The audience of BDML Insider caught a glimpse into the atmosphere of future homes

The third roundtable discussion of the Budapest Design Material Library (BDML) event series was held on the 20^th of October as a joint project of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) and the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA). This time, participants discussed sustainable and smart homes.

The HFDA set it as a goal to create a material library, the BDML, that collects samples of the newest and most innovative materials from all around the world and makes it widely available in the form of a database, using international examples. Thus, Hungarian creative industry players can get to know state-of-the-art materials without expensive trips abroad. Under the programme series BDML Insider; professional programmes, workshops, roundtable discussions and other material-specific events connected to the material library are realised that can further increase the library’s visibility and recognition.

The third roundtable discussion of the BDML Insider event series was held in October 2022 and was organised around ideas for the home of the future. The audience heard relevant thoughts about the topic through a presentation at the beginning of the event. It was mentioned how pop art depicted the concept of housing by incorporating consumer products into works of art, but participants also learnt about the development of one of the most popular household appliances, the vacuum cleaner. Those interested gained an insight into the fantasies about the future’s homes through a special example from the sixties, the animated series The Jetsons produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions Inc. In one of the episodes, we see the production agency’s visions about the year 2062 which reveals that plastic was believed a truly innovative material in the ‘60s. In the presentation, some objects of use made by Czech and Hungarian designers and manufacturers in the spirit of sustainability were also demonstrated.

At the beginning of the roundtable discussion, Kitti Mayer, the event’s moderator asked the invited speakers to recollect their childhood homes, the objects in them and the tools used at that time. Léna Lehoczky interior designer presented the Colour Type Homes concept invented by her to the audience. Her unique and gap-filler approach is based on the theory of the 12 colour types of the seasons used mainly in fashion, but applicable to our living spaces as well. Gábor Bakos, founder of Concrazy Kft., graduate civil engineer and mechatronics technician showed the audience materials preferred in sustainable interior design. Gábor also gave an account of his current project with Sára Kele designer, in which they stir materials that are no longer used, considered superfluous or waste (faience toilet bowl, walnut shells) into high tensile concrete mixture. He specified finding an innovative material that can substitute the less environmentally friendly material used now in manufacturing during template-making as their long-term goal.

Barnabás Tóth, business development manager of Chameleon Smart Home and Tamás Fülöp, project architect of Hello Wood talked about the equipment of homes. Barnabás Tóth believes that the response to whether something can be called a smart home lies in the use of built-in smart technologies that react to the changes in the environment. Tamás Fülöp let the audience in on the secrets of Hello Wood’s cabins with diverse facilities and shared his experience regarding the types of houses that operators of accommodations look for considering comfort and economical aspects.

Even as the discussion ended, the audience’s curiosity did not ease and they asked numerous questions. For instance, it was suggested whether it would be possible (or even exists) to provide services similar to sharing services that allow the sustainable furnishing of temporary homes. In addition, those interested wanted to know to what extent intelligent homes speak to the older generations and whether smart home technologies can only be used in newly built homes or can be implemented into existing systems as well. The enhanced interest of the audience and experts in topics concerning technological novelties in design and interior design supports the HFDA’s goal regarding the need for open professional discussions based on knowledge sharing so that domestic players will be ready to ride the newest waves in the industry.

The next BDML Insider roundtable discussion will be held on the 24^th of November, from 6 pm. For more information about the material library, visit the BDML’s website.