Seven environmentally conscious product developments will be realised in the design LAB programme

Based on the jury’s decision, seven manufacturer-designer pairs can start developing their product lines in the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s second design LAB incubational programme.  Among the chosen entries are design creations such as interior and exterior office furniture, a composite table, a modular upholstered furniture line, different acoustic panels, a lamp line based on glassblowing technique, or the environmentally friendly and space-saving cloth rack. From now on, the pursuit of sustainable guidelines is a priority in the pair's work.

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency launched the design LAB incubation programme for the second time this year, intending to incentivise collaboration between Hungarian designers and manufacturers. The call was open for joint submissions. The Agency organised the Speed Dating online networking event again to find the right partner with nearly 90 matches between potential designer-manufacturer pairs. In the end, 36 entries arrived at the second design LAB incubational programme, most of which represent ideas of sustainable design products. 

The entries were evaluated by a Jury composed of renowned industry professionals, such as Gergő Hosszú, Red Dot Award winner product designer, managing director of Co&Co Designcommunication’s; Barbara Majcher, Chief Adviser of the Hungarian Design Council; Róber Mascher, President of the Studio of Young Designers; and Gábor Wilheim, president of Fabunio – the Hungarian Wood and Furniture Industry Union; among other experts. The design LAB programme is realised in cooperation with the French design institute; thus, Jean-Paul Bath, president of the VIA  (Valorisation de l’Innovation dans l’Ameublement), also gave his opinion on the entries’ visual documentations. From the HFDA, Zsófia Bata-Jakab, the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s CEO, Árpád Keresztury design manager and Oszkár Vági professional counsellor gave their opinions. Based on the professional decision, seven designer-manufacturer pairs are getting an instrument of financial support and can start developing their design products that can be manufactured in series.

Árkossy Bútor Kft. and Máté Horváth – JEAN clothes rack

Their project aims to develop the JEAN clothes rack and its accessories, consisting of 100% Hungarian, high quality, environmentally conscious, numbered design products. The sustainable aspect was stressed when designing the product line: the metal parts can be produced using recycled materials, and the wooden elements can be made with minimal waste.

Flaar Mérnöki Tervező és Szolgáltató Kft. and Lehel Juhos – HORIZON carbon fiber reinforced composite table 

Their product concept is the HORIZON carbon fibre reinforced composite table. Their project aims to fully exploit the potential of the alternatives provided by the material and the special technology in the case of furniture with unusual proportions and characteristics. The composite materials’ advantage is that the fibres are manageable. Therefore, truly unique and special structures can be created.

Kárpitos Partner Group Bt. and Annabella Hevesi – Dedas modular seating furniture line

The Dedas upholstered seating furniture line has been primarily defined as spectacular furniture elements of public spaces. Usually, they consist of easy chairs and sofas for one, two, or three people, but owing to their modularity, they can be made in almost unlimited lengths. The product’s material is a recyclable polyester-based fabric that can be broken down into fibres at the end of its lifecycle.

Meshlin Composites Zrt. and Apol Temesi – SOUND WOOL acoustic panel

The SOUND WOOL product line revives Hungarian and regional wool residues using its own technology. The raw material-centred development puts wool’s positive features in focus. Interior design panels produced by individual pressing have excellent sound-absorbing qualities, offering a renewable alternative for solving acoustic problems of public spaces.

Rotte Kft. and Sára Kele – CoTangens furniture line

CoTangens is the outdoors partner of the Tangens furniture line. The emphasis focuses on togetherness, human relationships. The designer and manufacturer duo dedicate their work to community spaces where valuable human encounters, discussions, meals can take place once again freely.  The product line’s fundamental values are sustainability, curved shapes, mobility and variability.

SIXAY Bt. and Máté Horváth – UPP! ergonomic office furniture

The project aims to create an ecological, ergonomic, friendly work environment close to people and nature, where office work takes place in a healthier and more pleasant atmosphere. When they designed the UPP! product line, they paid special attention to using natural materials such as solid wood, linoleum, or ROHI’s wool fabrics.

Üvegmanufaktúra Kft. and Position Collective - CEL lamp line

In the programme’s framework, the goal is to create and develop a lighting product line of pendants based on the Hungarian artisan glassblowing technique. They want to emphasise the translucent nature, colourability, and layerability of the glass. Besides colouring, they plan to create different surface structures, the refraction of which will grant a characteristic style.