed data, transforming and enhancing our living environments discretely and in line with deep observation and analysis of our human needs. It revolves around an architecturally integrated smart window frame that has sensors and active filtering technologies embedded within it to filter particulates and pollutants and actively cancel disruptive noise and light.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS
Smart Living
A new build on the site of a former farmyard in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, this home incorporates a host of innovative technology and eco features
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Photography: Rory Raitt
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS
THE BRIEF
The client wanted a modern, industrial-look kitchen, with easyto-reach storage in the kitchen and pantry. There needed to be an island-based hob with overhead instruction, a sink at the window, and a practical but social layout. The appliance wish-list included a dishwasher, single oven, microwave, and integrated fridge-freezer. Industrial features and wooden worktops would complete the look.
THE SPEC
Kitchen furniture is Rotpunkt’s Zerox FM Carbon finish, in a handleless design with slab doors and drawers. The surface is Dekton in 20mm Trilium, which is made with up to 80% recycled material. Appliances included a single oven, combination microwave, warming drawer, and induction hob all by Neff. The sink is Rangemaster’s Paragon in Ash Black, alongside which is a Quooker Fusion Square boiling water tap in Chrome. Flooring throughout the kitchen and hallway is by Karndean.
ECO CREDENTIALS
The property features an air source heat pump, providing heating to the underfloor heating system and hot water to the cylinder. There is also
mechanical ventilation and heat recovery which constantly pumps fresh air throughout the house and pre-warms up the fresh air by running it through an exchanger to gain the heat from the warmed air from bathrooms/shower rooms. This ensures that the stale air is extracted to outside but warmed up fresh air is pumped throughout the house, which has potential health benefits as well as reducing heating bills. There is also insulated concrete formwork insulation. Wall blocks are formed with thick polystyrene insulation with a concrete core poured in to provide a pre-insulated structure. This provides thermal mass – effectively like a large storage heater in which the concrete core holds some heat through the day and slowly releases it back throughout the house at night, reducing heating bills. The house is air tight, reducing drafts or air movement throughout the house so that most heat is retained, but the ventilation system ensures constant fresh air. The construction makes the most of its solar potential too, with large windows facing east, south and west, while a large roof overhangs to the largest south facing windows so that rooms do not overheat as much on warm summer days.
SMART CONTROLS
Ryan Urquhart, homeowner and architect at Baxter Design, explains how the home is geared up for a smart future: “A smart home system controls heating and lighting, but we have also planned ahead by running cables beside the windows to fit automated blinds at a later date. We’ll have light switches throughout as normal but the systems can be controlled from our phones and will be automated, so that at sunrise the blinds start to rise and if the house is becoming too hot, the blinds can dip down to reduce the solar gains. “The heating system is also controllable through our phones so that we can shut it down if we have family and friends over to prevent overheating and boost the ventilation system so that rooms don’t become stuffy. The lights will be fitted with dimmers – apparently the naked eye won’t know that a light bulb is running at 85% capacity but the energy savings are colossal. So in short, every aspect of the heating and ventilation will run by itself giving the overall house optimum efficiency levels.”
SUSTAINABLE PLANS
“We are being as sustainable as possible in terms of up-cycling,” said
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Urquhart. “The site was formerly part of a farmyard and there is a lot of old ‘junk’ lying around that we intend to use particularly in landscaping and furnishing design. For example, there are timber sleepers and poles in the yard that we intend to use as edging for dividing up garden spaces and as features like planters. “There is an old concrete ring that I’m working on ideas to turn into an outdoor dining table to have under the big canopy. And the stonework feature wall at the front of the house was formed with black granite, which is deemed to be the “undesirable, unusable” waste stone at the bottom of the quarry but it has come out really well.”
THE KITCHEN DESIGNER
Joanna Dereniowska, Showroom Manager at John Willox Kitchen Design, said: “For me, this has been a highlight of my design career to date, given the huge importance on green living and how society is making changes to help protect the environment. We knew the owners wanted a modern, industrial-style kitchen with an emphasis on low carbon products to help both home and daily life run more efficiently. “It was also a real privilege to
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design with freedom and specify materials that were in keeping with the architectural landscape and property. Our go-to climate friendly furniture of choice is by Rotpunkt and we were excited to recommend the Zerox FM door in Carbon – a fine, matt, dark grey finish. “The Dekton surfaces were also a unique addition as they are very heat and scratch resistant for added durability with ultra-modern, industrial style vibe. The Dekton surface colours are inspired by the natural beauty of volcanic rock, where Trilium’s intense and irregular black and grey tones combined with the matte finish help to create a rich surface that transforms under different light and captures the diverse patterns on the surface.”
