The world renowned evaluation processes for best design and innovation evaluated according to the highest standards, adapted to the latest findings in formal, technical, manufacturing, societal, industrial and ecological requirements, awarded two projects from Saguez & Partners.
On July 9th, Blandine de Leiris, Boris Gentine and Jean-Philippe Cordina received two awards, for TGV L’Océane and Manufacture Design, on the Aalto Theater stage in Essen, Germany, in the presence of 1,200 guests from 50 countries. Prize winners will be showcased in the Red Dot Design Museum, the largest museum for contemporary design.
TGV l’Océane
Category: Ships, Trains and Planes
The 3rd generation of France’s TGV on the high-speed Paris-Bordeaux train line is two hours and four minutes of a very high-speed design which is also about the constraints of mass transport, with 556 seats per train, a crash test at 300 km/hour, and maintenance processes.
Designed like a nomadic office chair for multiple uses, with increased volume and an adjustable inclination, the 1st class seat is equipped with all the tools that are useful for today’s modes of working: USB ports and 220V outlets, a secretary desk, a mini tablet, a soft-light reading lamp, a vanity mirror and an individual coat hook.
The elegance of pure wool on seats, leather covering headrests and armrests, and light oak wood shelving are enhanced with a technological feat. For the well-being of the passengers, a public health issue, 1st class seats swivel to face the direction of travel for every trip. The various features of the journey are optimized: luggage space, dynamic signage and traffic handles. Access is fluid and postures varied to bring rhythm to the trip. Passengers can move around and have a refreshment in the bar car on shared benches or at the light oak wood counter. Move better!
The light, calorimetry and materials treatments were selected for their performance in terms of sustainable design: operation and cleaning. After five years of reflection, project work and construction with SNCF and Alstom, the TGV L’Océane has a 10-22% increase in capacity compared to the former TGV. Move more!
Manufacture Design
Category: Interior Architecture and Interior Design
Work differently in the city of tomorrow:
The headquarters of design agency Saguez & Partners is located in the Docks of Saint-Ouen, an eco-district of the northern outskirts of Paris that is bringing a former industrial landscape into the 21st century. A renovated 1922 landmark train manufacturing warehouse has been outfitted with high-performance raw materials chosen for their insulating properties, long lifespan and low carbon footprint, like exterior walls in cross-laminated timber and durable moso heat-compressed bamboo.
A double-height glass canopy in the reception area, skylights and large bay windows throughout the three-story space allow natural light to enter and bounce off the office’s pale-colored floors, chosen to help reduce energy. The architects and designers found the right balance between the monumental nature of the structure and an open and inspiring “think-tank.” The interior is designed according to a guiding philosophy called “workstyle,” the idea that the workplace should match the lifestyle of its employees.
With an open design, the Manufacture Design allows outside city life to enter the building. By setting up a design school and two on-site restaurants, Saguez & Partners has reinvented itself as an incubator laboratory that aims to “work and to live better together, tomorrow” with its city, students, partners and clients. Like an office-hotel, the With its 2 workout rooms that can be transformed into brainstorming rooms, and a concierge service, the Manufacture Design building offers staff a chance to physically and mentally recharge. There are also spaces to work differently: tearooms, book and materials libraries, 11 diversified meeting rooms, 7 quick points for holding impromptu meetings and 1,000 square meters of terraces. A central courtyard garden inspired by the indoor-outdoor architecture of Brazil is lush with palm trees and exotic greenery, including banana plants, bamboo and ferns.