Dear Reader

They say cats have nine lives, and we can now say with prid

that GROHE’s annual publication has at least as many out

ings as our feline friends. Featuring the finest architectura

projects, under the new title “Shaping the Future of Water”,

we hope to showcase some of the ways in which GROHE i

always looking forward when it comes to technological wa-

ter solutions with sustainability in mind

GROHE, as it helps Lixil to deliver its innovative vision for bet

ter homes of the future, is driven by customer needs – that is

creating efficient products that reduce water consumption,

and take all the hassle out of designing and renovating a bath-

room. Sustainability, excellent design and simplicity of use

they all go hand-in-hand in GROHE’s brand vision.

In the pages of this book, we’ve collected some of the mos

interesting and forward-thinking architecture from aroun

the globe, to show you what is possible with the imaginatio

and determination that is simply in our DNA at GROHE. It’

also an opportunity for us to think about the past year and

how we’ve managed to succeed in our goals. For example

we’re pleased to have been awarded Red Dot Brand of th

Year for 2019, to honor excellence in our brand communica

tion, awarded to the best brand in an industry. Meanwhile,

GROHE’s commitment to sustainability has also drawn at-

tention, with recognition in the Fortune 50 Companies that

changed the world list, as well as winning the CSR Award o

the German Federal Government 2017

Since climate change is one of the greatest challenges o

the contemporary world, it’s greatly gratifying to know that

our efforts to make a difference are being noticed. We at

GROHE are working hard towards doing even more, and

making all of our processes more sustainable. That is wh

we have committed ourselves to the goal of making our

production carbon-neutral by 2020. Since July 2019 we

have converted all our production plants to run on green

electricity. And to offset unavoidable CO2 emissions we

have become invested in two compensation projects –

hydroelectric power station in India and a borehole mainte

nance project in Malawi – which are based on extremely

stringent criteria, such as the Gold Standard, develope

under the aegis of the WWF

Apart from these efforts, it has also been a standout yea

for those who have always wanted to know more about the

inner workings of GROHE, since we were the focus of a

Thomas Fuhr CEO GROHE AG

Jonas Brennwald CEO LWT EMEN

“ We’ve neve

r

been prouder o

f

our values an

d

entire episode in the sixth series of “Megabrands”, broad-

cast on n-tv. The 50-minute documentary portrayed man

of the most important things about our own “mega brand”

following the whole process, from the

first germ of an idea

to the final delivery of ef

ficient and satisfying products for

our customers

Elsewhere, for the biennial fair ISH’s 2019 edition, we present

ed a record number of product innovations. We were happ

to demonstrate revolutionary new ideas from GROHE’s crac

engineering team, such as 3D printed metal faucets as well a

the Colors range. Indeed, our design team’s work has bee

especially impressive this year, with GROHE awarded more

than 400 awards for our design – no small feat!

Our efforts in production all strengthen the same goals:

quality, technology, design and sustainability, and makes i

a true joy to see these values come to life in architectura

projects across the globe. For example, Aquatio Cave (p. 90

)

brings a modern sensibility to traditional carved-out archi-

tecture in Matera, Italy, while Casa Buhnici’s (p. 82) sleek

contemporary design is as sustainable as possible, makin

prominent use of reclaimed wood and water-saving technol

ogy. Comfort and precision were of the utmost importanc

aboard the event ship Blue Rhapsody (p. 18), which is fully

kitted out with a complete GROHE bathroom solution, fro

infrared basin mixers to Sensia Arena shower toilets. It ha

also been fantastic to see the imaginative uses of the Color

range, such as in the Alpine resort of Flims, Switzerland

where The Hide hotel (p. 42) features bathrooms that

engage all the senses. GROHE’s Sense and Sense Guard

were part of a recent renovation of the Egå Church in Den

mark (p. 152), following a water leak. Now the parish pries

and his family are able to take holidays without that worr

disturbing them. Drawing attention for rugged sophistica

tion, the Patio House (p. 132) in Karpathos, Greece was a

fi-

nalist in the World Architecture Festival 2018, which GROH

is honored to be a founder sponsor of, celebrating the suc-

cesses of the architecture and design community

our

responsibilities

in

prov

idin

g

susta

inable

,

des

ign-consciou

s

products that

truly shape th

e

future of water.

”

And what a community it is! As it is constantly growing i

ambition and innovation, we look forward to continuing t

work to meet the needs of tomorrow’s technology today,

imagining tailored, on-demand solutions. We’ve never bee

prouder of our values and our responsibilities in providin

sustainable design-conscious products that truly shape th

future of water