FM newsroom – sustainability, innovation. Spiralling water flow, CO₂-free production, and groundbreaking sanitary design could transform our water-use habits.
Designer Yves Béhar and Swiss company Laufen have created the Volta, which breaks with tradition in every respect. It looks more like an indoor waterfall than a conventional sanitary fixture. Water flows from the tap, then passes through a special upper opening, moving downward in a spiral path. The aim of this construction is both to reduce water consumption and to prioritise an experiential way of using water.
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“In the case of Volta, it’s not just about design, but about a new kind of water-use experience,” explains Ákos Németh, head of Laufen’s Hungarian representation, to fmbusiness. hu.
The sink’s operation is not only visually striking but practical as well. The spiral design ensures that the water doesn’t spread across the whole basin but can be used efficiently even in small amounts. This method can significantly reduce water consumption.
“Many people first ask how to switch it on, where the water comes from, but after a few seconds, they start to play with it. This playfulness is very rare in bathroom objects,” Németh adds.
Sustainability, innovation, and manufacturing
Behind the scenes lies a less spectacular but all the more important development. Volta is among the first ceramic sinks to be manufactured using a completely CO₂-free firing process.
“For production, a new electric kiln makes it possible to avoid the use of fossil energy,” explained Ákos Németh.
The company claims this is the first sanitary-ware kiln of its kind in the world — and if true, then this marks a new era not only in design but also in sustainability. The material used in production, SaphirKeramik, also contributes to the creation of thin walls and sharp forms — without weakening the structure.