Foldaway hand basin wins reecedesign award

24 November 2006

A foldaway hand basin that makes more room in cramped bathrooms is the winner of the 2006 reecedesign bathroom innovation award.

Andrew Fowkes, the designer of the unique “ripple” contoured basin says his experience of living in apartments around the world inspired his creation.

“I’ve lived in apartments in New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney and the lack of bathroom floor space has been an issue in all of them,” says Fowkes, a UNSW product design tutor in the Faculty of the Built Environment.

“Part of the problem is that we view fixtures such as microwaves and cook-tops and basins as being fixed objects. The reality is that we use these things for a just few minutes each day and there’s no need for them to take up space when they’re not in use.

“We have the technology to create more living space and in the 21st century there’s no reason why people who live in cities should live in cramped conditions just because space is a premium in urban areas.”

Fast facts:

The Reece design bathroom innovation award aims to encourage and reward original bathroom product design.

Andrew Fowkes has had 25 years experience working as a designer for some the world’s leading brands, including Swatch, Motorola, Naomi Campbell, Puma, Kraft, American Airlines, Polaroid, Yardley, and Johnson & Johnson.

View Andrew Fowkes’ award winning design online.

Media contact: Dan Gaffney, UNSW media office, mob 0411 156 015