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1 Press Information Hansgrohe Award 2014: Efficient Water Design presented to young international designers Competition for young design talents distinguishes five visionary bathroom concepts in the realm of the if concept design award 2014 Schiltach, June This year s competition for the Hansgrohe Award for sustainable design concepts around the topic of water has successfully come to an end. Young designers from all over the world submitted around 180 concepts in the hopes of winning the award, which was presented for the fourth time within the realms of the if concept design award The five best concepts were now honored in Hamburg. The prize money, totaling Euros, is shared among the winners, who hail from China, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Germany. Sustainability and Efficiency in Association with Water is an International Topic Philippe Grohe, Head of the designer brand Axor at Hansgrohe SE, is thrilled with the achievements of the talented young designers: As the initiator and sponsor of the Hansgrohe Award 2014: Efficient Water Design, we want to give young designers the opportunity to address the element of water, and to present their ideas to an expert jury. This year s submissions show interesting approaches to efficient water design. I was particularly pleased to see the large number of international submissions these clearly show that the interplay of water and space is gaining importance with young designers from all over the world. The jury members, Andreas Haug, one of the founders and partners of Phoenix Design in Stuttgart, Axel Meissner, Hansgrohe Product Manager, and Philippe Grohe, were particularly impressed with the two concepts from Sweden and Germany: the 3-in-1 solution Houdini and the washbasin Puro. The Houdini concept by Christoffer Ohlander (Konstfack University, Stockholm, Sweden) convinced the jury because it is an incredibly compact sanitary object that combines three functions: sink, shower and bathtub. Fabrice Hoefgen from the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt, Germany won an award with Puro a washbasin that expresses what it is meant to express: low water consumption.

2 1.500 in prize money Entry: Houdini Multi-functional bathroom unit Design: Christoffer Ohlander University: Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm/Sweden Houdini is a 3-in-1 solution that is ideal for small bathrooms. The concept includes a sink, a shower and a bathtub all rolled into one. The low material consumption and simple design make Houdini a very efficient concept all round. Judges Opinion: An incredibly compact sanitary object that combines three functions: sink, shower and bathtub. An absolutely low-tech concept that expresses modesty in a very positive way in prize money Entry: Puro Sink Design: Fabrice Hoefgen University: Hochschule Darmstadt, University of Applied Sciences, Department of Design, Darmstadt/Germany Puro is a sink whose wave-like, flat design reminds us of the natural movement of water. The water flow is controlled by a stainless-steel stone placed in the center. The economical water flow is activated when the stone is lifted. At the same time, it serves as soap that neutralizes unpleasant smells and germs. The decorative perforation in the sink allows the water to drain away slowly. Judges Opinion: An intriguing, reduced combination that expresses what it is meant to express: low water consumption. When it comes from the bottom of the sink, the water looks like it is coming from a spring just like in nature in prize money Entry: Elastigenic Bathroom concept Design: Petr Strejcek University: Czech Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Prague/Czech Republic The Elastigenic bathroom consists primarily of an elastic material that can be used to form such objects as a sink, a bathtub, towel racks and handle bars, etc. In the same way, it can be completely returned to its original smooth surface to make cleaning quick and easy. A telescope mechanism under the surface makes it possible to easily form and unform the components.

3 Judges Opinion: An overall bathroom concept that is fascinating. The different objects that are formed from out of the floor make a bathroom landscape that reminds us of nature. The space that the individual objects take up can be changed completely at any time. 500 in prize money Entry: Kengai Concept shower Design: Oliver Keyerleber, Fabian Bitter University: Hochschule Coburg, Integrated Product Design, Coburg/Germany The Kengai concept shower is made up of three cascading modules with different functions. The water pours like rain from the top cascade and then flows through a steam and an herb module, which support the use of natural medicinal herbs. With the help of a smartphone app, natural lighting moods can be captured and projected onto an illumination surface to create an all-round natural shower experience. Judges Opinion: An innovative cascading shower. Water flows over the different levels and each level has a different function a completely new showering experience. 500 in prize money Entry: Energy-saving shower Shower Design: Xiangying Lin University: Huaqiao University, Department of Industrial Design, Xiamen/China The energy-saving shower combines extraordinarily minimalistic design with functional style elements that help to save both water and energy. The semicircular holder includes the shower head and also has a panel to set the exact water temperature and maximum water consumption. Judges Opinion: Beautiful, formal solution. The water heating becomes a visible design element. Great, puristic design.

