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LIXIL Celebrated Architecture and Design Excellence at WOF2024

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LIXIL, maker of water and housing products, through its GROHE brand, welcomed nearly 1,600 delegates and guests to the World Architecture Festival 2024 (WAF) in Singapore. The seventeenth edition of WAF was held at the famous Marina Bay Sands, to recognise industry excellence and outstanding projects from across the world.

 

WAF is the largest global gathering of the leading architects and designers (A&D), who engaged in thought leadership talks, business networking and opportunities over the course of the prestigious event. This year’s festival theme ‘Tomorrow’ examined how architecture, urban design, landscape and interiors will be affected by the trends seen around us with respect to population movement, city growth, digital technology, AI, immersive environments and cultural change. The global A&D community converged at WAF to advance this theme through various keynotes, speakers, and conversations to catalyse ideas and opportunities.

 

The theme resonates with the A&D community’s deep appreciation that buildings exert considerable aesthetic and psychological impact on our everyday lives. WAF reflects and advances this understanding through its live judging and discourse on competing ideas that affect the human experience. Over 800 entries vied for coveted awards across different categories. Out of the 53 category winners, 21 were from Asia and Australasia, led by Australia (9), China (3), Singapore, India and Japan (2 each).

 

GROHE, a part of LIXIL and a global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, has supported WAF from the very beginning. As WAF’s Founding Partner, GROHE seeks to deepen appreciation of the unique role water plays in the design discipline and in shaping innovative architectural visions and solutions around the element of water. The GROHE SPA-inspired ‘Aquatecture’ exhibit at WAF highlighted the fusion of water and architecture – elevating the significance and importance of water in architecture, and the health and well-being benefits this infusion brings.

 

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GROHE is also the sponsor of the GROHE Water Prize, which was awarded to the Maotai Eco-Metaverse project, by Turenscape. This research and development project is being built across 8 hectares in Maotai Town, Guizhou Province, China,  for a liquor distillery to manage a daily output of 7,000 tons of sewage and industrial wastewater, by creating an ecosystem that fully integrates water, nutrients, carbon, and energy recycling. Although specific to a planned distillery, the principles involved would apply to any industrial facility using large amounts of water. This is the sixth time the GROHE Water Research Prize has been awarded, with past winners across water filtration, generation and cooling systems in Bangladesh, Peru, Brazil, and Greece.

 

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Audrey Yeo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Asia Pacific, expressed, “As WAF’s Founding Partner, it is gratifying to see the tremendous industry support that’s enabled us to build WAF into one of the most respected global platforms for leading industry discussions and rigorous peer-reviewed awards. GROHE engagement with WAF, from the start, has addressed and collaboratively found solutions to pressing industry issues and macro trends facing the A&D community.”

 

“Our GROHE SPA ‘Aquatecture’ installation showcases the powerful connection of water in architecture. Through continued engagement and dialogue, we aim to inspire architects and designers, encouraging collaboration and experimentation. The installation features our luxurious GROHE SPA collections, which have been curated and crafted to the highest standards and finishes, enabling freedom to design bespoke showering experiences for discerning consumers.” Audrey added.

 

Paul Finch, Programme Director, WAF, said, “We extend our deepest congratulations to all WAF and INSIDE award winners. They continue to impress industry peers with their forward-thinking and visionary projects. The industry faces constant pressure to deliver excellence in the face of change, which we explored through our  ‘Tomorrow’ theme. We appreciate the support extended from all quarters of the industry, especially our sponsors and delegates, in advancing design excellence across the discussions, awards, and networking at WAF.”

 

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LIXIL Experience Centre Opens with Curated Spaces, Multi-sensory Experiences and Collaborative Solutions

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LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, held the opening ceremony for the LIXIL Experience Center (“LEC”), Singapore on 15 August 2024. The LEC, Singapore welcomes guests into an elegant Japanese-inspired space for a unique first-person multi-sensory, physical and digital experience showcasing LIXIL’s power brands – American Standard, GROHE and INAX.

