The world’s first no-chimney kitchen exhaust uses a drawer for ventilation

Okay, I am just going to say it, I have never met a kitchen exhaust or vent that has helped prevent the ringing of the smoke alarm when I cook. Some that are good certainly delay it, but if you have a small New York City apartment then your house is going to smell like your dish for at least a day. I am glad someone out there thought we needed a more innovative solution and designed the world’s first downdraft with a central cooking plate and underhung drawer! A top-notch setting that controls ventilation, making cleaning easier, and elevates the aesthetics of your kitchen.

Gutmann is a global leader in manufacturing high-quality exhaust hoods for households and is trusted by the best of specialized kitchen dealers. The design team combined their superior engineering with their own creative vision to give the users a cleaner experience. To come up with the solution, the team had to understand that performance, cleaning, and changing the filters are the core pillars of creating an efficient product. “With downdraft becoming the new norm, power was questionable. We said it had to step above the current noise. Emphasizing airflow, and creating clarity in the UI were our central points,” said the design team about their goal to create a downdraft hood that had the same (if not better) impact as the ceiling hood.

Each kitchen is different, there is a large variation in depths and heights of cabinets and drawers; so the design of this cooktop was kept lightweight without compromising on the advanced technology and materials. It was important to highlight the drawer during use and assembling all components in a central zone for intuitive user experience – optimizing storage and making cooking a stress-free process. Cooktops are used every day and they have to be durable to endure the constant cleaning and cooking. It can wear down even the most enthusiastic chef and homeowner to maintain appliances. To make this easier all the components were made with precise dimensions so they would fit directly into the dishwasher. This cooktop set up should go straight on top of your kitchen wishlist!

Designers: Oliver Hatton and Nicolas Schmitt for VanBerlo Agency

An intuitive step-by-step CPR coach to help you save a life!

Knowing how to perform CPR accurately can be the difference between saving a life or losing one. However, not everyone is aware of how to perform CPR, and even those who are can get super nervous in such a stressful situation! Hence, VanBerlo Agency designed LifeSaver, an intuitive CPR coach. LifeSaver provides smart and intuitive CPR guidance, taking you through the entire procedure step-by-step. Not only does it give the rescuer a confidence boost and reduces his/her stress and nervousness, but it enhances the quality of chest compressions as well.

LifeSaver can be mounted on walls at accessible and prominent locations. If someone is suffering from a cardiovascular attack, you simply grab it and press the button for calling 911 below it. So while you perform CPR, the ambulance is on its way! The first instruction provided is to remove the clothes from the chest of the victim. After that, you open the box and remove LifeSaver from it. Place the AED on the chest of the victim, and follow the instructions. OLEDs and touch sensors guide you through the entire process. LifeSaver even helps you with placing the electrodes correctly and guides you regarding the location and rhythm for the chest compressions. Via visual displays and an audio option, LifeSaver gives you critical feedback.

With AEDs like these in public places, people will be equipped to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, increasing the rate of heart attack survival and saving many lives! Not to mention the bright orange star-shaped product is easily visible and doesn’t look very formidable and complicated.

Designer: VanBerlo Agency