Together for Innovation

Roberto Palomba, Chief Design Officer at Ideal Standard on World Together Tour’s recent Dubai edition, smart technology, and innovative technology

Tell us more about the Together World Tour.
The Together World Tour allows us to speak with members of our network. It began during a time when we were unable to meet in person. Because we usually meet individuals at trade events in Milan or Frankfurt, and we didn’t have the opportunity to do so during the pandemic. As a result, rather than having them come to us, we said: “let’s go and visit the people”. We noticed that by taking this world tour, we were able to incorporate our teams, local teams, not just architects, but all our team members. Every step of the Together World Tour has been unique; it was not a way to market our goods, but rather to share them with people from various cultures. They believe that what is local can be global. We chose the name World Tour because we want to bring specific cultures from around the world on a global platform.

How does the edition in Dubai vary from the ones in Milan, Paris, and London?
On November 21, 2021, our tour’s Avant-premiere took place at the Belgium Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. VIP visitors from the architecture and interior design industries attended the event. In addition to a video presentation, the occasion hosted a panel discussion with guest speakers Architect Janus Rostock, CEO of Signal, Architect Joe Tabet, Founder of JT+ Partners, Interior Designer Kristina Zanic, CEO of Kristina Zanic Consultants, Dr Robert Platt, Vice President Visitor Experience at Expo 2020 Dubai, Ahmad Alsalami, Head of Building Systems Development Unit at Dubai Municipality, and me. Every stop has a unique story to tell. I must admit that I was a bit selective in choosing the stops. I chose not only the most important locations but also those that I enjoy visiting. I was pleased to choose Dubai since I believe it is crucial to the current era in which we live. Because it reflects a fantastic dream: a grid of people from all over the world who’re sharing culture, emotions, problems, and so on.

What has been the reactions to the tour so far?
Since its launch in April, the Together World Tour has visited Milan, Berlin, London, Paris and now Dubai – deep-diving into the dynamic culture of each city and exploring their impact on the world of bathroom design. There is a lot of enthusiasm. People were surprised to hear a brand like ours talk so openly and in a different language. While we were expected to send out catalogues or just demonstrate things to market, this was not the case. They discovered connections, sharing, emotions, information, innovations, and all these kinds of things that normally are not used by designers. The bathroom is a significant aspect of your home. Our company is constantly innovating and developing high-quality products that set the bar. We collaborate with several talented designers who assist us in developing innovative and great products.

How has smart technology influenced bathware designs?
Continuing on the theme of innovation, we presented Intellimix, Ideal Standard’s most pioneering product. Intellimix is a smart touchless tap that makes superior hygiene effortless with a timed delivery of water and soap from the same device. Its optimised wash cycle reduces the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses and saves on water consumption. Events of the past year have reinforced the importance of hygiene across the globe – which is not only impacting human behaviour but has also permanently changed the requirements for public washroom design. It’s more critical than ever that these shared spaces, and the technology in them, are designed with the end user’s health and protection in mind. Intellimix has been introduced to meet these demands by improving hygiene and making it easier than ever before to ensure that all building users are handwashing effectively. Not only that, but it also contributes to achieving sustainability targets, while helping businesses save costs.

Which has been your favourite city so far?
I don’t have a favourite because every city is so different from the other. There’s so much to learn and understand from each city.

What role does sustainability play as part of your brand?
Today, sustainability is critical. From product planning to product development, it is a topic that must be considered. As a result, it’s something concrete, and we consider it at all levels. Events of the past year have reinforced the importance of hygiene across the globe – which is not only impacting human behaviour but has also permanently changed the requirements for public washroom design. It’s more critical than ever that these shared spaces, and the technology in them, are designed with the end user’s health and protection in mind.

What are some of the most exciting projects you’re working on?
Yes, we have a lot of exciting projects, especially in the Middle East, where we are working in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE. Numerous hospitality and residential projects are coming up here, and we’re working with some fantastic brands.