ECO MANUFACTURING
The Rotpunkt furniture in the project is made using BioBoard Gen2. Matt Phillips, Head of UK Operations at Rotpunkt, said: “Mindful consumerism continues to be a priority for anyone seeking to make a difference and address climate change in the home. Recognising the ‘power of the purchase’ has become crucial across the interior design community, with big ticket items like the kitchen helping to reduce
environmental impact and promote a greener way of life. “Our progress in the manufacture of Rotpunkt kitchens has been 100% climate friendly from our production sites in Germany since 1 January 2020. In 2021, we moved to a complete company-wide conversion to green electricity and equal consideration of ecological, economic and social issues. We manufacture using Greenline BioBoard Gen2, a chipboard that consists of up to 90% recycled wood to protect one of the planet’s most vulnerable resources – trees. We are extremely proud of our new climate strategy ‘Together to Zero’ as part of our continuing commitment to sustainability across every aspect of our business, covering both products and processes. “I think this project shows that you can now be design-forward while being kind to the planet, reducing a property’s carbon footprint without compromising on style and performance. Our climatefriendly furniture is just one element of this low carbon home that is sustainable by design, and we are blown away by the attention to detail and specialist understanding shown once again by Joanna and the team at John Willox Kitchen Design.”
John Willox Kitchen Design / willoxdesign.com Baxter Design / baxterdesigncompany.co.uk Rotpunkt / rotpunkt.co.uk 28/07/2022 06:58
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Louise Tiler, Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design, Leeds College of Art and Design (New Designers 2011 & 2012)
Lyndsey Caufield, Textile & Surface Design, Robert Gordon University Aberdeen (New Designers 2012) Ben Alport, BA Industrial Design & Technology, Brunel University (New Designers 2014)
Jamie Neasham, Product Design, Plymouth University (New Designers 2011)
Christopher Pollard, Automotive Design, Coventry University (New Designers 2009)
Alice Funge, Design Crafts, De Montfort University (New Designers 2017 & 2018)
Chloe Gregory and Annie James, Textile Design for Fashion & Interiors, Bath Spa University (New Designers 2015 & 2017)
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Giles Fearon, Three Dimensional Design, Manchester School of Art (New Designers 2022)
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE NEW DESIGNERS 2022
Henry Franks, 3D Design, Northumbria University (New Designers 2013)
Rising Stars
Design writer and photographer Barbara Chandler marked 37 years of the New Designers graduate showcase with an exhibition of 37 portraits from her extensive archive of photos taken at the event. She shares some of the shots and her perspectives on the importance of encouraging new creative talent At this year’s New Designers, held once again at the Business Design Centre in London, alongside the impressive array of projects on display from recent design graduates from across the UK, there was also a celebration of some of the show’s
highly successful past participants. Design writer Barbara Chandler has been taking portraits at the event for around 15 years now, with images covering a huge range of universities and disciplines and representing New Designer’s unique position as a
showcase of excellence for UK graduating talent. Known for her longrunning pages in the London Evening Standard, Barbara Chandler is also an accomplished photographer, selling her prints in London, New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo and Warsaw.
Of the New Designers project, Barbara explains: “It all started with number 1, one of the earliest pics. This young man – Coventry Uni graduate Christopher Pollard – had a punk hairdo whose curvy lines were echoed by the design on his screen, it seemed to me.
