Smart-ologic Corian® Living

The “Smart-ologic Corian® Living” exhibition gave me the opportunity to develop a modular holistic

house - a house that can be produced with minimal concave and convex panels and simple tooling.

I have always been interested in this notion of a modular house, of efficient dwelling that can be erected simply and quickly, that can be inexpensive and democratic, and customizable with little cause and great effect. I always believed that architecture finally comes down to a system of components, but what we need are industrial elements that are more free form and flexible in their configuration as not to end up in the world of a grid. My other concern was to create these panels with less waste and to have the waste reused.

I believe that the design of “Smart-ologic Corian® Living” is a metaphor for how technology, housing, furnishing, and space can work together to evoke an increased sense of experience, affect our psyche and bring us a better living, and also enable us to reduce the environmental imprint of our daily decisions and actions.

The soft organic shape produced for this evocative home concept creates a womb-like structure that is conducive to energy efficacy through the sculptured form, no corners trap hot or cold air. The house relies on sustainable and smart infrastructure for energy consumption and production with water reuse and low impact construction.

With its capability to protect the envelope while letting it “breathe”, DuPont™ Tyvek® building membrane contributes to the comfort of interior environments. The photovoltaic modules of DuPont, integrated into the roof, create environmentally-sustainable energy. All the lighting is LED for efficiency and low energy consumption and the radiant floors are powered by solar generated energy.

This concept of techno-organic house is the starting point for shaping a smart domestic environment, based on the performance of a variety of different materials and technologies.

DuPont™ Corian®

Karim Rashid, Mario Milana, Camila Tariki and Kamala Hutauruk – Karim Rashid Inc, New York

〮Industrie-Manufaktur Hasenkopf, Germany – fabrication of DuPont™ Corian® for all the elements of the exhibition, excluding the acoustic solutions

〮Luxit and I Tre of FDV Group, Italy – lighting solutions

〮Flomar, Italy – fabrication of the elements in DuPont™ Zodiaq®

〮WOW, Japan – artistic video

〮Planit, Italy – fabrication of DuPont™ Corian® for the acoustic solutions

〮Laboratorio Audio, Italy – technology for the acoustic solutions

〮Gorenje, Slovenia – induction hob, designed by Karim Rashid

〮Intentions, Italy – bio-ethanol fireplace, designed Karim Rashid

〮Bonetti, Italy – fabrication of the elements in DuPont™ Tyvek®, designed by Karim Rashid