Design, technology and the environment, history of the bathroom

Design, technology and environment - 1950 - 2000:

• -The economic development of the 1960s improves the standard of living of most of the population, albeit unevenly. In this context, a middle class flourished, until then practically non-existent, and with it came a new sensitivity for design linked to personality, elegance and functionality. In response to this new social sensitivity, in 1961 Roca created a specific design team for new projects, and three years later, in 1964, it founded its Industrial Design Department.
• -In the 1970s, a favorable economic situation in practically the entire developed world allowed the rapid growth of industry and services, with the consequent increase in population and the construction of mass housing. The consumer society was born, and with it came technological development and mass production. Consumer products had to reach a greater number of people, so Roca gradually opened new factories. An advertisement of the time has the slogan "A bathtub per minute".
• more extensive and sophisticated product solutions are progressively introduced, such as the single-lever faucet, introduced by Roca in 1974.
• -The concept of the bathroom as a unitary space with its own character within the home is strengthened, so new materials appear with qualities that combine with the design of the rest of the bathroom pieces, while maintaining functionality. This new trend has led Roca to design and produce ceramic floor and wall tiles, not only for the bathroom but also for the rest of the home. This led to the creation of a special division responsible for developing these new products: Roca Cerámica.
• -In the midst of the wellness society, people seek above all to feel good and live in maximum comfort. This is why Roca's bathtubs and other hydromassage products burst onto the scene in the 1980s, in response to the concept of pleasure and well-being in the bathroom. At the same time, and as a consequence of the growing importance of design and aesthetics in the home, Roca began to collaborate with leading designers, such as Giugiaro, linked to the Ferrari brand.
• -During the last third of the 20th century, the global awareness of respect for the environment gained momentum, and bathroom elements were linked to the concept of sustainable development thanks to technical advances. Roca takes the lead in sustainable design by introducing technological advances and systems aimed at promoting environmental preservation in its products, such as reducing the capacity of its toilet cisterns to optimize water consumption and developing faucet products capable of reducing energy consumption. This is how, in the 1990s, the integrated electronic faucet was born, combining technology, functionality, design and rational water consumption rational water consumption.