The best designers of the red dot design award 2007 in interview: Rolf Senti

The ‘Wedge’ concrete washbasin by the manufacturer HighTech Design Products AG received the red dot: best of the best for outstanding design quality in the red dot award: product design 2007. The unusual design was created in co-operation with the Swiss design company BAGNO SASSO and won over the red dot jury with its aesthetic pioneering design. red dot online interviewed the designer Rolf Senti and spoke with him about his award in the red dot design competition as well as about his product and what he considers being modern design:

Mr Senti, what inspired you for this particular product, and what was the intention behind it?

Today’s architecture often consists of strong geometry and pronounced architectural lines. With the Wedge washstand a symbiosis of shape and materials have been put together, which support this statement and show that  “concrete“ can also be adapted for  everyday use.

What does the award of the red dot mean: best of the best for you?

For us, and for all staff and companies who have worked with us on the development process, the red dot award means recognition for the great effort and the work which was carried out with much energy and enthusiasm.

Where, in your opinion, do the particular challenges facing designers today lie?

In my opinion, the biggest challenge exists in anticipating which products, shapes and materials are desired in the market, and that the products developed can be sold promisingly.

As a designer, what would you like to achieve in the future?

I would like to see myself develop products inspired by nature, and develop products which excite enthusiasm in the user everyday.

In your opinion, how important is the commercial aspect of design?

Commercial success is an important factor. It is important because the high development and production costs must be covered by sales. Likewise, good sales ensure that further financial means are available for the development and manufacture of new products.

The unusual main material of the ‘Wedge’ washbasin is fair-faced concrete, which is upgraded to a high-quality mineral material and which with its special feel and clear design introduces new design accents into the field of bathroom architecture. In order to be able to use concrete also in the wet area, the surface was treated with a UV-impregnation, which creates a sealed, dirt-repellent surface. Thanks to the use of this special concrete mix, the washbasin can have relatively thin walls. With its 40 kg it has the same weight as a ceramic washbasin of the same size.

The company HighTech Design Products AG has created innovative solutions in the sanitary field for almost 30 years and develops ideas which are turned into outstanding products in collaboration with renowned designers. Together with the designer Rolf Senti from the Swiss design company BAGNO SASSO, which has become known throughout Europe for its unusual, high-quality design objects for bathroom interiors, HighTech has developed the aesthetic and high-quality ‘Wedge’ washbasin. This product received the red dot: best of the best in the category ‘Bathrooms and sanitary facilities’ for its original design from the jury of experts of the red dot award: product design 2007.