 

Nestled in the heritage-rich Joo Chiat neighbourhood, each brand’s distinct design language, brand values and lifestyle appeal, are expressed in specially curated spaces and live water experience zones. Guests enjoy attentive and personalised customer service while appreciating the sophisticated designs, sounds and scents that change dynamically across the over 11,000 square feet of space.

 

Discerning guests and designers can create their own bespoke personal spa experience with luxurious GROHE SPA collections, crafted to the highest standards of materials and finishes. The future guest experience will also be digitally enhanced with the LIXIL CustoMy Space tool to virtually create and visualise their designs, including viewing their designs in Virtual Reality.

 

Audrey Yeo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Asia Pacific, expressed, “Listening and engaging consumers and industry partners is an important part of delivering on our LIXIL purpose of making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Our LECs in the Asia Pacific are an important platform to inspire ongoing conversations and purposeful solutions, especially in addressing three industry macro trends across health and well-being, sustainability and urbanisation. We look forward to delighting our LEC guests in Singapore, as well as LECs located in Bangkok, Jakarta, Bandung and soon in Hanoi.”

 

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Koh Fu Sheng, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Singapore, commented, “We are delighted to open the LEC, Singapore in the vibrant Joo Chiat neighborhood. This special location offers consumers and industry partners a unique and differentiated sensorial experience, with ample space for collaboration and events. Architects, designers and property developers can look forward to a close partnership, advisory and solutions across our American Standard, GROHE and INAX brands.”

 

Mr. Koh added, “The LEC features top-end GROHE SPA offerings that can be personalised with different combinations of showers, water jets, lighting and music tracks to create a truly individual spa experience for restoration, recovery or indulgence.”

 

Antoine Besseyre des Horts, Leader, LIXIL Global Design, Asia, mentioned, “At LIXIL, Design is the voice of the consumer. Our award-winning design teams are strategically located in some of the most dynamic cities and renowned architecture and design hubs in the world, including Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, New York, Düsseldorf, and London. Our close engagement with the architect and designer community enables our design teams to translate inspiration and insights on trends into culturally relevant experiences that enhance people’s lives emotionally and practically. We have curated the LEC, Singapore to inspire, to show water in its many forms and illustrate how our three power brands offer unique solutions across multiple categories to cater to the needs and aspirations of audiences with different lifestyles.”

 

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Each LIXIL power brand is unique in its way, but all serve the same purpose of making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Every element, from the very first touchpoint to using the product moves beyond simply finding the perfect balance between aesthetics, functionality and technology – reflecting a deep strategic connection between design to each brand’s distinctive positioning and value proposition.

 

Guests to the LEC, Singapore can also experience the innovative advanced application of different signature elements for each brand that defines a unique design identity onto the products, which affords LIXIL designers with ways to differentiate our brands within the portfolio. These signature elements also reflect the brands’ values and are used by design teams, allowing LIXIL designers to translate the values into emotional and practical benefits that echo the brands’ promises.

 

 

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GROHE SPA unveils “Aquatecture” spaces at Milan Design Week

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Throughout history, the symbiotic relationship between nature and culture has significantly influenced art, fashion, and architecture. Aiming to unravel the various dimensions in which nature can serve as a wellspring of inspiration, Milan Design Week was centred around “Materia Natura”. Embracing this theme, the world’s largest annual design event serves as an ideal stage for GROHE SPA, the premium sub-brand of GROHE, a global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. Celebrating the transformative power of water at the impressive Palazzo Reale near the Duomo, GROHE showcases carefully curated bathroom solutions that epitomise new luxury and bespoke quality in a holistic installation.

A tribute to nature and history

Based on the concept of “Aquatecture” – the fusion of water and architecture – the GROHE SPA installation in the courtyard of Palazzo Reale unveils a series of spaces that elevate the significance and importance of water in architecture, and the health and well-being benefits this infusion brings. Conceived by the in-house LIXIL Global Design and Brand Identity team, the “Aquatecture” installation pays tribute to the history of the building, interwoven with the contemporary GROHE SPA “Salus per aquam” concept. Inspired by the former courtyard garden and in synergy with Milan Design Week’s theme “Materia Natura”, it thoughtfully blends nature and architecture to create immersive spaces that reflect the essence of GROHE SPA. These carefully curated spaces echo the former garden, creating sensual areas to reflect, revitalise, and energise.

