Roca receives the ISH 09 Design Plus award

·               The Roca W+W concept was awarded a prize for its innovative and sustainable design.

·               The Design Plus award is given to the most innovative designs that are also environmentally friendly

Barcelona, 4^th February 2009.- Roca, the global leader in designing bathroom solutions, was awarded the Design Plus international prize, which will be presented to the company on 10th March during the ISH 09 fair in Frankfurt.  

The Design Plus competition is held every two years as part of the ISH international fair, under the aegis of the Design Council and the German Chambers of Commerce Association. An international jury made up of key figures from the world of design has been entrusted with awarding prizes to those products submitted by the exhibitors, that are outstanding in terms of their innovative concept and sustainability, and which provide solutions to meet the consumer's needs. This year, one of the prize-winners is the Roca W+W (Washbasin + Watercloset).

W+W is a surprising item created by the Roca Innovation Lab and designed by  Gabriele and Oscar Buratti.  The project focuses on two fundamental elements of any bathroom: the lavatory and the washbasin. Combined in a single piece, the Roca W+W design saves on space in the smallest bathrooms without losing out on design.

Yet W+W is not only design and innovation, as it is also a way to save water and help to protect the environment. Combining the lavatory and washbasin in a single piece allows the new Roca “Reusing Water” technology to be applied. Thanks to this system, water consumption can be reduced by 25%. The new technology proposed by Roca reuses the water used in the washbasin to fill the lavatory cistern.  An automatic cleaning system prevents bacteria in the water and bad smells.

Thanks to its strong commitment to research, design, innovation and sustainability, Roca has created a unique product that combines functionality with the benefits of water saving, and which consolidates the brand’s global leadership in bathroom solutions. The result is W+W.

About Roca

Roca is the world leader in marketing sanitaryware products and a benchmark in design. Partnerships with the most outstanding architects (Moneo, Chipperfield, Herzog & de Meuron) and interior designers and design studios (Benedito Design, Giugiaro, Schmidt & Lackner) underpin its commitment to integrating design in its business philosophy..

Roca is also strongly committed to innovation, another of its basic pillars. The company set up the Innovation Lab in order to “be the brand that defines the bathroom space” and design new trend-setting products that meet the future needs of the consumer. Roca is also committed at fostering young talent and has  implemented initiatives such as the Jump the Gap International Design Competition, aimed at young architects and designers, and  which offers the possibility for the winning project and its designer to be known internationally The jury’s decision will be announced in September of this year at the next 100% Design fair in London.

About ISH

The International Bathroom Design and Construction trade fair is held in Frankfurt every two years. It is the showcase for the new products and most innovative designs of over 700 exhibitors.  This year the 50^th ISH will focus on sustainability and the use of new technologies to design avant-garde bathrooms that are environmentally friendly.