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Young Japanese designers from studio Bouillon win second prize at the SaloneSatellite after inventing a new object type – a stool that warms the body. #MDW2016

“People need simple, primitive designs that help them adapt to modern life.” This was the starting point for a design presented by Japanese duo Shunya Hattori and Hiroki Nasu – an architect and designer just under 30 years old who met while studying product design at Nagoya University of Arts – at the SaloneSatellite and that has won second prize.

Studio Bouillon, SaloneSatellite 2016 — Studio Bouillon, Warm Stool, SaloneSatellite

They have been working together since last year when they joined forces to form Bouillon. The jury rewarded the creation of a new object type in ceramic, a material that has always been employed for everyday objects.

The inspiration came from the Japanese teapot used to serve green tea, now turned into a piece of furnishing. The designers wanted to explore new applications of ceramic, only used in Japan for tableware, and they succeeded with their Warm Stool, which acts as a hot water bottle and helps retain body temperature.

Studio Bouillon, SaloneSatellite — Studio Bouillon, Warm Stool, SaloneSatellite

The seat fits easily into the wooden legs, ready to be filled with water, poured into a round opening which is then closed with a stopper, just as you would a bottle or recipient of liquids. Together they supervised all the production phases, entrusting the ceramic work to a specialist recruited at Aichi University, where they currently teach. They chose silver birch of Norwegian origin for the legs, a type that works perfectly because the trunks grow very straight, unlike those in Japan.