Completed: November 2006.
The brief required that we design a mobile gas heater for the home. Part of the appeal behind this project was the fact that so many gas heaters are incredibly unattractive, leaving much room for improvement. It was mentioned that we try and view the heater as a piece of furniture, rather than a standalone object, as it will form an integral part of an interior space. By using a particular style of twentieth century design as a foundation for the concept, which was another component of the brief, one opened the way for more formal intervention, more often associated with architecture or interior design.
I decided to approach the suggestion of associating the heater with a piece of furniture in a literal fashion, by adding some measure of multi-functionality. Integrated storage, flat surfaces, and concealed controls served this purpose. In terms of connecting this design to a particular movement of twentieth century design, I decided to draw on the Bauhaus movement for inspiration. With reference to the architecture of the period, and specifically the Bauhaus building itself, the functional areas of the heater are clearly differentiated by use of colour and material. Additionally, all superfluous decoration has been eliminated.
