Modern bathrooms are incredibly high-tech — but we’re not talking about spaces decked out with futuristic, stainless-steel clad furniture or televisions inserted into the wall mirror. In this case, high-tech refers to the quality level of products incorporated into a design, all of which utilize healthy materials that promote an ultra-hygienic, safe and sustainable atmosphere. These qualities define the quintessential “smart bathroom”.
Duravit, one of the world’s oldest and largest building-product manufacturers, is focused on creating such holistic bathroom environments for all. By dividing their bathroom product offerings into four functional areas — washing, bathing, showering and toileting — they provide architects and interior designers with organized and detailed plans for specifying strong products. All of their products, from toilets to tubs, are designed and engineered with excellence, resulting in the kind of sophistication and style only made possible by the most advanced manufacturing processes.
Designing a bathroom with high-performing, healthy materials gives users ease of mind and provides an environment of relaxation.
Duravit’s “smart bathrooms” make the user’s life easier and allow them to rest assured that the products they use everyday were not only crafted with care, but will continue to perform at their utmost functionality and even keep them healthy. They do this by concentrating on the material science behind each product they design and analyzing how that contributes to the user’s wellness.
Duravit educates architects and designers on the impact that bathrooms could have on a building and its surrounding environment, particularly when it comes to sustainable reuse and water consumption. They provide sustainable products that lessen the water usage in a home or commercial space, while maintaining a strong resale value for future ownership transitions. As water efficiency science has advanced over the last several years, Duravit’s toilets, urinals, sinks, showers and bathtubs have been boosted to meet international standards.
Duravit’s bathroom designs incorporate timeless design with innovative product technologies.
As a global leader in materials research and testing, the company understands that the benefits of specifying sanitary and self-cleaning products can be huge. For this reason, Duravit utilizes nanotechnology-based surface treatments on their bathroom products that make them easy to keep clean. By using sealants adhered to the ceramic at the molecular level, the product overall becomes 1,000 times smoother so dirt and lime don’t stick to the surface. Residue beads off and easily washes away with the force of water.
The HygieneGlaze 2.0 kills bacteria within hours of use.
In the same way, Duravit’s toilet and urinals contain metal-ion based antibacterial glazing on the ceramic to fight against E. coli. After just six hours, 90 percent of bacteria are effectively killed while after 12 hours, 99.9 percent of bacteria are eradicated. After 24 hours, it reaches an unprecedented level of bacteria elimination.
These types of active ingredients embedded within the material work so well thanks to Duravit’s curated glazing process. They fire the antibacterial glaze directly into the ceramic permanently, targeting areas commonly exposed to germ development such as the toilet basin’s interior all the way up to the flushing rim.
Not only is it important to engineer hygienic glazes and treatments that amp up a toilet’s safety standards, innovations in flushing technology also contribute to the product’s total value. Rimless flush and soft-close systems ensure hygienic surface flushing and prevent over splash, which can lead to the unnecessary spread of bacteria.
The open design of the flushing rim encourages a unique water flow that guarantees perfect flushing results with only a small amount of water. With the soft-close system, a gentle tap is all it takes to cause the toilet seat to lower slowly and automatically. Shower-toilets and bidets additionally save both space and water. According to the World Wildlife Fund, they even reduce toilet paper consumption by an estimated 8.4 pounds per person per year, equating to 270,000 trees per year. Modern bidets can be fitted with a slim shower-toilet seat that’s remote-control operated.
As well as toilets, urinals and bidets, bathroom surfaces such as shower floors and drain trays can feature bacteria-resistent, anti-slip materials. Acrylic, a solid color material with a warm high-gloss surface, is often used because it’s smooth and pore-free. Duravit’s synthetic solid surface treatments make their floor products very dense and robust.
Duravit’s atmospheric LED mirrors complete the smart bathroom look.
Beyond cleanliness, Duravit also carefully consider ambience in the bathroom, recognizing the power of lighting to calm and sooth. One way the company achieves this is through its sleek line of LED mirrors, which provide energy-efficient illumination with a soft, subtle touch. “At Duravit, one of our goals is to always treat the bathroom as a living space,” explained Duravit’s USA President Tim Schroeder. “Our LED mirrors substitute the harsh light often associated with the bathroom environment for a more pleasant and livable illumination.”
A well-designed smart bathroom contains a number of stand-out visual features that make it a comfortable, personal and productive space for a user to be in. Truly intuitive bathroom design, however, should incorporate invisible materials and technologies that protect the user from harmful bacteria, contain self-maintenance properties and help uphold cleanliness on all surfaces.
With 200 years of experience, Duravit knows how to help architects check off all of these seen and unseen requirements, designing bathrooms around the world that pair contemporary style with material innovation.
All images courtesy Duravit