3D printed apartment model wins communication category of German Design Council’s Iconic Awards 2018

DANUBIO’s ‘Flet’ kit crafted by Modelart represents an innovative way to communicate design according to the jury of experts
As part of 2018’s Iconic Awards, design studio Modelart Presentation has received an award for standout communication due to the company’s method of presenting property plans and designs to prospective clients. ‘Flet’, is a flatpack kit of 3D-printed pieces based on the apartments of internationally-recognised Budapest-based property development DANUBIO. The tool can be utilised to create a realistic visual representation of a proposed apartment layout and interior design. A Flet presentation can be packed away into its stylish box and drawn out to reveal each of the designs individually, an innovative method of displaying an accurate representation of how the apartments would look in real life.

Modelart Presentation used 3D printing, CNC milling and other special technologies, leveraging the latest interior design trends and has been appraised for the product’s unique and elegant look.

“A particular problem in real estate development is how the developer, the architect, the designer and the customer often misunderstand each other because there is no proper tool for communication available to them. Technical drawings, exaggerated renderings and even VR headsets cannot create a realistic impression of what is going to be achieved,” explained Pál Uzoni, managing director of Modelart. This is why the Flet was created: to give a clear and understandable way for clients to comprehend an architect or designer’s concept while still remaining authentic to the professional vision.

It’s because of this that the Flet was awarded for Innovative Architecture in the category of communication by this year’s Iconic Awards, for which the German Design Council – who organises the awards ceremony that is taking place in Munich in October – placed special emphasis on solutions that facilitate communication between the architect and the client. The Flet presentation tool is an addition to the elegantly branded communication toolkit of DANUBIO, whose apartment designs are intended to take maximum advantage of living beside the Danube in Budapest.

“We designed the DANUBIO apartments from the inside out, keeping in mind the location to provide the greatest possible experience of living beside the river Danube,” said Bence Turányi (T2.a Architects), chief architect of DANUBIO. “The spacious nature of the experience is the foundation for this architectural design and will characterise every apartment. The apartments presented with the Flet are just possible layouts since future inhabitants can alter them as needed.” he adds.

The prestigious Iconic Award has elevated DANUBIO’s international renown further after the Hungarian project previously earned acknowledgement in its design phase by independent British institution BRE (Building Research Establishment). The centre for building science awarded DANUBIO an Excellent rating through its BREEAM assessment, which is the world’s leading standard for sustainable social, economical and environmental performance in architecture and design. DANUBIO is the first Hungarian residential project to have been awarded the esteemed rating after meeting the strict and exacting standards of BRE’s assessment.

More about DANUBIO:
Located in Budapest’s District 13 in the northern part of the city, DANUBIO will be a modern architectural structure beside the banks of the Danube and has a direct connection to the river itself. Most of the apartments in the DANUBIO building will have a large, covered outer space with a clear view of the Danube, which is an integral aspect of the interior, too. The two wings of the building are linked by a central element: a lobby that offers a hotel-like experience when entering. The staircase of the building will connect to the nine floors and more than 300 flats that will range from more compact spaces (45m2) up to larger 150m2 apartments across a spectrum of different schematics. These schematics will vary by the requirements of the customer. The investor has undertaken every aspect of the project, including landscape architecture, related public areas and the development of a public waterfront promenade and beach that sits on the south side of the nearby FOKA Bay. It is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2019.