 

“Through our installation at Palazzo Reale, we reflect the intricate bond between nature and human creativity, intertwining the rich history of the royal palace with the modern ethos of GROHE SPA. Inviting visitors on a sensory journey to deeply experience ‘Salus per aquam’, our ‘Aquatecture’ spaces exhibit the powerful connection of water in architecture. They stand not only as showcases but as inspiration for architects and designers, encouraging collaboration and experimentation,” explains Antoine Besseyre Des Horts, Leader, LIXIL Global Design, Asia.

 

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Redefining spa luxury across four tiers

Each “Aquatecture” space represents one of the four tiers that bring GROHE SPA to life. Visitors embark on their immersive journey at the fourth tier that shows industry-leading products to create the ultimate home spa hideaway. Shower solutions like GROHE Rainshower Aqua and the F- Digital Deluxe modules combine timeless elegance with modern technology, using light, steam, sound and smell to delight the senses.

 

In addition, the GROHE Atrio Outdoor Shower provides a refreshing and rejuvenating experience, enabling a stronger connection to nature and the tranquility this brings. Transitioning to the third tier, the spotlight is on the GROHE Colors Collection with the new Satin finish. Offering a luxurious touch and expanded design choices for a personalised look, the new finish is available for GROHE Allure and GROHE Atrio, as well as matching showers and accessories in the colors Satin Steel and Satin Graphite.

 

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The highlight of the second tier is the new GROHE Allure Gravity, available from May 2025. Blending a slim square silhouette with boundless avenues for customisation, the faucet line comes with exchangeable cover plates expertly crafted from glass, mirror or Caesarstone mineral surfaces. GROHE is partnering with Caesarstone, the global pioneer of premium countertop surfaces, to craft cover plates from the brand’s durable surfaces in timeless designs. Culminating the exhibition, the first tier is comprised of the conceptual GROHE Icon 3D collection: The 3D metal-printed products redefine what is possible, while taking sustainable product design with ultimate customisation options to a new level.

 

 

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LIXIL Celebrates Architecture and Design Industry Excellence at World Architecture Festival 2023

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LIXIL, maker of water and housing products, through its GROHE power brand, was pleased to support the World Architecture Festival 2023 (WAF) for its sixteenth edition at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The WAF is the largest global gathering of the industry’s leading architects and designers (A&D), thought leadership and celebration of their prestigious achievements.

 

WAF also represented a global platform for branding, business networking and opportunities. Nearly 2,000 delegates attended the WAF and INSIDE events and over 800 entries vied for coveted awards across different categories. Out of the 55 category and special award winners, 24 were from Asia and Australasia, led by Australia (10), China (6), and equivalently placed Thailand, India and Japan (2 each).

 

This year’s festival theme ‘Catalyst’ marked WAF’s return to Asia, after a hiatus of almost a decade. The theme explored how architecture and design can be catalysts for beneficial change through enabling, accelerating and inspiring interaction across the entire built environment, to benefit both individuals and institutions. The global A&D community gathered to advance this theme through various WAF keynotes, speakers, and conversations to catalyze ideas and opportunities.

 

GROHE, a global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, has supported WAF since the inception of the festival in 2008. As WAF Founding Partner, GROHE represents the unique role water plays in the design discipline and helps shape innovative architectural visions and solutions around the element of water.

 

GROHE affirmed this commitment with the sponsorship and awarding of the GROHE Water Prize at WAF to UArchitects. The winning proposal calls for the scaling up of ‘micro-colonies’ comprised of floating platforms in Bangladesh. The connected platforms allow for the growing of food, with a community hub created to provide services (such as education and storage) to clusters of family homes.

 

Clean water production is of great importance for these micro-colonies, which are intended to cope with extreme weather events, combat poverty and provide a new model of how communities can address the challenges of climate change. This is the fifth time the GROHE Water Prize has been awarded, with past winners across water filtration, generation and cooling systems in Peru, Brazil and Greece.

