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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
During this year's Milan Design Week, four promising product design students of the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design Karlsruhe (HfG Karlsruhe) were able to display their work at the Moroso flagship store on Via Pontaccio during Salone del Mobile 2025.
In 2024, students from Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG), under the guidance of renowned designer Wieki Somers, embarked on a transformative collaboration with the high-end Italian furniture company Moroso through the seminar "Unwind, Unplug, Disassemble."
The project reimagines sustainable furniture design, challenging harmful materials and outdated production techniques. Students developed bold new concepts, conducted extensive material research, and created prototypes that push the boundaries of recyclable, demountable design.
Their work critically examines existing manufacturing processes, seeking ways to embed sustainability at every stage. Beyond technical innovation, the project explores relaxation, drawing inspiration from domestic life and questioning: How can we foster relaxation in both private and public spaces? What does it mean in our contemporary world?
As part of the Moroso collaboration, selected designs were realized at full scale, transitioning from concept to functional prototypes ready for realworld testing. The focus was on materialization, detail, proportion, context, and feasibility. Three of these projects were now exhibited at the Moroso flagship store on Via Pontaccio during Salone del Mobile 2025.
About the chosen projects:
RE:JOIN by Tim Miler
The re:join project investigates the formal and aesthetic possibilities of constructive joints made of solid wood and wood-based plastics using friction welding, which can be produced without additional adhesives. Depending on the processing method, the plastic can be obtained from up to 100% regenerative resources and is biodegradable. Solid wood parts kept as simple as possible and more complicated plastic elements are combined to create formal features that allow conclusions to be drawn about the origin of the materials and formulate individual design approaches for wooden constructions. An experimental application within the context of the collaboration with Moroso can be found in the form of two displays for cushions and throws (designed specifically for the Moroso space) and a related but independent shelf design.
GENERATIVE JOY by Emanuel Spiecker
Generative Joy is a concept that explores the use of leather waste through digital algorithms. While traditional upholstery only utilizes select parts of a new leather hide, this approach transforms leftover pieces into a new functional 3D object. Its algorithm digitally cuts, sorts, and arranges these irregular leather pieces onto a defined shape to achieve a final design with efficient material utilization. By following a predefined design guideline, the algorithm ensures an optimized and intentional distribution. It also allows for specific shape inputs, giving users control over prioritization and variation of each piece in the final outcome. Moroso has used this technology to cover a spherical pouf with a cover made up of 20 irregular shapes that cover the surface of the sphere and combine in a very complex and non-trivial way.
ARRAY by Benjamin Kaltenbach and Erik Grunder
Array is an innovative modular system that replaces foam in upholstered furniture while maintaining the same cushioning effect. It is made from curved and varnished multilayer beech wood, a choice dictated by the need for flexibility and the desire to use existing production techniques rather than moving towards experimental materials. By avoiding combinations of materials, Array reduces transport emissions and is easy to recycle. Its design creates volume through shape rather than the use of large amounts of material, resulting in a light, open and transparent structure. What makes Array particularly fascinating is its dynamic behaviour, which adapts to the body and offers a unique ergonomic experience.
About KARLSRUHE UNIVERSITY OF ARTS AND DESIGN / HFG KARLSRUHE
The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG) is a university known for its interdisciplinary and project-based approach to design and art education. With degree programs in communication design, product design, media art, exhibition design, scenography, art studies, media theory, and media philosophy, students are encouraged to integrate theory with practical work from the very start.
Product design at HfG Karlsruhe
Product design has the potential to challenge the way we live and can offer new perspectives for a world in which ideas about the environment, politics and society are in constant flux. The Department of Product Design at HfG Karlsruhe focuses on finding innovative ways to design with purpose and responsibility, exploring the boundaries between the domestic landscape and the public realm, and investigating the role that materiality and craft can play in our increasingly digital world. HfG views the design profession as an interaction between making and thinking, seeking answers to the social relevance of design practice and how technology can be used to improve humanity. The work is interdisciplinary, through close collaboration with local industry and international manufacturers, according to a theoretical methodology that supports the translation of ideas into the most appropriate forms and materials. The aim of the HfG is to develop personalities who take a strong position in their search for answers to the challenges that this incredibly complex but fascinating world presents us with.
Contact:
Wieki Somers
Telefon +49 (0)721 8203 2239
Fax +49 (0)721 8203 2352 E-Mail
wsomers(at)hfg-karlsruhe.de
Lorenzstraße 15, 76135 Karlsruhe
www.hfg-karlsruhe.de
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Ana Volkland/Isabel Lionello
presse@hfg-karlsruhe.de
Lorenzstraße 15, 76135 Karlsruhe
www.hfg-karlsruhe.de
Photo of the booth displaying the works of HfG product design students at the Moroso Showroom at Mil ...
Lorenzo Bacci
Criteria of this press release:
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Art / design, Cultural sciences, Environment / ecology, Materials sciences
transregional, national
Contests / awards, Studies and teaching
English
Photo of the booth displaying the works of HfG product design students at the Moroso Showroom at Mil ...
Lorenzo Bacci
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