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Jacob Marks, Product & Furniture Design, Kingston University (New Designers 2022)
Claudette Forbes, Art Design & Ceramics, Morley College 2020
Sarah Hemingray, Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design, Leeds College of Art (New Designers 2009)
Lily Beardsell, BA Decorative Arts, Nottingham Trent University (New Designers 2014)
Sebastian Cox, Furniture Design & Craftsmanship, University of Lincoln (New Designers 2010)
Jacob Monk, Textile Design (Weave), Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design (New Designers 2019)
Alex Craig, Product Design with Professional Experience, Brighton University (New Designers 2013 & 2014)
Elizabeth White, Industrial Design & Technology, Brunel University (New Designers 2014)
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE NEW DESIGNERS 2022
Shannon Bartlett-Smith, BA Contemporary Crafts, Falmouth University (New Designers 2015 & 2016)
“I caught up with him again very recently. He told me that he went into a job he did not particularly relish after New Designers, and during that time, reverted to a ‘normal’ hair cut. “Immediately attitudes changed and people accepted me and my work more readily.” Then four years after New Designers, he got a call from someone offering him a really good job – “we’ve only just become in a position to do this.” “The same year Sarah Hemingray was standing in front of her wallpaper and her face so perfectly mirrored her work that I just had to take a picture. These two kick-started my ambition to take designer portraits that in some way reflected the work of the subject.” Barbara added many other subjects to her collection, all unique given
the diverse range of designs and perspectives that make fresh design talent such a fascinating scene. “It’s interesting to see how many of ‘my’ designers have subsequently become successful,” she says, “like Sebastian Cox and Kit Miles in particular. But it’s as though talent has a magnetic quality and drew me in – and of course these designers were there on their stands. “Tracking down all the designers was a tricky task – I upgraded my membership of LinkedIn so I could contact more people directly; luckily, I had made files every year on Flickr – a very early form of social media – so I had kept track of the designers.” During the ‘lost years’ of 2020 and 2021, when graduates had no platform
because of Covid, Barbara sought them out at their universities, travelling to Plymouth, Stoke, Manchester, Leicester, Loughborough, Brighton and Kingston, as well as visiting numerous venues in London. As a result of these trips, she was also able to include images from these years in her show. And she was inspired to create and curate GREEN GRADS, a new platform for graduates engaged with all aspects of sustainability, biodiversity and biophilia. This has exploded since a first show last year as part of the Planted design show at the Samsung UK Experience centre in King’s Cross. There is now a website at greengrads. co.uk (and on Instagram @ greengrads22), and over 20 designers were invited to show at Grand Designs Live in May this year.
Barbara Chandler / barbarachandler.co.uk / @sunnygran New Designers / newdesigners.com 39
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Photography: Riikka Kantinkoski
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY INTERIORS Finnish design studio Fyra was responsible for the interior concept for the restaurant, bars and reception area. Its project team was Emma Keränen, Silja Kantokorpi, and Eva-Marie Eriksson
A sensitive restoration of one of Helsinki’s landmark buildings has completely rejuvenated an iconic hotel thanks to a stylish, art-led design scheme
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S
ince its establishment in 1931, the thirteen floors of Hotel Torni have made the building a prominent landmark of the city of Helsinki. In 2018, the hotel underwent a comprehensive renovation, with Finnish design studio Fyra given responsibility by owners Sokotel for the interior design of the restaurant, the bars, and the reception area. The history of the iconic building guided the forming of the design concept. The aim was to create surprising, but elegant elements that respect the building’s original architecture and historic values – the original building was by Jung & Jung and has now been sensitively restored by ARCO. As a result, the bar and restaurant spaces delight with their individual and distinctive atmospheres. Torni’s history as a meeting place for several Finnish cultural influencers is reflected in the bohemian ambiance of the bars and the restaurant. In an art project run beside the renovation, new art pieces
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were added to Torni’s impressive art collection by tastefully mixing varied styles from different time periods. On the hotel’s 13th floor, at the end of a narrow spiral staircase, guests can find the Ateljee Bar, offering views in four different directions over the rooftops of Helsinki. The bar was extended during the renovation to the 12th-floor space via an elevator connection, increasing the accessibility of the bar as a whole, and adding to the number of customer seats. The materials for the rooftop bar were chosen not to compete with the impressive views, but to maximise the views through mirrored surfaces. The restaurant OR, located on the street level of the building, presents a layering of different styles and bold use of colour that create a bohemian atmosphere with art as a key focus. The American Bar was restored to its original location under the dome in the centre of the hotel, the shape of which is echoed by the new bar counter. The dark and elegant atmosphere of the bar is enhanced by Paavo Tynell’s lamps.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EXHIBITION
OLDER AND WISER
A new display at the Design Museum London – The Future of Ageing – curated by Design Age Institute, based at the Royal College of Art, explores how design can support significant demographic changes that point to a future in which there will be more older people than young
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EXHIBITION
Home Office to Age in Place is a project to develop integrated flexible working space in the home to allow independent working in later life. Home Office to Age in Place brings together experts in architecture, design for ageing and computing from Northumbria University, along with furniture designers from Pentagram. Co-created with users, Light-Block (pictured) is a design concept by Pentagram for a mobile lighting, power and storage solution that allows any table to be converted into a proper workstation.