 

Satoshi Konagai, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, Asia Pacific, expressed, “Through our GROHE power brand, we are proud to be the Founding Partner of the World Architecture Festival since its 2008 inception. Over the past sixteen years, we have worked together to grow WAF into a respected global platform that attracts thousands of delegates to celebrate excellence, network and explore business opportunities over the course of the festival. We are delighted to congratulate the WAF award winners, the GROHE Water Prize winner and WAF shortlist candidates. LIXIL will continue to engage the A&D community to uplift industry excellence and address challenges, including macrotrends across health and wellbeing, sustainability and urbanisation.”

 

“This year’s festival is especially meaningful as we are concurrently launching GROHE SPA for the Asia Pacific region. First launched at this year’s Milan Design Week, we are excited to bring GROHE SPA’s specially curated collections that can create versatile combinations for a multi-sensory, personalised showering experience. We look forward to collaborating with discerning homeowners and industry partners on unique GROHE SPA projects across the region.” Mr. Konagai added.

 

Paul Finch, Programme Director, WAF, said, “Congratulations to all the WAF and INSIDE award winners and shortlist candidates. Their ideas and projects are a beacon for how design can be a multi-faceted catalyst for positive change. Our return to Asia is immensely gratifying to ignite fresh ideas and relationships in and around the A&D community. We greatly appreciate the support and encouragement from GROHE, our sponsors, partners, delegates and the global A&D community.”

 

Ahead of the WAF main event in Singapore, the GROHE and WAF teams worked closely to strengthen industry engagement through a series of special pre-WAF events and receptions held in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines that was enthusiastically received by the A&D community and media in each country.

 

GROHE is Founding Sponsor of the World Architecture Festival, 2021

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The digital edition of the 2021 World Architecture Festival (WAF) took place with the theme “Resetting the city” from 30 November till 3 December 2021

Supporting architects and designers around the world to create healthier urban landscapes during and beyond the pandemic, GROHE is proud to be the main sponsor of the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2021, a role taken on by the brand upon the inception of the festival in 2008. As a founding partner, GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, represents the unique role water plays in the design discipline and helps shape innovative architectural visions and solutions around the element of water. During the challenging times of the past years, GROHE has continued to support the architect community by sponsoring this year’s WAF and the Water Research Prize 2021.

Greener, cleaner cities

The festival’s theme was“Resetting the City”. Ecological concerns regarding city planning, biodiversity and sustainability now meet the overall need to create healthier, safer surroundings more than ever. As concepts for sourcing clean energy, reducing pollution, and clean water supplies are now directly linked to the control of pandemics, they are becoming the centre of urban planning strategies across the globe, and have also become the focus of this year’s festival. A total of 320 hours of inspiring keynotes, sessions, and panel discussions were presented to the WAF community. As a highlight of this year’s festival, architects from all over the world came together to compete with one another to win “The World Building of the Year”, an award which was unveiled by GROHE on 3 December 2021 as the grand finale.

Inspired by nature – a win to fight global water scarcity

In this context, GROHE awarded the annual Water Research Prize again to projects aiming to find creative solutions for water in the built environment. Out of 53 winners awarded this year, 22 were from Asia. China led the way with 11 wins, the most amount of winners, followed by 7 from Australia and 1 each from India, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The Water Research Prize has been part of the World Architecture Festival since 2017 when the WAF X Manifesto was first published. The manifesto identified the most important challenges for architects within the next ten years, including water in relation to the built environment. With this year’s festival focusing on improving the quality of life in urban areas through greener, healthier infrastructures, the close connection to water is particularly striking. By sponsoring the award, GROHE has been supporting research in the field of unique architectural challenges around water for the past four years and is proud to continue doing so at this year’s festival.

Click here to discover more about GROHE’s sponsorship and the WAF.

