The humble existence of glass has persevered for nearly 7000 years. It has endured the advent of a multitude of competitive materials, yet it still retains a sense of fascination and adoration. As a material, glass is a stage for the celebration of light, color and reflection - a dancing ground for visual perception.
By designing a new material competency at Kohler we had a fresh slate with which to approach this material in a unique light. This began as an Advanced Development (AD) effort and the task was to prepare an opportunity roadmap that would build our design and manufacturing capability as part of a 5-year strategic plan. To assist in design and development, knowledge was gained by enrolling in an intensive glass production course at the UW-Madison to learn the inherent qualities of glass and draw out a distinct perspective that would hold the Kohler Brand. Casting hot glass was chosen as the first manufacturing method for reasons such as design impact, ramping up manufacturing capabilities and speed to market.
Being inspired by both the view of the Atlantic Ocean from 35,000 feet and the natural chill that glass produces when it is cast against a cold surface, a design perspective was pursued that focused on the interplay of the material and the light it pulled from the ambient environment.
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