▲ Public fire safety equipment redesign: fire hose cabinet introduced to Taipei Performing Arts Center.
Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), in collaboration with Taiwan’s National Fire Agency and with notions of public fire safety equipment redesign, presented designs that fuse safety, convenience and aesthetics, while contributing to the revision of four fire protection regulations.
This project was a winner of the Best of Golden Pin Design Award in 2021, and won the acclaim of Germany’s iF Design Award in 2022. Open and free access of the contents of the designs has been offered to businesses of relating industries, and has since accumulated 2,164 downloads. Now, after two years, one sees quite a few applications and mass productions, as well as actual cases of such applications in both public and private sites.
Public Safety Equipment Blends with Surroundings at Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC), Creating Better Experience of Design
Intensive discussions between the TDRI and architects with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) stationing in Taiwan took place during the planning of TPAC, just opened in July this year, to install fire hose cabinets at the site. Six such equipment were specifically installed under the direction of TDRI. The distinguished design of the cabinet frames, combined with two-in-one fire indicators, elegantly echoes the vibe of the place. The cabinets, made in accordance to the architects’ environmental color scheme, are in different colors, such as pink, original stainless steel, and white, according to the different vibes intended for each indoor and outdoor space.
▲ Pink fire hose cabinets dwell in a pink-colored corner in TPAC, which symbolizes an idea of “incubating”.
▲ A metallic fire hose cabinet corresponds to the color scheme of its environment.
Flexible Application of Open-Source Design Enables Safety Equipment to Blend in Various Sites
Traces of the application of the project can be seen in different sites around Taiwan. These include the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung, Da-Yin Recreational Center for Senior Citizens in Yi-Lan, Tainan Municipal Xing-Xin Elementary School, Taipei Municipal Guting Junior High School, Taipei’s Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Chen Shixing Ancient House (a historic site) in Tainan, office buildings of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, office buildings for financial purposes, shopping malls, and even hotels and private residence.
▲ A fire hose cabinet, designed based on the Design Code, at Da-Yin Recreational Center for Senior Citizens in Yi-Lan. It was the work of architects of Harmonious Architects & Planners. Photo taken on the second floor of the building.
▲ A fire hose cabinet, designed based on the Design Code, at Da-Yin Recreational Center for Senior Citizens in Yi-Lan. It was the work of architects of Harmonious Architects & Planners. Photo taken on the first floor of the building.
▲ A fire distinguisher cabinet designed using open-source graphic design code in Green Hotel in Taichung.
▲ Design company Fontana Design applied the open-source graphic design code to transform existing fire hose cabinets in Taipei Municipal Guting Junior High School so they blend in the surrounding environment.
▲ Yu Feng, a designer with IF OFFICE who was a member of the Fire Safety Equipment Redesign Project team, brought the idea into his own residence.
Amid Increasing Application of the Design, Fire Extinguisher Info Sticker Has Become a Hit
In addition to the wide-spread installation of the redesigned fire hose cabinet, fire extinguisher info stickers have been used by many in a move to upgrade the appearance of existing fire extinguishers by merely bearing the cost of printing and replacing such stickers. Dakuangming Fire Protection Company keenly sought advice from TDRI regarding the redesign of fire extinguisher info stickers and has launched its renewed products of type 10 and type 20 fire extinguishers. More than 70,000 sets of such products have been sold and can be seen in places such as Mitsui Outlet Park and Xizhi Innovative Research and Technology Center. The other fire extinguisher maker BLP applies the sticker on its smaller models used in cars and homes, providing an alternative of household fire safety equipment.
▲ A product of Dakuangming Fire Protection Company placed at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei.
Taichung Green Museumbrary, Taoyuan International Airport T3 to Introduce Redesigned Fire Safety Equipment: a Manifestation of Wider Application
The redesigned fire hose cabinets are also being used by a number of developers. Jut Land Development is introducing the products to some of its recent construction projects of residential buildings and malls. Fabulous Development International Company and the construction company under its name are also incorporating the concept with their latest projects. The redesigned cabinet is also to be placed in future Terminal 3 of the Taoyuan International Airport.
The “Public Fire Safety Equipment Redesign”, setting out from a micro-scale improvement of public facility, has become the first step to improving the public environment. As more of such improvement is taking place, we could expect more businesses to adopt the open source content of “Public Fire Safety Equipment Redesign” and bring about more positive design experience.
The “Design Code” and “open source files” are available for request at https://www.tdri.org.tw/30405/.
To continue advocating the introduction, production and on-site application of the design, the TDRI is to offer courses on such topics. For those interested in attending, please leave your contact information at https://tdri.surveycake.biz/s/aqAn4.
Redesigns of Fire Safety Equipment
- Sponsors: Industrial Development Bureau, MEA; National Fire Agency, MOI
- Implementing Agency: Taiwan Design Research Institute
- Co-sponsors: Chinese Fire Protection Safety Center; Taiwan Fire Industry Association
- Project Consultant: Emil Chao, Director-General of Chinese Society of Interior
- Design Directors: Yu Feng of IF OFFICE, Visual Director; Pili Wu of Piliwu-design, Product Director
- Visual Design: IF OFFICE
- Product Design: Piliwu-design
- Special thanks to Hong Yuan Enterprise Co., Ltd.; Taichung Extinguishing Enterprise Co., Ltd.; Taur Cheng Enterprise Co., Ltd.