Image Captions Axel Meissner (left), Hansgrohe Product Manager,

Andrea van Velzen (left), if Design Talents and Astrid Bachmann

Strejcek (middle) from the Czech Technical University with his

Puro (left) is a sink whose wave-like, flat design reminds us of

4 Image Captions Axel Meissner (left), Hansgrohe Product Manager, Andreas Haug (middle), founding member and partner at Phoenix Design, and Philippe Grohe, Head of the designer brand Axor, deliberate over submitted design concepts. Andrea van Velzen (left), if Design Talents and Astrid Bachmann (right), Public Relations Manager at Hansgrohe SE, presented Petr Strejcek (middle) from the Czech Technical University with his Hansgrohe Prize 2014 for his concept Elastigenic. Puro (left) is a sink whose wave-like, flat design reminds us of the natural movement of water. The water flow is controlled by a stainless-steel stone placed in the center. The economical water

flow is activated when the stone is lifted. At the same time, it serves as soap that neutralizes unpleasant smells and germs. Houdini (right) is a 3-in-1 solution that is ideal for small bathrooms.

5 flow is activated when the stone is lifted. At the same time, it serves as soap that neutralizes unpleasant smells and germs. Houdini (right) is a 3-in-1 solution that is ideal for small bathrooms. The concept includes a sink, a shower and a bathtub all rolled into one. The low material consumption and simple design make Houdini a very efficient concept all round. About Hansgrohe the original from the Black Forest The Hansgrohe company is based in Schiltach in Germany s Black Forest. In its 113-year history, it has acquired a reputation as a leading innovator in technology, design and sustainability in the sanitation sector. The mixers, showerheads and shower systems created by Hansgrohe SE are original products that make bathrooms more functional, more comfortable and more aesthetically pleasing. These quality products can be found in such prestigious venues as the luxury ocean liner Queen Mary II, London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (the world s tallest building), the German Chancellery in Berlin, New York s Yoo luxury residences and the Masdar City Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi. The company and its products have been honoured with numerous awards, most recently the Red Dot Best of the Best Award for product design, the Architects Darling Award 2013 in the Sanitary Fittings category and the 2013 Successful Design Awards China. In 2013, the company s brands Axor, Hansgrohe, Pharo and Pontos generated more than EUR 841 million in sales (compared to EUR 805 million in 2012). Today the Hansgrohe Group employs more than 3,500 people worldwide, of which about one-third work outside Germany. The company, which has a zero tolerance policy on counterfeit products and design infringements, manufactures its products in six German plants, as well as in France, the Netherlands, the USA and China. Find out more about Hansgrohe SE and its brands Hansgrohe and Axor on Design leader in the sanitary industry In the current ranking of the International Forum Design (if) of the world's best enterprises in the field of design, Hansgrohe SE is in 17 th position among 2,000 companies. With a score of 540 points, the Schiltach-based bathroom mixers and shower specialist even outperforms such enterprises as Volkswagen, Hewlett Packard and adidas and leads the design hit list in the sanitary industry. Further information: Hansgrohe SE - Public Relations - Astrid Bachmann Phone: +49 (0) 7836/ Fax: +49 (0) 7836/ public.relations@hansgrohe.com

Axor Starck V: Elle Decor International Design Award for Best Bathroom Design

Press Information Axor Receives Media Award in Milan Axor Starck V: Elle Decor International Design Award for Best Bathroom Design Schiltach/Milan, April 2015. Second international media award for Axor