Gulf Construction Online - Ideal Standard aims to shape the future

Bathrooms

Ideal Standard will launch its new collections in the Gulf in 2020.

Ideal Standard aims to shape the future

Building on its century of experience in the bathrooms sector, Ideal Standard continues to innovate, to create bathroom solutions that can respond to the lifestyle needs of today and tomorrow. Some of these solutions will be launched in the region shortly.

01 December 2019

Bathrooms are becoming an extension of experimental and comfortable living space and people now demand a high standard of personalised experience even in the most public places, says Ideal Standard, which is now working to deliver that experience.

“Ideal Standard is innovating to create private and public bathroom solutions that can respond to the lifestyle needs of today and tomorrow with a new vision of form and function,” Frederick Trzcinski, marketing and innovation director MEA, Ideal Standard Mena, tells Gulf Construction.

“We bring our industry-leading knowledge, skills and experience to a range of products that are intelligently designed to meet the needs of our customers,” he adds.

Trzcinski ... innovation is key at Ideal Standard.

Ideal Standard has been changing people’s perspective of the bathroom for more than 100 years and has focused on innovation and design to make life better for customers.

“We continuously offer products that balance high-end design with functionality. Products like the single-lever tap, the rimless toilet, and ultra-flat shower tray were pioneered by us,” he says.

Among Ideal Standard’s star innovations is its radical AquaBlade patented flushing technology, which offers total hygiene, water efficiency and a quietly impeccable performance. Using an engineered system that creates a pressurised cascade of water, which flows around the bowl generating two strong jets that merge, the area below the rim is rinsed clean.

“We have also revolutionised water management with the invention of the ceramic disc cartridge in 1960s that put an end to dripping taps, and is used today by the whole industry,” Trzcinski points out.

Ideal Standard has now taken this creation one step further with its new updated robust and durable FirmaFlow cartridge that lasts nearly twice as long as the industry standards, he claims.

Ideal Standard’s Conca basin ... renewed with a new level of purity in the design.

“We remain leaders in innovation and aim to positively shape the future of modern living by continuously bringing new innovations that meet the needs of customers today and anticipate the demands of modern life tomorrow,” he remarks.

Ground-breaking design has always been part of Ideal Standard’s DNA and to further its ambitions, the company has worked with master designers like Gio Ponti in the 1950s and Archille Castiglioni and Paolo Tilche in the 1970s and ‘80s. In December 2018, Ideal Standard announced its partnership with design studio Palomba Serafini Associati, which represents Italian design in all aspects around the world.

The partnership draws on the company’s strong design heritage, taking inspiration from previous iconic products to create new, contemporary collections that will drive the brand’s overall design philosophy and shape the bathrooms of the future.

“We are looking forward to launch the first ranges of fittings from this collection (in the Gulf region) in Q1 2020,” he says.

Among other innovations, Ideal Standard unveiled its new Intellimix and Sphero products at ISH earlier this year and is expecting to launch them in the region in 2020.

Intellimix is a unique smart-mixer tap created in collaboration with Ideal Standard’s design and technology partners around the world to overcome a number of pain points for building owners and washroom users.

“Intellimix mixer provides soap and water simultaneously, without you having to touch it. This brilliant innovation is cost-effective and promotes hygiene even further,” Trzcinski explains.

Ceralook kitchen mixers ... newly launched.

On the other hand, the company’s mobile-enabled Sphero anti-splash urinals, with their sophisticated features, provide ultimate convenience to both users and operators. The range comprises three differently sized urinals suitable for high-traffic environments, providing safe, long-lasting, low-odour performance at reduced flush volume. It features sensor technology with stylish aesthetics, allowing for greater levels of cleanliness and water-saving capabilities, he adds.

Meanwhile, Ideal Standard last month launched its Ceralook kitchen mixers, which combine elegance and functionality.

“The elegant design is driven by slim shapes and a stylish handle and our bi-colour pull-out spray allows you to increase the radius of the tap, offering you different sprays for easier cleaning. The large ‘Comfort Zone’ in Ceralook mixers allows freedom of movement around the kitchen sink. Ceralook also features our key technologies such as the FirmaFlow cartridge, going beyond industry standard in terms of longevity and performance,” Trzcinski elaborates.

In the Gulf, Ideal Standard has carved a niche across the region for nearly half a century with its world-class brands and exclusive bathroom solutions to cater to the discerning tastes of its customers. The company has been associated with some of the most prestigious projects in the Gulf and is committed to reinforce its market presence with its adherence to product quality, innovation, design and sustainability, leading to functional bathroom solutions.

Ideal Standard participated in Downtown Design – a key event of Dubai Design Week – as Official Sponsors for the VIP Buyer’s Lounge.

“Dubai Design Week is the ultimate celebration of high-quality design and innovation in the region, attracting international industry leaders and the region’s most influential design and trade professionals,” he says, “and Ideal Standard’s participation in the event stems from its objectives to focus on innovation and design to make life better for customers.”

Commenting on the Dubai market, Trzcinski continues: “Dubai is an interesting growth market for Ideal Standard and we are committed to increase our business here. With multifaceted project offerings, coupled with our wide range of products, we are confident of our promising growth here, ensuring that every product of ours is made to the highest quality standards and requested specifications and norms for the region. It is the promise we make to our customers, our trusted partners and the millions of people who use our products every day.”

So, how was business for Ideal Standard this year?

An optimistic Trzcinski says: “2019 has been good to us, as a result of hard work, and we look forward to a successful year in 2020!”