Balance Modules_Dornbracht

Ritual Architecture_Balance Modules_Dornbracht  (pdf)

Some nice text in the document relating to rituals and architecture, specifically hygiene rituals in the domestic home.



"The Dornbracht BALANCE MODULES also make the individual, with his or her habits and rituals, the focal point. They expand the purely functional and technical aspects of the bathroom to include the dimension of human rituals, actions and habits. This is not principally a matter of formal considerations. The modules are rather a new interface between the user and his rituals."

_This demonstrates that Dornbracht has similar principals to me in regards to bathroom design. Dornbracht seek to make visible the habits or rituals one performs in the bathroom setting - I also seek to do this. However, Dornbracht are still more product focused which is where we are different. I intend to design a room that makes visible the individual rituals and routines of a specific user - the method for which could be applied to any user theoretically - but make a whole room, not a product. 

RAINSKY (above), one of Dornbrachts products (or non-products) is described as "the first product to dissolve the boundary between fittings and architecture". It's other fittings not being visible on the walls of the bathroom, they are embedded onto the ceiling and highly technological. I'm not sure how I feel about this, although I need to think about this in terms of my own design. 

Noises for Ritual Architecture video

I found the Noises video on YouTube so thought Id post it.
Dornbracht_Noises for Ritual Architecture

Materiality_copper??_"water changes it's surroundings"

Ritual-Architecture - pure naturalness from Dornbracht by Sophia Muckle, 2007 for Stylepark.

Once again Dornbracht have taken center-stage when it comes to ritual architecture. Having a wee Google search I came across this article for Stylepark by Sophia Muckle (11.4.07) and the images in particular caught my eye and got my brain buzzing.

"The contemporary interpretation is produced by the exciting interaction between clear, reduced design language and a mix of old-fashioned and modern materials. Corten steel, copper and olivewood surfaces, on which water leaves its mark, contrasts with the contemporary look of marble, Corian and reflective glass."_Muckle 07

The product description for the Elemental Spa series is as follows:

"The theme of Elemental Spa is the archaic and the original: the element water changes its surroundings. It can make a place unique. That is why Elemental Spa makes water the centre of attention. It becomes the starting point for personal and shared rituals in physical and mental cleansing, and makes the bathroom a refuge for the soul."

I love the idea that water - the thing that rules the bathroom - can change the bathroom. The material choices here are amazing. The use of copper in the bathroom allows one to see where the water and the architecture touch - this could be a measure/a way of making visible the re-occurring bodily contact with space, or the splashes made by the body using the bathroom.
_this materiality is something to consider in my final design.

"Noises for Ritual Architecture"

Mike Meire
Soundscapes
Transformation and reflection of ritual architectures.
Dornbracht Culture Project

"The Dornbracht Culture Projects series presents the first collection of Noises for Ritual Architecture in the Bathroom. MEM, LOGIC and ELEMENTAL (vol. 1-3) reflect the relationship between space, material and movement through ritual architecture and invites people to view the bathing experience as a holistic process." _Dornbracht.

The Noises for Ritual Architecture video interview can be seen here. Mike Meire and Andreas Dornbracht take you through the process for design and the restraints they placed upon themselves coming up with the concept for Noises. 

This project is a valuable precedent in terms of looking at the bathroom in a different, non-conventional way.

Modular tiles & JSPR Studio's Cover Tiles

Section of design_2 tiles.
Thinking about modules. The structure could be a series of modular tiles - or have a modular system in place for bath-room attachments. This method is more product based and I don't really want to go there as it is less about discovering solutions along the way but moreover applying a formula to solve all design problems. It's not necessarily the best way to design.

It also reminds me of JSPR Studio's Cover Tiles. Image above retrieved from Apartment Therapy.
Cover Tiles are a modular system that makes visible the plumbing behind the bathroom's many different components. They have included taps and even the shower head into the tile design.

I consider this to be a beautiful representation of how the function, or workings of the bathroom, can inform the aesthetic qualities of it.