Wall units | Aerius

Aerius, the aluminium and glass wall unit.
The new lightweight and sturdy carcass has been constructed entirely in glass and aluminium to make it 100% recyclable. Complying with another basic environmental-friendliness criteria, dematerialization, the carcass is produced by reducing the consumption of raw materials by 70%. The structure, available in 15 different sizes from 90 to 300 cm in width, makes it possible to eliminate double side panels that would be inevitable if various modules were fitted side-by-side. This new carcass is also designed to accommodate a led lighting system and a bar with accessories in its structure. This worktop lighting innovation offers remarkable advantages in terms of material and energy consumption that is notably less than that of common incandescent lamps, as well as advantages in terms of duration (100,000 h of constant luminosity). The 8mm thickness gives the bar linearity and means that it takes up a very small space. Furthermore, the LED bulbs ensure a stable light even if the carcass vibrates, do not emit ultraviolet or infrared rays and do not shed heat as is usually the case for other light sources. To satisfy practical requirements, easy access has been created to services that are usually located behind the unit. It is therefore possible to remove the back panel, which can be personalised in various colours, without moving the unit. The carcass has been designed to be illuminated inside by exploiting external light to the utmost: this is why the material of which it is composed is transparent and expensive internal illumination systems become unnecessary.
The lightness of the carcass is combined with an extra-light balanced lift-up door. The lift-up door has been created by considering the ancient need of Man for freedom. This feeling has been associated by the designer to the image of flight and lightness. The new door is distinguished by a very light honeycomb aluminium structure to which various finishing materials can be applied. The lift-up door is fitted with a balancing device that makes it easy to open without the use of hinges, pistons, frictions and springs that are subject to wear. It can be opened by a simple upward touch of the hand that gives total access to the interior space. In this way it is possible to work comfortably with the door open, avoiding continuous opening and closing actions required by traditional doors.
Acknowledgments:
The AERIUS wall unit has been selected in Venice for the ITALIAN DESIGN FURNITURE ON TOUR (I.DoT), the selection and certification of the best Italian design producers by an international committee of critics. AERIUS has been assessed on the basis of criteria such as functionality and aesthetics, innovation of use and utilisation of new materials and the meaning of the object in the Italian design panorama. Lastly, the work experience of the designer has been considered. The exhibiting and photographic Tour will include some of the largest cities in the world: Zurich, Milan, New York, London, Verona, Valencia, Courtrai, Paris, Köln, Frankfurt and Venice. I.DoT is an international recognition and certification for selected companies and designers. The permanent design observatory of ADI (Industrial Design Association) has selected the AERIUS wall unit that will be added to the ADI DESIGN INDEX 2004, the annual publication of the association. The selection is carried out by a committee of about fifty experts (critics, historians, designers, specialised journalists), that are ever busy gathering information, assessing and selecting the best industrial design products made in each calendar year.