Interview about Swan Kitchen Faucet, winner of the A' Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design Award 2023
This concept of kitchen faucet represents the mix of pure design, functionality and the last but not least non-standard material combination. It gives the new experience of high tech product which translate feelings of nature in every touch. Of course, the combination of polished metal and natural сarrara marble creates the intrigue of perception. The general form language conveys the grace and strength of a majestic bird while barely noticeable details shape the understanding of quality of the product.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsIn my opinion, the most important topics today are conscious consumption and harmony with nature. That's why I decided to challenge the classic materials and take a broader view. This is how the idea of using a natural material was born. The choice fell on Carrara marble because of its stunning beauty, unconventionality and recognizability. When using such a material, virtually every faucet will be unique, with its own pattern. I am convinced that conscious consumption cannot be combined with flashy, fast, low-life design. I believe that one should try to create an object that will not become obsolete in 5-10-20 years, that will complement many different interiors and that will be made with the highest quality. The inspiration for the shape of the mixer was nature itself, the swan - a beautiful, majestic bird, strong and at the same time refined. This is what I tried to convey in my project.
The usage of two separate knobs for hot and cold water makes it possible to adjust the temperature more precisely, to use only cold water when necessary and to reduce the load on the general power system. If we look at faucets with a single rotary handle, we can see that it is often difficult to set the right water pressure at the first time. In my version, however, it is much easier to control the turning of the handle in one plane, which makes it possible to dose the amount of water pouring out as accurately as possible. You don't need a powerful stream of ice water to quickly rinse a couple of forks, do you?) At the same time, the vertical handles on top of each other, allows literally one finger movement to open both hot and cold water at the same time, without the risk of getting burned or feeling any discomfort during use. In my opinion, this variation in usage scenarios shows care for the user and the environment.
The idea that it should be a vertically oriented faucet was born quite quickly, but then it was a very long process to find the right shape for the spout and handles. It was really difficult, I tried to keep the visual impression that we get when we see a swan gliding leisurely across the lake. What do we see at that moment? This amazing bird looks very noble and refined, but at the same time it doesn't look fragile, it is very statuesque and strong, although we don't see any muscles. I tried to try to realize these thoughts in marble and steel, to combine contradictory feelings in one object and to recreate the emotional response I get myself when watching swans. This is how I arrived at the regular, cylindrical shape of the marble handles, and the unusual shape of the steel faucet. My idea was to combine the overall roundness with clearly readable verticals that would add character to the whole composition of the object.
The main challenges in such a project are the need to use high-precision technological equipment and the development of a unique internal cartridge for mixing water. Processing natural materials is a special art, and Carrara marble is like a diamond that needs to be cut properly. I would certainly like the company that would undertake such a project to be as careful about these processes as possible. It took me quite some time to find a solution for the design of the internal water mixing cartridge. I thoroughly studied the cartridges available on the market, the schemes and principles of their operation, the dimensions in which they are implemented, finally I understood how to organize the space inside the faucet to make such a design work correctly. I will not hide, my first engineering degree helped me in this.
It is indeed a difficult decision. As I said before, this faucet requires the highest precision of the equipment used to realize all the ideas conceived. When I was thinking about the possibility of realizing this function, I thought of shock absorbers in the bicycle/moto/auto industry, and the answer came quite quickly. You need to use a system of multiple tubes (one in the other) and multiple levels. Imagine two bowls arranged one inside the other, but with the inner bowl glued to the table, and the outer bowl has a bottom cut out and can rotate around the inner bowl. The inner bowl has water in it, and many closed holes around the bottom. The outer bowl is empty, and there is a tube glued to the rim on the inside. As soon as you open the holes, the water flows into the outer bowl, and it is drinkable no matter how you turn the tube. This way you can keep the control knobs stationary and the spout itself swiveling. It may sound complicated, but the solution itself did not appear immediately.
Great question, in my opinion we live in an amazing time when technological capabilities allow us to hide all the complexity inside a minimalistic device. This is exactly the effect I wanted to achieve. I don't think it's good to use flashy, heavy exterior elements. In my opinion, beauty is in simplicity, so I tried to make the device quite minimalistic on the outside, but at the same time, to realize the idea, I had to think about high-tech stuffing inside. I think it can be called quiet luxury, because if you don't disassemble this mixer, it seems very simple. Nowadays, in a world where we are surrounded by a huge amount of information, I think it's important to think about reducing visual noise, so the step from heavy luxury to quiet luxury seems logical to me.
I was interested in two things - concern for the environment, and care for the user of the faucet. In the first case, we get the obvious advantage of the most precise water pressure control, complete control of the water temperature, whether you want to add water to a pot of your indoor plant, or if you are filling a baby bottle. In the second case, when using a single-lever faucet, I often faced the problem of turning on too much water pressure, which can literally spray water all around, or accidentally turning on hot water, which can unpleasantly burn. So I decided to use a two-lever system of adjustment. I would like to note that the knob for adjusting the cold water is located on top for a reason, in order to exclude the possibility of turning on the hot water, if you move carelessly.
I think we are in for a beautiful symbiosis in the future. We see such examples everywhere, in architecture, automobile design, graphics, movies, and I would be happy to see these manifestations as often as possible. The most valuable thing we have is tradition and skills passed from one generation to the next, there is nothing more beautiful than watching a craftsman work with Murano glass. I believe that combining advanced technology with traditional craftsmanship will take us to a whole new level, not only in kitchen equipment, but in design in general.
I guess many people may have experienced varying water pressure, seasonal temperature changes, or temperature changes due to incorrect wiring inside the house/apartment. These negative aspects significantly reduce the comfort of using faucets, which is why I felt it necessary to take care of these problems. This is how the idea of a double-lever vertical faucet was born, with its use we remove several complaints at once. There is a possibility of flexible and fine adjustment of both water pressure and temperature.
Perhaps the main and most positive insight was the realization that even people who want luxury do not want to show it off, do not want to surround themselves with excessively “noisy” objects. It's great, it's very happy and shows a great attitude of society to conscious consumption, a demand for design that will live for a long time, not for what is fashionable and popular immediately. For me, as a designer, the observation of such a vector certainly pleases me, and at the same time it makes me set more and more ambitious tasks, and the development of new objects becomes more and more intriguing. After all, to create a project that will resonate in hearts not for a year, but for decades, requires a huge amount of knowledge, skills, a real intuition is needed. I sincerely believe that it will be possible to replenish my portfolio with projects of this kind)
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