Yves Béhar is the industrial designer behind products like the SNOO smart sleeper and the Herman Miller Sayl chair. You know his work even if you don’t. The Sayl chair is a staple in nearly every tech office and co-working space. Ask any parent if they’ve heard of the SNOO and you’ll likely hear about how it helped save their sanity and marriage—mine included.
“Parents have told me because of the SNOO they felt more confident having a third child,” Yves jokes as we discuss VOLTA, a new washbasin collection made in collaboration with LAUFEN. The launch coincides with LAUFEN’s shift to CO2-free ceramic production using the world’s first solar-powered electric tunnel kiln. You could say Yves is saving the environment and growing the population.
- VOLTA, a new washbasin collection made in collaboration with LAUFEN. The launch coincides with LAUFEN’s shift to CO2-free ceramic production using the world’s first solar-powered electric tunnel kiln.
- The VOLTA basin focuses on water use and flow. “We really wanted to highlight water-saving, sustainability, low CO2, and also create a more poetic, thoughtful way of experiencing water,” Yves said. Photos courtesy of LAUFEN
The VOLTA basin focuses on water use and flow. “We really wanted to highlight water-saving, sustainability, low CO2, and also create a more poetic, thoughtful way of experiencing water,” Yves said. “Most of the time when I turn on a tap, the water goes straight down the drain like it’s disposable. Here you can see it slowly flowing into the bottom.”
The design features a two-level interior that creates a circular movement of the water. “With a flat-bottom sink, debris usually collects at the edges and you have to clean it a lot,” he explained. “But in this river-like design, debris moves around, so it almost self-cleans or it’s much easier to clean with just one circular motion.”
The design features a two-level interior that creates a circular movement of the water. “With a flat-bottom sink, debris usually collects at the edges and you have to clean it a lot,” he explained. “But in this river-like design, debris moves around.” Photo courtesy of LAUFEN
Yves also described a feature that allows the user to fill a small reservoir for specific tasks. “You can press on the outlet for three or four seconds, and this little area fills with water—great for shaving or washing your face. It uses much less water than filling a full sink.”
The VOLTA line includes three models: a wall-mounted version, a countertop version designed to accommodate storage space underneath, and a freestanding version. “Since you can access everything from the top, there’s no need for an extra access point,” Yves says. “It’s probably the most minimal freestanding unit you can make.”
- The collaboration came together quickly after Yves and LAUFEN’s Marc Viardot met in Milan last year. “It took a couple of months to really get going, but overall, very quick,” Yves says.
- Yves standing in front of the LAUFEN kiln. Photos courtesy of LAUFEN
The collaboration came together quickly after Yves and LAUFEN’s Marc Viardot met in Milan last year. “It took a couple of months to really get going, but overall, very quick,” Yves says. “The innovation and entrepreneurial spirit coming out of LAUFEN felt much more like working with a startup than a big company.”
Yves is clearly energized by the new launch, and he shared that he brings the same approach to all projects, including more everyday items. “I have just as much passion for my next exciting project—which actually involves designing toilet paper,” he said. “There’s so much room for improvement in a daily product that everyone uses, but that hasn’t really been rethought, just like how we approached the sink design with the vortex idea.”
