SHOWERS AND BATHROOMS
A WATERSHED MOMENT
Geberit is celebrating its 150th anniversary with new products, which take inspiration from watch makers, Tag Heur and Rolex. Will McGill went along to find out what loos and watches have in common.
T
his year marks Geberit’s 150- year anniversary; the company is celebrating its ourney from a one-man business to a global group.
The story began in the historic town of Rapperswil, in Switzerland, in 1874 and it has continuously evolved since then. Founder, Albert Gebert paved the way for sanitary innovations in 1904 when he designed a lead- lined wooden cistern, which was followed by the first plastic cistern in 1952 and the world’s first concealed cistern in 1964.
The group now employs more than 10,000 people globally, across 26 sites including its UK HQ in Warwick.
Mark Larden, managing director at Geberit UK, said: “We’re proud to be celebrating Geberit’s 150-year anniversary this year with our employees, customers and business partners. The celebrations include new product development, product launches and the release of a book about the company’s history, allowing stakeholders to reminisce about the past and look forward to a future filled with continued success.”
Also speaking at its anniversary event was designer Christoph Behling, who explained that the watches he has designed, for companies such as Tag Heur, aren’t too dissimilar from Geberit’s loos.
Behling said: “Timeless design for me is on one hand it’s about the design quality and, on the other, day it is about a design which can stand the test of time.”
Highlighting that Geberit’s WC systems come with the added benefit of 50 years’ spare parts availability for all replaceable parts of the concealed cistern.
“You don’t buy a Rolex and put some kind of scruffy old mechanism inside. It’s very much an inside out world – which is very similar to toilets,” he added.
Geberit has unveiled its AquaClean Alba, which it describes as an “affordable shower toilet” designed to bring “hygiene and comfort features” to a broader range of customers.
It features the company’s patented 30
WhirlSpray technology, which delivers a “gentle yet effective cleansing experience”. To complement this its quiet TurboFlush 2.0 system provides optimum cleaning of the pan, easy cleaning and uncompromising hygiene for the user. The consumer can also use a remote control, with wall bracket and integration, which syncs up to Geberit Home app and allows users to adjust the shower water temperature and spray arm position.
Quicker processes
Alongside the clockwork toilets, Geberit’s WC system is 40% quicker to install than before. This commitment to improving installation speeds was considered throughout the design process – according to Behling. “You have to combine electronics and hydraulics and everything has to work together,” he added.
Behling said that around 60% of the world already cleans with water. He said: “You go to the Middle East and some Asian countries they
use water. It is mainly the Western countries which choose to use paper but going back 500 years or so everybody used to use water. He explained that it was mainly the plague which stopped people from washing with water. He added: “Our kind of fixation on paper is built on the complete wrong, stupid assumption of some wannabe doctor 500 years ago.
“Water is the way forward, and that has nothing to do with design. This isn’t to say that the Alba isn’t amazing because it is.” Alongside its celebrations, the company is asking its member of staff to carry out 150 acts of kindness by simply asking its employees to give a little back to the community. “Acts” can include donations to local good banks, volunteering at a local community kitchen or even helping out at the local care home. Plus, as patron for the charity, Geberit UK have also pledged to match any monies raised for the CRASH UK construction industry charity. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2024
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