GROHE Innovations Promote Sustainable Water Management

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For GROHE, water is not only a source of joy, but also a precious resource. Globally, access to clean drinking water is not a matter of course; it often takes a back seat to public perception given the good water supply of industrialised countries in the Western part of the world. On 22 March 2019, the World Water Day initiated by the United Nations wants to remind people of this issue, indorsing this year’s motto of “Leaving No One Behind – Water and Sanitation for Everyone”.

Sustainable Use of Water Is an Integral Part of the GROHE Brand
As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sanitary fittings, GROHE’s mission is to develop intelligent technologies that enable people to consciously and sustainably use water. The World Water Day’s approach regarding the availability and sustainable management of water is an integral part of the GROHE brand’s sustainability goals.

“GROHE’s goal is to design and manufacture products that enable users to safely and responsibly use the resources of water and energy. In addition, we are constantly striving to conserve resources within and beyond our operations,” said Thomas Fuhr, GROHE executive director operations and responsible for sustainability at board level.

Water Systems for a Sustainable Water Experience Without Plastic
The water system GROHE Blue Home offers still, medium or sparkling water that is tasty, filtered and chilled to the optimum drinking temperature and comes directly from the striking kitchen faucet, combining convenience and enjoyment both elegantly and sustainably: Time- consuming water purchases, annoying hauling of water crates or disposable plastic bottles are a thing of the past.

With GROHE Blue, a family of four avoids an average of 600 plastic bottles per year, which also benefits the environment: CO2 consumption is reduced by approximately 61 percent compared to bottled water and there is less plastic and packaging waste.

Filter Faucets for Safe Drinking Water from the Tap Worldwide
While it is a matter of taste in many regions of the world, there are also countries where water directly from the tap cannot be used for every purpose due to its insufficient water quality. Therefore, bottled water often replaces available tap water when it comes to everyday use in the kitchen. GROHE Blue Pure filter faucets feature state-of-the-art filter technology provided in two different versions by the BWT brand, offering maximum taste and safety directly from the faucet.

The Ultrasafe version eliminates chlorine, biocides, pesticides and bacteria, making water that was not drinkable in regions with poor water quality now safe to drink. GROHE Blue Pure allows unrestricted use of tap water provided from official utility suppliers in any kitchen or bathroom for applications without any restrictions.

Intelligent Water Management for Sensible Use of Water
With intelligent water security systems like GROHE Sense and Sense Guard, GROHE has set the foundation for a smart water security and water management system. A future groundbreaking innovation will allow the water consumption of a house or apartment to be exactly trackable and customers with input of their water and energy prices to receive a precise statement of their costs.

This not only ensures full control of the valuable resource of water, but also offers the opportunity to adapt user patterns and to use water more consciously. Hence, the GROHE brand not only cares about cautiously using water but also offers customers the opportunity to make conscious decisions about their daily use of the precious resource by applying digitised product properties.

GROHE SPA Opens First Flagship Store In Asia

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GROHE, the world’s leading brand in sanitary fittings, opens its first fully-owned and operated flagship store in Asia in March 2018. Located in the heart of Singapore’s main shopping belt, GROHE SPA aims to raise the bar in delighting and inspiring designers and consumers with a showcase of GROHE’s most innovative water technologies.

Covering over 6,000 square feet on two levels, visitors are invited to learn about the design inspiration behind GROHE’s award-winning collections and experience “Pure Freude an Wasser” (Pure Joy of Water).

“GROHE pursues the brand values of technology, quality, design and sustainability, seeking to develop new innovations that bring value to our consumers. In the same vein, we strive to up the ante on the retail front, making this showroom a stage where GROHE’s advancements in water technology are brought to life. More importantly, we aim to inspire and change the way consumers interact with our products,” said LIXIL Water Technology Asia CEO, Bijoy Mohan.

Be inspired by world-class luxurious bath sanctuaries
GROHE collections and products star in many of the world’s most luxurious spas and hotels. The store has recreated seven of these luxurious bathroom suites – each telling a unique design story and testifying to architects’, designers’ and developers’ preference for the brand. Consumers can walk through the bath sanctuaries to get inspired and learn more about the different products featured so as to create their personal hydrotherapy at home.

