New 'LK01' electronic kitchen taps: design that puts technology at the service of the environment

Design that puts technology at the service of the environment. Interview with Luca Papini

Water saving is an increasingly evident trend in design, and residential and professional kitchens are no exception. This is why we want to preview the new electronic kitchen faucet, capable of reducing water waste, which will be launched at the Frankfurt ISH trade fair. The best way to do this is through the words of Luca Papini, the designer who conceived this beautiful solution, capable of putting technology at the service of the environment. Here is the interview.

How did your idea for this new electronic kitchen tap come about?

The source of my inspiration was to solve and improve the experience in the kitchen, which translates into efficiency, hygiene and, in general, water saving to promote a much more rational use of water, making life easier for the user. In fact, with this tap you optimise water consumption, as you only use it when you need it, with a simple gesture in front of the sensor.

When I started thinking about this electronic kitchen tap, I looked for inspiration in the market, reading articles and getting to know the end user, and I realised that first and foremost the problem in the kitchen is water consumption. Sensitising people not to waste it, I think, is one of the main arguments that prompted me to conceive this new electronic kitchen tap. I know that Idral has been addressing the issue of water saving in industrial kitchens for years, thanks to the pedal taps that lead to reduced consumption, and I wanted to continue in this direction: existing technology allows us to give innovative answers to the needs of the new generations, who are increasingly sensitive to environmental issues.

Another very important aspect, which I took into consideration when developing this solution, is the need to be able to control the opening and closing of the water in an easy way, as we often have our hands full or dirty in the kitchen. The fact that we can control the water flow with a simple gesture greatly simplifies the tasks we perform in the kitchen and improves the user experience.

Finally, I thought abouthygiene: in fact, the touchless technology does not require you to touch any surface with your hands, thus avoiding contaminating the tap with dirty hands.

This new electronic kitchen faucet combines the performance of a professional faucet with the design typical of a residential environment. What are the main benefits of this touchless solution for a private rather than a professional kitchen?

In a professional kitchen (HoReCa), it is essential to have specific faucets, because traditional faucets do not provide the performance needed to cope with the intensive way people work in these environments. It is comparable to a company with a production line, where you are maybe 8-10 hours with the kitchen running and you are constantly opening and closing the water. So you need to constantly interact with the tap, for example to clean fish or fill pots and pans.

In a private kitchen, on the other hand, the frequency of use of the tap is less, but the residential market is increasingly sensitive to the issue of saving water and energy , and therefore this electronic tap becomes a very interesting answer.

In fact, as it is equipped with a progressive cartridge, when the tap is activated it only starts to supply cold water and only when the lever is moved from the neutral position does it call up hot water progressively, thereby optimising the operation of the boiler and consequently minimising energy consumption.

What are the distinctive features of this new tap and what versions and finishes are available?

I thought of two versions of this tap: the classic version, with a traditional swivel spout, and the version with a pull-out spray at the end of the swivel spout.

In the design I took into account not only the aesthetic aspect but also the functional one: the tap's ergonomics facilitate movement and allow for easy use, and the pull-out spray is easy to grip. In the kitchen, in fact, we often need to move the water jet to carry out multiple tasks, such as filling pots, washing fruit or salad,... Moreover, our hands are often dirty or busy, so controlling the flow of water without touching the lever further simplifies the experience in the kitchen.

From an aesthetic point of view, I did market research to understand existing trends and integrate them into myvision, which always starts with clean, minimalist lines as my hallmark. The result is a simple design, which can be traced back to a kind of inverted 'L' for the classic version and an 'L' with a pull-out hand shower at the end for the second version. A special feature of both versions is that the spout swivels, allowing double basins and all required activities to be handled in complete freedom.

Another very interesting aspect from an aesthetic point of view is that we provide coloured versions with special metal finishes, in addition to the classic chrome, for example metallic grey and other colours on request such as matt black, white, graffite, gold or brushed copper or nickel.

Finally, this tap is also suitable for outdoor use, for example when installed on a hob or a small kitchen on the terrace or in the garden. In fact, it is available with both mains and battery connection (with a very long life span), so it can also be installed where there is no mains supply. Importantly, the tap always signals when the battery is running low and has a mechanism that allows the water to be turned on manually as well, so you will never run out of water.

What does the name 'LK01' mean?

I wanted to name this tap after myself because I feel it is very much my own. So I called it Luca Kitchen and I put the number 1 on it because I imagine it as the first in a range that evolves over time. It was a project that also involved my collaborators and that lasted almost 8 months, during which we thought a lot about it, studied it, did tests, renderings,..., a lot of work by myself and my team to arrive at a solution that we are very satisfied with and proud of. In fact, I find this new model, which winks at interior design and combines it with technology and sustainability, very interesting. We designed it for an environmentally aware customer, a lover of the kitchen and beauty, and a connoisseur of technology. I think of this tap in an open kitchen with a peninsula, where you can share the pleasure of good food with your guests. This is why I emphasise the importance of the finishes so that it can be easily integrated into the aesthetics of current projects. Furthermore, "LK01" was born for the needs of a user who considers sustainability a priority issue and does not want to waste water, and therefore prefers a tap with a photocell, because it shares our vision that design can put technology at the service of the environment.