(Left to right) Florian Kallus and Sebastian Schneider HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE FOUNDERS OF KASCHKASCH, A DESIGN STUDIO FROM GERMANY THAT IS INTERESTED IN METICULOUS CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT BRINGS IDEAS TO LIFE
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO COURTESY OF VILLEROY & BOCH EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
In the past few years, we have hardly had the opportunity to interview designers from Germany, especially a versatile design studio like KASCHKASCH, which specializes in various fields, including product design, lighting design, and art direction. Founded by Florian Kallus and Sebastian Schneider in 2011, KASCHKASCH has operated since then.
KASCHKASCH is interested in work that requires meticulous craftsmanship and projects that leverage innovative technology to bring ideas to life. They always prioritize balance in their work. In light of our meeting at the talk event ‘In touch with nature: Crafting Sustainable Design’ by Crystal Home x Villeroy & Boch in collaboration with art4d, we invited KASCHKASCH to share their thoughts on product design for the leading brand Villeroy & Boch in the time the market demands both craft and innovation in design and to discuss the concept of ‘balance’—what aspects they believe are essential in the design process.
‘In touch with nature: Crafting Sustainable Design’ by Crystal Home x Villeroy & Boch with art4d | Photo: Thirapong Pholboon
art4d: What is your studio’s philosophy that you think is distinct from other studios, and why?
Florian Kallus: I think one thing is that we are working as a duo. It’s not very common, like not just run by one founder or CEO, so this is very different. It’s also very different how we interact or how we communicate in the studio. We are right from the beginning, and we found out that it helps a lot during the process to talk and to understand each other’s perspectives.
Sebastian Schneider: We know from the companies we are working for that we are working a little differently compared to other design studios. It’s important to discuss between both of us, but we are also doing it with our client. Sometimes they know things better than us.
And I think we are really good at designing successful products because we are trying to understand every level or layer of the process. Also trying to understand the company, what’s the strength of the company, what’s their customer about, what do you expect from their customer, and finding the gap in the collection. We are really working on a strategic and analytical way to create more than that as well.
Antao Collection
Antao Collection
art4d: Could you share with us the work process when combining traditional craftsmanship techniques with the new technological solutions?
SS: The first one’s pretty common for us because, as we are trained as carpenters, we know a lot about craftsmanship, and we do it every single day in our studio, but it’s just one perspective. The other thing is that we are also really interested in new technologies like 3D printing, laser cutting, and 5-axis CNC.
I think that’s the linkage to Villeroy & Boch. They have this craftsmanship as a foundation for the company and then use the high technology that makes the product possible to realize.
FK: For us, knowing how to work with our hands is very important during the design process. And I think it’s also very good to know all these supermodern technologies, which are able to produce very efficiently and also in a sustainable way.
Photo: Thirapong Pholboon
SS: Adding new technology into a product, for example, water-saving taps, is so cool because you have this base of craftsmanship in the Villeroy & Boch products, which for me makes the product totally accessible or relatable to. And then you have the high-tech faucets. This combination is very exciting.
Photo: Thirapong Pholboon
art4d: Since sustainability has been a global trend and a “must,” how does this affect your design methodology and work process?
FK: I think an important aspect is that you think about the consequences when choosing a material or a production process. When we design something, it will be produced, it will be sold, it will be used, and then, at one point, it will be thrown away or reused again. Of course, we think about how to create products that will last for decades. The best results we are looking for are high quality products for such a good price. But at one point it has to be taken apart from each other and recycled separately.
SS: In the very first years I remember pretty well it was more like creating the shape of the sofa and the inside part doesn’t matter at all. That was part of the engineering. But now we think of the sofa in a completely new way. How do you separate the foam from the wooden construction, and how do you separate the fabric from the foam? So it is of course more and more important for our work to think about those topics.
Antao Collection
Antao Collection
art4d: What kind of problems or obstacles do you think are the most difficult to deal with in your work process? And why?
FK: The biggest challenge in the design process is to design something really new or innovative for a reasonable price.
SS: At the same time, it must be innovative, but it must still be relatable. If it’s too new or too innovative, sometimes people don’t understand and can’t relate to the product. So it’s really hard to find the perfect balance between new things and things our people are familiar with and used to.
art4d: So, do you have any goals or directions for your studio in the future?
FK: There are still so many things you can think about that you can design. At the moment we’re really working on quite a few chair projects, the most complicated product in the category of furniture. It’s hard to mention just one category, but the topic of bathrooms is still very interesting, and I think this is for us just the beginning, so I’m really looking forward to doing more designs in the sanitary.
SS: Besides the projects, I would like to do it (the studio) for many years because it’s my passion. I really enjoy working with Florian together, and hopefully, we can do it as long as we can. An important thing for us is working with the right companies and the right people who appreciate what you do. That’s my goal: to find the right partners for the right projects in the future, and then it will end up in a good product.
Photo: Thirapong Pholboon
art4d: Is there something you want to design, like a personal thought?
SS: I really like technical things, so an office task chair would be really nice to design, maybe. There’s a lot of ergonomics and function inside. To be honest, I would like to design everything. (laugh) Also, we really want to design a set of cutlery since years would be nice. So that would be great with V&B and the future design of tableware as well. So, all sets of cutlery and tableware.
FK: Yeah, pretty much. I mean, we’ve talked about it.
art4d: What makes the Antao Collection different from other basins in terms of design and function?
FK: The whole concept is outstanding, and I also like how you place the tab out of the middle. What is very special about the whole collection is that it’s a holistic bathroom design. There are many companies out there—one makes ceramics, others make tabs, and some make furniture. What we have done here is design everything. So you can use the whole scenery, the whole room, whatever you need, which is cool.
SS: I agree. I think what makes the sink unique is the shape, of course, but there are other organic shapes out there in the market. For us, it was so important to find this perfect shape which is minimal enough but also organic. This is a small line between organic and minimalism. So there’s nothing comparable like that.
Antao Collection
Antao Collection