roca nu collection taps mediterranean spirit with faucet series

studio Inma Bermúdez colors Roca’s Nu collection

In a world of steel sinks and laminate countertops, Roca’s colorful Nu collection pops into bathrooms with its vibrant playful faucets. Designed by studio Inma Bermúdez, the series balances bold finishes with sweeping curves and angles to create a line that has leveraged the technical expertise of the company to create a more sustainable, efficient product. Debuted at ISH 2023 in Frankfurt, a prominent trade fair for HVAC and water related solutions, Bermúdez’s collection has already received recognition from the Red Dot Best Product Design Award.

Roca presents Nu collection, a faucet series with studio Inma Bermúdez

all images courtesy of Roca

mediterranean spirit in a colorful faucet

While high-end production has always been the bedrock of Roca’s work, the company has also become synonymous with its eye for design. Working with Studio Inma Bermudez (see here) on the Nu collection, which has been recognized by the ICONIC AWARDS 2023, the bathroom products manufacturer adds another skilled set of creators to their list of collaborators. Since 1917, the firm has continually redefined practices in the industry, centering sustainability throughout its product lines. Additionally, its Roca Galleries, a network of showrooms, creates a home for their cutting-edge products while also hosting events for the industry at large.

Studio Inma Bermúdez gets its spirit from the founder’s Spanish and German origins

The energy behind the Nu Collection comes from Studio Inma Bermúdez’s leading duo, Inma Bermúdez and Moritz Krefter. With Inma’s emphasis on language and concept and Moritz’s attention to the details, it seems like one zigs where the other zags. Nevertheless, the two have struck a balance between these forces, using them to shape their iconic products since 2007. Based in Valencia, the German and Spanish duo have hit their stride in creating ludic, function-centered pieces that value sustainable design practices.

the colors of the accessories draw from Mediterranean influences

Cleverly named, ‘Pin’, ‘Dome’, and ‘Stripes,’ each handle is distinctly recognizable from its play with form. ‘Dome’ has two soft mounds that let users control its water temperature, while ‘Stripe’ gets its name from its ribbed texture and old stereo inspired handle. Finally, with its slender, crane-like posture, ‘Pin’ balances gracefully over bathroom sinks. In addition to their iconographic shapes, the accessories in the Nu collection are colored by references to Roca’s origins in the Mediterranean. The washbasin faucets are available in green, blue, yellow, black, white, and chrome, while the rest of the applications are available in chrome and Titanium Black.

‘initial inspiration came from whitewashed Mediterranean houses with their blue, green, and red doors […] And, after discovering Andreu Carulla’s Tura collection, inspired by the architecture of Barcelona, we thought that this new collection could also be a reference to the elegant and multicolored mosaic floor tiles found in the city’s Modernist apartments,’ says Inma Bermúdez.

hidden hot and cold indicators reveal a smiling face when the handle is lifted

After grappling with technical constraints, the Spanish found a way for fun to enter the bathroom space without a sacrifice of utility. Given the 35 millimeter diameter of the faucet – Roca’s thinnest yet – the pieces move with a degree of elegance. Drawing on the company’s extensive manufacturing expertise, the Nu Collection was crafted with sustainability features, including a hidden aerator to reduce water flow and the Cold Start system to save energy. It also eliminates single-use plastics in packaging and is manufactured in Europe to lower its logistics-related carbon footprint.

the elegant design sneaks some play into the modern bathroom.

In addition to its technical robustness, there’s some hidden playfulness in the series. When turning on the faucet, the red and blue temperature indicating dots appear and form a smile with the faucets’ seam. It’s this marriage of witty design and technological advancements that has earned the series the ‘Best in the Bathroom’ award from the 2023 Monocle Design Awards and the Red Dot Best Product Design Award.