The idea of UNIQ∙Ǝ! discovered one of its initial expressions from the partnership between SOSITALIA and the Department of Mechanics of the Politecnico di Milano. The collaboration with the university stems from the search for new formal and technological solutions aimed at bringing the sanitary fittings industry to additive printing of metal components. From its concept to its realization, the project involved the Full professor of the mechanical department Barbara Previtali, the designer Giorgia Galimberti and the engineer Ali Gökhan Demir.

The collaboration started in 2016 and led to the 2019 ISH Frankfurt fair presentation of Organic; one of the nine proposals created, demonstrating how metal 3D printing, combined with innovative formal possibilities and a new use of 316L stainless steel, has an ideal application field in the field of taps.

Metal 3D printing allows the production of complex shapes and for this reason the study started with the research and development of a demonstrator designed to investigate: technical-functional possibilities, aesthetic-formal variations and obtainable finishes.

The sample was made with additive manufacturing, SLM, in AISI 316L and different finishing processes have been identified and investigated such as: sandblasting, vibro tumbling, tumbling and plasma electrolytic polishing. The acquired knowledge was applied to the concept definition for the development of alternative solutions, compared to traditional models for the kitchen and bathroom. The intent is to interpret the new digital aesthetic while maintaining the functionality of the product. Experimentation ranges from sinuous geometries to bodies with clean and concatenated lines to create geometric play with bold harmonies of full and empty spacing, combining organic and light structures with massive but dynamic bodies that create optical suggestions. The formal research is inspired by works of iconic artists, the observation of structures of the natural world and images of the nascent digital aesthetic.