Australian industry is continuing its transformation to build on areas of international advantage and capitalise on new opportunities in advanced manufacturing, and the willingness of companies to embrace innovation and design will be an important part of this process, Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane said today while launching the reportDesign for manufacturing competitiveness.
Australian iconic bathroom maker, Caroma, with renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson, has won the 2014 Good Design Award of the Year for its 22-piece bathroom collection comprising toilets, tapware, showers, baths and a urinal.
Presented by Good Design Australia, the coveted Award was announced at a gala event in Sydney on May 28 as part of the 2014 Good Design Festival, in association in VIVID Sydney.
Dr Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia said judges felt that the Caroma Marc Newson Bathroom Collection exemplified how the process of design thinking can be applied to a longstanding everyday product to resolve challenges and issues and reach a beautifully designed outcome.
“This a stunning example of an iconic brand taking design seriously and placing it at the core of their business strategy. The outcome is a beautifully resolved design language across the entire suite of products in this range. The outcomes of this design project will extend the brand value of Caroma and reinforce their commitment to original design and cutting edge innovation in what is a very competitive market segment,” said the judges.
“This bathroom range is a great example of how a good designer, with the enthusiastic support of a determined client, can enhance the usefulness and appeal of just about any product. The range is exquisitely designed and made. Caroma has gone the full distance and followed through to the last detail. These products function smoothly and are beautifully resolved – certainly a great example of “form following function”. The materials, graphics and mechanisms are up to date and the execution is faultless,” the judges commented.
Dr Gien said this year’s Good Design Awards and Good Design Festival have focused on highlighting how design can play a key role in helping businesses, manufacturers and service providers thrive – not just survive – in a competitive marketplace.
Throughout June and July, the Australian Institute of Architects’ chapters hold their Architecture Awards presentation events.
Westgarth House by Kennedy Nolan, shortlisted for the 2014 Victorian Architecture Awards – Residential
Australia is set to break new ground at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale with innovative technology allowing architecture to be experienced in ways never before seen at the exhibition. Augmented Australia 1914-2014, curated by felix._Giles_Anderson+Goad, will push the boundaries of architecture and technology, taking visitors on a virtual journey through a selection of Australia’s most intriguing unrealised projects.
Image Credit: Minifie van Schaik, Caught Unawares, 2013, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Digital reconstruction by Ben Juckes. Courtesy: felix
In December 2013, a major breakthrough for gender equity in the profession of architecture was achieved with the Australian Institute of Architects publishing the organisation’s first Gender Equity Policy.
The ADA is delighted to support this seminal event for design in the built environment.
Mark Armstrong was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) Hall of Fame last week in Sydney.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees in the Australian Interior Design Awards. A great event held last Friday 16 May at the Sydney Hilton organised by the Design Institute of Australia, designEx and ARTICHOKE magazine.
Parlour brings together research, informed opinion and resources on women, equity and architecture in Australia. It seeks to expand the spaces and opportunities available to women while also revealing the many women who already contribute in diverse ways.