To experience the different shower sprays, GROHE SPA features live water areas where visitors can experience first-hand GROHE’s DreamSpray® technology. Consumers can also try GROHE’s Minta Touch in the live kitchen area where the tap can be turned on and off with a touch of the arm, leaving hands free to handle food in the kitchen.

Enhancing the brick-and-mortar experience, the store is equipped with smart technologies that help consumers and designers visualise and plan their selections. Tapping on virtual reality (VR) technology, GROHE SPA has a built-in Shower Configurator where consumers can customise their preferred shower system and experience how it comes together in function and design before making a purchase. Putting on a VR headset, consumers see their selections brought to life via projections to experience their shortlisted choices, all without actually getting wet.

Understanding that product information is key in purchase consideration, the store has implemented the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable immediate access via a mobile device. Visitors can learn more about each product displayed and get detailed specifications as they walk through the store, tagging products and emailing the desired information to themselves immediately.

Alternatively, they can also project their selections onto a 40-inch interactive touchscreen display interface to better understand each product and view how products have been used in hotel and housing projects from around the world.

Sustainable and economical – GROHE Blue® in office kitchens

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New study shows that the carbon footprint of GROHE Blue® is significantly smaller compared to bottled water

When it comes to fitting out their premises, today’s enterprises attach importance not only to functionality, cost-efficiency and convenience but increasingly also to sustainability. Green buildings are an excellent advertisement for businesses seeking to demonstrate their environmental values to employees, business partners and customers. Local planning regulations, too, are increasingly geared towards eco-friendly construction and interior design. Minimising the carbon footprint is consequently an integral element of any forward-looking company’s sustainability policy. A recent study carried out by the Production and Logistics Chair of Georg-August University in Göttingen in cooperation with Grohe AG compared the carbon footprint of GROHE Blue® with that of bottled mineral water. The result: the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the GROHE Blue® water system are much lower. This clear benefit for the environment goes hand in hand with greater efficiency, cost reductions and comfort.

Scientifically proven sustainability

The aim of the study was to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of GROHE Blue® and to put them in relation to bottled water. Between July and November 2013, the scientists of Göttingen University compared the carbon footprint of one litre of water tapped from the GROHE Blue® system with the footprint of one litre of bottled water. The scenario was based on the assumption of 30 users per day who drink one litre of bottled water on 220 days of the year over a period of five years. The calculation of the carbon footprint covered all five lifecycles of GROHE Blue® and of bottled mineral water, which range from production and transport of the raw materials as well as transport of the finished product to consumption and disposal. Another factor in the analysis was the geographic distribution of GROHE Blue® across the main output markets, Germany, France and the USA. The assumed consumption was 40 percent sparkling, 30 percent medium and 30 percent still water.

Based on these data, the scientists calculated green house gas emissions of 17.96 g CO2-eq/litre for GROHE Blue®. This is an impressive result, as the emissions are much lower than those of bottled mineral water, which range from 70 to 600 g CO2-eq/litre, depending on the type of packaging and the place of origin. Since GROHE Blue® does not need to be bottled and transported over long distances, it is clearly superior to bottled water in terms of sustainability. The study also shows that the values achieved by GROHE Blue® are even lower than those of conventional water dispensers, which range from about 35 to 50 g CO2-eq/litre. This means that GROHE Blue® allows users to save greenhouse gas emissions of at least 25 to 50 percent.

A versatile device for modern office kitchens

But this smart water system has even more to offer. The fact that it supplies filtered and chilled water in three different variants – sparkling, medium and still – directly from the special kitchen faucet means that the many different users in an organisation can enjoy their preferred type of water at any time. This saves the time and logistic effort of ordering sufficient quantities of the different types of bottled water, placing them in the various offices, storing them and recycling the bottles. Whether used as a regular refreshment for employees or placed in carafes on the conference table – freshly tapped, well-tasting water is always at hand thanks to the environmentally friendly and comfortable GROHE Blue® system.

GROHE Blue Minta

GROHE Blue Minta

GROHE Blue Mono

GROHE Blue Mono