Hansgrohe's Green Vision: A sustainable bathroom of the future

With "Green Vision Beyond Water", Hansgrohe presents the concept of a bathroom in which hardly any water is used. The goal is a sustainable change in consciousness, a new relationship with water, with the body and with our daily routines. Green Vision is a concept study consisting of two platforms: "Base" is the platform for personal hygiene and "Sphere" is the platform for mental retreat. The technical innovations of the individual modules are already being incorporated into the development of Axor and Hansgrohe products.

An interdisciplinary team from Hansgrohe and Phoenix worked on the vision for two years. The goal: 90 % less water, 90 % less energy - and thus 90 % less CO2e emissions in the bathroom. A vision for the probably most sustainable bathroom in the world - a bathroom that should function almost without water. The concept study wanted to go far beyond the usual sustainability triad of Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. The keyword was Rethink - the radical rethinking of personal hygiene and the need for mental peace.

"Together with Phoenix, we set out to solve the problems of the future with regards to the bathroom space: water shortage, climate crisis, resource scarcity. The result is a modular system based on the idea of circular economy: keeping cycles small and closing them as quickly as possible," says Steffen Erath, Head of Innovation & Sustainability of Hansgrohe Group. "Our concept is open to discussion, further development and ideation of our own, or perhaps even more far-reaching concepts in the industry." And Matthias Oesterle, Design Director of Phoenix, adds: "Global warming and our use of resources need to be rethought. The sanitary industry will have to develop new solutions that are not only produced more sustainably, but above all, enable a more efficient use of resources in the bathroom. With our Green Vision, we are accompanying Hansgrohe in making the challenges that this rethinking entails, tangible and address them in a targeted manner."

On the one hand, the concept was about sustainable design: how can consumption be reduced to conserve increasingly scarce water and energy resources? How can the carbon footprint of a bathroom be reduced to as close to zero as possible over its average 20-year service life?

On the other hand, it was also about the user perspective: individual wellness needs are in clear competition with the growing need to save water. An inner conflict for every individual. One possible solution: Hansgrohe's vision separates hygiene and wellbeing, enabling unlimited, virtually waterless regeneration. That is why this Green Vision consists of two areas:

The hygiene area Base is a vision that combines all the modules to cleanse the body. A few square meters can accommodate a 10-liter shower, a washbasin, and a toilet stool. The 10-liter shower with pH-neutralized water enables showering with virtually no shampoo or shower gel. The user knows at all times how much water is still available for showering: the darker the light in the overhead shower, the less water is left. The used shower water is collected and used for flushing the toilet.

The wash station features three spray types: a non-heated, misty spray for the majority of wash station procedures (hand/face washing) and one heated, as well as one non-heated, mono spray for "smaller bodily hygiene rituals". The desired spray type is started by a sensor on the arc. It stops automatically as soon as the hands are no longer under the spray nozzles.

The separating toilet with pivoting lid separates feces and urine, thus reducing the number of toilet flushes. It is flushed with the collected shower water. Thanks to its bidet function, the toilet does not require toilet paper - which makes a significant contribution to reducing CO2e emissions. Extrapolated to a four-person household, this saves a total of around 55,000 litres of water per year that would be used in the production of toilet paper.

The conceptual Sphere is the wellness area for mental regeneration. An armchair with a flexible dome invites you to relax Through the interplay of light, sounds and warm water vapor infused with essential oils, the dome enables a multi-sensory experience – with minimal consumption of water and energy and thus less CO2e emissions. Opening or closing the dome creates different states that influence the intensity of the experience. This creates a relaxation effect like in a bathtub, but without wasting water and energy.

Green Vision uses materials within a circular economy to create the interior: aluminum extracted from the salt water of the oceans is used instead of chrome-plated brass for everything metallic, such as fixtures. The bathroom furniture is made of wood and recycled materials.