ICON - The magazine of the American Society of Interior Designers - (Page 33) All the pictured fixtures utilize some variation of 3form’s unique “resin encapsulation technology,” from the Varia lamp and wall featuring maidenhair ferns, to the Chroma table top. 3FORM In the business of innovative materials and the products that incorporate them, success often depends upon a strategic marketing campaign and launch into the marketplace. specializes in “the sourcing, development and marketing of innovative architectural materials, artisans and fabricators.” Reigi and her business partner Jennifer Daly, have worked with materials such as “Brush”—a product that emerged when a brush and broom manufacturer was looking to find another market for his products. With the help of RobinReigi, the Brush product has emerged as a 12inch by 12-inch tile, a decorative surface. The product can incorporate anything from natural horse hair and polyester to a translucent or wood backing, and the surface can be carved to create a unique topography. While this product offers a distinctive aesthetic with thousands of color possibilities, it is also undergoing acoustical ratings for performance and functional uses which will add to the value this raw material and can provide as a product for the design community. An innovative material success story is RobinReigi’s TAC product. The product originated as a cushioning used in automobiles, but its acoustical properties eventually led to its use in the architectural world— always as unseen element in building environment. Due to its tackable capabilities, however, the true versatility of the product was revealed, and it is receiving attention now for interior installation specifications such as headboards in hotel rooms. Throughout the research and development process some products inevitably fall by the wayside, while companies like 3form® continue to command the attention of numerous designers. The company’s marketing efforts have captured the attention of the industry, and they continue to develop materials, such as 100 PERCENT™ and ecoresin™, that add re s s s u s t a i n a b i l i t y w h i l e maintaining a strong commitment to beauty and fresh design. Due to 3form’s business and marketing strategy, designers stay in tune with their product releases and support their presence in the marketplace. These companies demonstrate that the challenge is not necessarily how to find an innovative material, but how to translate it into a feasi- The material innovation process took the pictured TAC material from its original function in automobiles to new uses in the world of architecture and design. ASID ICON | SEP/OCT 2007 33 ROBINREIGI
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.