The Future of Ageing display, curated by Design Age Institute, based at the Royal College of Art, in collaboration with the Design Museum, explores how design can support significant demographic changes that point to a future in which there will be more older people than young. The display will be showcased in the atrium of the Design Museum until 11 September 2022, and aims to remind us that we are all ageing no matter our age. It highlights how design and innovation can meet the needs, interests, and desires of the older consumer with greater agency and even joy. Life expectancy is increasing – a person born today is expected to live to around 104. By 2040, over a quarter of the UK’s population will be over the age of 60, but over 70% of us will be fit and healthy with no need for social care or support. Almost all of us will be active online, and we are expected to spend over 20% less on healthcare and considerably more on recreation, culture, and travel. In the next couple of decades, those of us aged over 55 will account for 63 pence of every pound spent in the UK, presenting a massive, untapped market for designers, retailers, and service providers. The display showcases prototypes, sketches, and research from six design projects that are being developed by Design Age Institute and its partners. Colum Lowe, Director at the Design Age Institute, said: “The Future of Ageing display allows us to demonstrate how design and innovation can transform our homes, workplaces, cities, and neighbourhoods to support us as we age. Getting older is not a singular story of decline, loneliness, and hardship – it also includes wisdom, maturity, confidence, abundance, and adventure. The venue, scheduling, content, and display design will open up this dialogue to new audiences who possibly haven’t considered the challenges and joys of later life.” Josephine Chanter, Director of Audiences at the Design Museum, added: “We’re delighted to collaborate with Design Age Institute to present six new research projects that are designed to improve our lives as we age. We will all face the challenges that come with ageing, so we hope all our visitors will leave inspired by how designers can enhance the quality of our lives regardless of our age.”
Above Hearing Birdsong is an immersive digital audioscape created by Kennedy Woods that uses the sound of British birdsong to engage visitors with their hearing health. The Hearing Birdsong app aims to reduce the stigma associated with hearing loss and to support early diagnosis by creating an enjoyable experience that allows people to check their hearing in the privacy of their own homes. Opposite page The Centaur is a self-balancing, two-wheeled personal electric vehicle for people with difficulties getting around, developed by Centaur Robotics. It aims to make supported mobility more accessible, more flexible, and more desirable, and to spotlight the significant opportunity to expand the mobility market. Paul Campbell, Design Director at Centaur Robotics, said: “I want to end the social isolation resulting from reduced mobility. And I believe good design can do that.” Inset Poster designed by Michael Wolff and NB Studio
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Gita is a hands-free cargo-carrying robot made by Piaggio Fast Forward, creators of the iconic Vespa scooter. The UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing is now exploring Gita’s potential impact on the lives of older adults with user groups.
Design Age Institute / designage.org Design Museum / designmuseum.org Royal College of Art / rca.ac.uk 48
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JOY Designing for Joy and We are all Ageing are two new specially commissioned two-minute films created with production company Chocolate Films and will be displayed on large screens at the beginning and end of the visitor journey. The first film focuses on the role of design in meeting the needs of an ageing society and the second showcases five individuals creating new narratives of happy and healthy ageing. GROWING TOGETHER Growing Together is a model exploring opportunities for a multigenerational garden at the Design Museum, a long-term participatory project which brings together local communities based in and around The Design Museum, to work alongside public works, a not-for-profit critical design practice that operates across architecture, art and design. “Gardens are places where you can make friends. It is important to have raised beds and places where old and young can learn and grow together. I really want to feel part of a community,” said one local resident during the consultation process.
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#designerplaylist
Looking for the soundtrack to your working day? At designerati we have asked a range of designers to put together a selection of their musical inspirations.
INSPIRING PROJECT CREATIVITY designerati.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EXIT / HOME SWEET HOMER
EXIT
One last thing from this month’s magazine…
The Simpsons’ living room is one of the most recognisable in the world and it has now been recreated to show how it might look in real life. In an experimental project, design studio Bobbi Beck has reimagined the room from the famous long-running TV cartoon in the real world and has given it a fresh, contemporary update. Explaining their approach to the concept redesign project, Creative Director James Mellan-Matulewicz said: “When we decided to bring to life the living room of 742 Evergreen Terrace, we knew
that we had to pay respect to such an iconic room. However, this was tricky when it came to managing the bright colours in the home. “In reality, pink walls, green carpets, purple cabinets and a brown sofa don’t look very nice together, so it was a real challenge keeping the living room tasteful, while still recognisably the Simpsons.” The Simpsons, which debuted in 1989, is the longest-running American sitcom in history and has amassed 728 episodes to date.
Bobbi Beck / bobbibeck.com
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