An “elder-friendly” toilet wins the Roca International Design Contest, Jump the Gap

Kazuyo Sejima, Pritzker Prize 2010 and president of the jury for the 5th edition of Jump the Gap, has presented the award to Sanna Völker, a Product Design student at IED Barcelona Escola Superior de Disseny, and Marta Cuquet, Interior’s Design student at the same school, creators of ‘Still You’. The award ceremony for the International Design Contest organized by Roca in collaboration with BCD (Barcelona Design Center) was held in the Roca Barcelona Gallery.

‘Still You’, the only Spanish project among the finalists, presents an innovative bathroom solution: an ergonomic toilet supported by a metal structure, adapted to elder people, with a modern and contemporary. With a height of 60 cm, a safe design and armrests, this toilet offers independent use to users with physical difficulties or limited mobility. As Sanna Völker and Marta Cuquet explained, “our project is based on sociology. Many times, when thinking about the future, we tend to think of things which are very technology-driven, and this led us to explore a more conceptual and sociological path. It is a product which would be easily manufactured nowadays, but whose future perspectives are focused on society's changing trends.”

From among 3,444 participants from 102 countries, ‘Still You’ was selected for its smart design and rational, functional and realistic concept. The jury recognized the advantages of a product designed for elderly people, which would be a challenge for the industry, as it adapts to the needs of an ageing population and is characterized by its aesthetic and fitting design. The project finalists are:

• EBATH; Raquel Pissarra (Portugal)
• EXTREAM; Aleksandra Lubaś (Poland)
• LIFT; Marta Szymkowiak (Poland)
• RUN SHOWER; Susana Malhão (Portugal)
• ELECRTROCLEAN; Alejandro Delgado & Arturo García (Mexico)
• KINETIC FLOW; Sehoon Koh & Hyuna Shin (United Kingdom)
• ROCA WATAIR; Magdalena Chudy & Aleksander Gruszka (Poland)
• SIMPLEWASH; Eleonora Drudi (Italy)
• WASH’N’EAT; Aleksejs Donka (Latvia)

Kazuyo Sejima, maintained that “initiatives such as Jump the Gap are essential in materializing and carrying out projects which make our lives more comfortable. Sometimes, architects and designers insist on projects which are too complex, and because of this, giving young creative entrepreneurs this opportunity means innovative concepts which help create simpler and more accessible products for society are born, especially for people with mobility issues.” With this initiative, Roca, leading brand in defining the bathroom space, shows ongoing support for young talent and continues to work towards identifying conceptually innovative ideas to build a bridge between today and tomorrow. Source: Roca Read more news related Roca published at Infurma Visit the Roca website