13/05/2011

ACTIVELAB IS BORN, A WORKSHOP OF IDEAS FOR WELLBEING IN ARCHITECTURE

As part of the GranitiFiandre 50^th birthday celebrations, the inauguration took place yesterday for the exhibition “Active Lab:  fantasy, creativity, reality.New ideas of wellbeing”.
The exhibition, which was designed to give original impetus to the creativity of the architects and designers who work with the world leader in the production of high range porcelain stoneware, welcomed the participation of architects, designers and students, who wanted to try their hand at representing their personal idea of wellbeing on sheets of Active material. The concept of wellbeing has now taken on a very wide meaning that embraces all the sectors of everyday living.
Wellbeing now refers not only to the field of physical and natural phenomena but also to the way in which humans relate to the home, their territory and the social environment. The “challenge” set was to offer the chance to combine a concept that now has implications in all environments, such as the wide-ranging idea of wellbeing, with the creativity of architects and designers.
Therefore, the participants could indulge their fantasy offering proposals that ranged from the more traditional but bold designs, like the Rifugio di Gouter (Gouter refuge) on the mountaineering path on Mont Blanc, a design by Hervé Dessimoz aiming towards complete energy self-sufficiency, to the idea of the Chiosco della Solitudine (Pavilion of Solitude) by Paolo Minola who designed a “den” for hiding away from the chaos, or the Orto Etrusco (Etruscan Garden) by Raffaella Gemma, who used the Active slabs to create a self-sufficient and clean system for cultivating plants in urban places: a pot and a furnishing accessory at the same time. Sandra Faggiano’s design was also dedicated to greenery - BRICKable - a range of pots that exploit the anti-pollution properties of Active.
Worthy of note was also Fabris Progetti’s idea for the Riqualificazione della Stazione delle Corriere di Thiene (Requalification of the Coach Station in Thiene), transforming it into a low environmental impact meeting room thanks to photovoltaic solar panels for hot water, using the existing facilities and Active slabs, just like the Summer Bungalow designed by Prekop Gergely.
The final mention goes to the graphic designer Silvia Scagliarini who suggested the use of the Active slabs as canvases for depicting famous characters in the MyleStones project.
The exhibition, which is being held at the company’s Megastore in Castellarano, will be open to visitors until September 2011.