A grown-up world for little heroes - O.novo Kids: the new state-of-the-art collection for the education sector

A grown-up world for little heroes -

O.novo Kids: the new state-of-the-art collection for the education sector

O.novo Kids. A grown-up world for little heroes. This is the banner under which Villeroy & Boch is presenting a new bathroom collection designed especially for sanitary areas in crèches, nursery schools and primary schools. The products consider children's needs and capabilities in relation to use of toilets and washing facilities, as well as incorporating the practical experience of child educators and the requirements of project planners and decision-makers.

Thomas Kannengießer, Director Product Management CSW PROJECT at Villeroy & Boch, commented: “O.novo Kids is a new state-of-the-art collection for the education sector. The products are easy for children to use and cater to their evolving needs as they grow. Child-friendly shapes and bright colours spark children's imagination and encourage them to use the items - bringing a guaranteed feel-good factor.”

O.novo Kids is an interesting solution for decision-makers in the education sector looking for a sanitary collection suitable for children up to primary school age. “In terms of design, quality, hygiene and planning security, O.novo Kids very cleverly incorporates the latest findings and cutting-edge technologies in its development. The series is also compliant with guidelines for sanitary installations in nursery schools, day care centres and schools,” commented Thomas Kannengießer.

Ideas

Many of the ideas for O.novo Kids originated from a crowdsourcing campaign carried out by Villeroy & Boch together with the global crowdstorm platform jovoto. The jovoto network, founded in 2007 at the Hochschule für Künste art school in Berlin, brings together thousands of designers and architects from all over the world to work on collaborative ideas. Thomas Kannengießer: “The response was very good. A total of 51 proposals were submitted, of which 15 were shortlisted by the jovoto community. In the end, we selected three contemporary designs as the foundations for the O.novo products.

Product portfolio

One of the highlights of O.novo Kids is the new multiple washbasin installation with trap covers, the first ceramic product on the market to feature three areas with three different heights and depths over a continuous length of 130 cm. This design allows the washbasins to be used by children of all ages. “Children intuitively go towards the correct height and can then wash their hands without assistance,” confirmed Thomas Kannengießer. Tailored tap fittings also support independent use of the washbasins, with the option of sensor operation or stand fitting with coloured levers. A round child-friendly opening on the lever of the taps allows children to operate it without help and to adjust the water pressure and temperature on their own. A scalding protection feature ensures maximum safety.

Existing universal washbasins from the O.novo series can also be used as complementary individual solutions.

The collection also includes child-friendly toilets. The 260 mm high floor-standing children's toilet is designed to be easily used by young children. An ergonomically shaped soft foam seat ring, available in either red or blue, allows even the smallest children to sit safely and comfortably on the toilet - without any risk of injury. The seat can be removed completely for easy and thorough cleaning. The toilet is installed using an appropriate ViConnect system.

The 350 mm high children’s wall-mounted toilet comes with standard connection sizes for easy installation, including in renovation scenarios. It is the first children’s toilet on the market to feature the rimless DirectFlush technology. Thanks to their innovative rimless design, DirectFlush toilets allow very fast and thorough cleaning. In conventional toilets, the rim is difficult to access for cleaning. Some areas remain out of reach of toilet cleaners and brushes.

The matching toilet seat is available in three versions: a large seat ring, a combination of a large and small seat ring, with or without a lid. This allows children of different heights to decide for themselves which seat is the best match for their needs. The large seat ring has handles at the sides, while the small one has a handle at the front for easy and hygienic opening. Special buffers prevent the large seat from slipping to the side.

On request, the special CeramicPlus surface finish can be applied to all ceramic elements of O.novo Kids to effectively repel particles of dirt and water. This ensures very easy cleaning of washbasins and toilets when required and avoids the use of aggressive cleaning products. This environmentally friendly feature also saves time and money.

The AntiBac antibacterial glaze is also available as an option for both ceramic elements and toilet seats. AntiBac reduces bacterial proliferation by over 99.9 per cent, as confirmed by independent test bodies (including the BOKEN Quality Evaluation Institute). This antibacterial effect is also long lasting.

Chosen by children: the O.novo Kids colour concept

Children were specifically consulted for the development of the coordinated colour concept, with bright shades of blue, yellow and red emerging as the favourites among a test group. The colours brighten up the space and create a pleasant atmosphere for children of all ages. For children in crèches and nursery schools, the colour concept also provides guidance in sanitary areas. The colours are featured in different versions: the washbasin is available in either white or a dual-colour version in blue or yellow - white on the inside, coloured on the outside. Coordinating trap covers in blue and yellow complete the look. The tap levers and flush plates are available in red, blue and yellow to allow tone-on-tone contrast effects. The toilet seats come in white or a selection of colours.

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