Astro

“We wanted the Astro heating element/air purifier to be a ´smart´ piece of furniture which could be placed anywhere, both in the house or in contract spaces..."
Luca Nichetto

Astro eludes every definition which could connect it to existing products. It is a heating element, an air purifier, a furnishing element: it is a small spaceship which is about to take flight, to explore the space and then land. It is a small electric heating object which effortlessly brings warmth where it is needed and then, surprisingly, purifies the air. Astro can be all of this and much more.

Heat and air, two primary needs for the human being, represent the essence of this object, which contains the technology required to independently perform two functions: heating and purifying. Versatility is the key word of this project, both in terms of shape and use. Thanks to its simple, minimal and slightly retro design, Astro can be positioned anywhere in the house or in the office, while its double function makes it suitable for use at any time of the year, even during the hot months when heating is not required but you want a clean environment with purified air.

The on and off functions, as well as the heat intensity, can be adjusted thanks to touch controls set on the structure, or through an application for Android and IOS via Wi-Fi, working inside the house. When it is switched on, the upper part of Astro is raised and the ventilation that purifies the air starts. Subsequently, using the touch controls, the flow of hot air can be activated and adjusted as preferred on three levels of intensity, plus the booster function for two hours. After Astro has been switched off, the ventilation continues for two minutes, after which the upper part lowers independently.

The purification function is permitted by an active carbon F7 filter. The filter cleans the air (with 85%-95% efficiency for particles up to 1 micron) purifying the environment almost completely from pollen, bacteria, mould and spores, for example. The active carbon added to the filter works to capture odours with almost 98% efficiency and eliminates anything that can spoil the freshness of the air. Cigarette smoke, smells from the kitchen or from unventilated rooms are absorbed and neutralised, improving the quality of the air.

Astro obtained the following awards: the Iconic Awards 2019: Innovative Interior, the German Design Award 2019 in the Household category, the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2019 in the Best Domestic Design category and the iF Design Award 2019.

Astro belongs to the new Plug&Play collection presented by Tubes on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2018. This collection marks the starting point of the unprecedented concept of personal warmth: the heating objects, free from installation constraints, go beyond the static nature of architecture and open up to the human dimension which, by definition, is in constant movement and evolution.