Final day of SYD Week off to an inspiring start
The final day of SuperyachtDESIGN Week kicked off with a keynote presentation that carried through a theme of innovation into the afternoon, incorporating a Q&A with new names in the industry and breakout sessions that raised design problems and solutions.…
Kai Dittmar of Metrica Interior and Dimitris Hadjidimos of Claydon Reeves
The final day of SuperyachtDESIGN Week kicked off with the keynote presentation from Rob Henderson of UNStudio who spoke about their innovations in design through material collaborations. Using the example of one of their major projects, the Mercedes Benz Museum, he explained how one project can spin a whole host of ideas for design and influence the way they approach projects for years to come.
Henderson referred to the significant amount of research projects that occur in the building and construction industry and explained that these were crucial to their trade, pushing design and innovation. Redmayne suggested that this was a difficult concept in the Superyacht industry as it is hard to get the investment and asked whether it is something more owners could be involved in; they would be buying into an investment programme that delivers something innovative. "A lot of people are interested but they don't know how to contribute to it," explains Henderson. "It's our job to inspire clients and investors in order to push design forward."
The morning's artisan and innovator presentation was done by Marine Light Corp, who shared a small presentation around their stand to say a bit about the different lighting options available on board. More importantly, the team are keen to create a more seamless process to ensure collaborations run smoothly and efficiently.
We heard from Fiona Diamond of Seymour Diamond and Wayne Parker of March and White in a Q&A session about interior designers who have branched out on their own in the superyacht realm. "My previous experiences have been fundamental to the knowledge I needed to set up on my own," explains Diamond. Both alluded to the importance they have learnt of sketching and using illustrations at the beginning of a project, especially if the client does not speak the same language. "Making them feel involved in the design process is key," Diamond adds.
Seymour Diamond and March
and White Q&A session
Discussion moved on to the challenges designers face when clients change their minds and the importance of clients understanding the consequences of doing so. "The owner needs to be aware that if there are any changes there is a financial cost or time delay," says Parker, adding that this is where the importance of clear decisions and signatures from the main client comes in. "If they have signed something then at least you have the back up of being able to explain time delays and costs," agreed Diamond. "Change always happens, it's just about how quickly you can find a solution," he concluded.
Dimitris Hadjidimos of Claydon Reeves and Kai Dittmar of Metrica hosted an interesting breakout session on how we can optimise our space on board and whether we are pushing the limits in this realm.
The Marine Light Corp team
Dittmar shared that "the solutions are out there is we pool our knowledge together to build more intelligent yachts". Whilst exciting to challenge the norm, Hadjidimos commented that "it is important to keep three points in mind with automation: the additions must be useful, safe and beautiful in terms of movement and noise control".
We would like to thank our sponsors for this event: Gold Level: Awlgrip, Blohm+Voss; Silver: Clyde & Co, Jonathan Fawcett and Kevin Glancy; and Bronze: AIM Yacht Interiors, Decored, Heirlooms, MyYachtMyMusic and OceanLED.
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