By
GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens
Marc Newson Limited
Description
The Caroma Marc Newson Bathroom Collection is a unique design collaboration between Australia’s foremost industrial designer and Australia’s market leader in bathrooms. The design brief required a new approach in the design of a complete Caroma bathroom collection consisting of 22-pieces, which includes toilets, tapware, showers, baths and a urinal. From the start of the project, Marc Newson and Caroma undertook an iterative and rigorous design and engineering program to solve numerous engineering challenges resulting in patented installation technology. Throughout the project, Caroma’s development team was focused on retaining Marc Newson’s design intent for all products, ensuring an excellent outcome.
Key Features
and/or Benefits
With the engagement of Marc Newson as the principle designer, his design DNA was captured throughout the entire range. The collection clearly communicates his design vision with all 22 products integrating seamlessly, allowing the specifier to create a visually homogeneous and design focused bathroom. The response to the project outcome was so successful that the range is being currently extended.
The Caroma engineering team was committed to implementing Marc Newson's design vision of reducing each product to a minimum of elements. The primary feature of tapware range was removal of the base flange and wall cover plate components allowing the tapware form to flow uninterrupted into the mounting surface or wall. Caroma developed a patented assembly and unique installation process allowing the products to be installed without these components whilst retaining all access, servicing, and sealing requirements.
Marc Newson’s vision included a continuity of material in various individual product applications. For the vitreous china and bath products this asked that the waste covers be manufactured from the same material as the product. To allow these products to utilise a waste cover in matching production material, the development of a high quality pop-up mechanism was necessary to guarantee superior fit, performance and reliability. Continuing this theme, the close coupled toilet suite incorporates unique design element, with the use of integrated vitreous china flush buttons.
One of the more distinctive design elements of the sanitaryware family is the upsweep detail at the upper rear of the basins, toilets and urinal. Retaining this detail in the toilet pans presented the technical challenge of forcing the water to flow upward into the flushing rim. A new flush pipe configuration was developed that achieved the high performance outcome required.
