Philippe Malouin — People — Network — School — ECAL

Philippe
Malouin

ECAL resident at La Becque - Spring semester 2024

Philippe Malouin

BIO

Based in London, Philippe Malouin is a British-Canadian product designer and interior architect born in 1982. A graduate of the Design Academy in Eindhoven, he also studied at the École nationale supérieure de création industrielle in Paris and at the Université de Montréal. In his practice, Malouin celebrates geometric shapes, natural materials, imperfections and contrasts, creating avant-garde objects that have won him numerous awards, including Designer of the Future from W Hotels and Best Use of Material from Wallpaper. He is particularly renowned for creating art objects, installations and furniture such as tables, rugs, chairs and lights.

Enseignements

Victorinox x ECAL

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Victorinox x ECAL

with Philippe Malouin

In collaboration with the renowned cutlery brand, students from the Bachelor in Industrial Design drew inspiration from the iconic Swiss Army Knife to create original and innovative concepts.

PRODUCT DESIGN

SolarPunk

with Philippe Malouin

SolarPunk is a design exploration into how increasingly accessible solar energy might shape and integrate into our everyday lives in the near future. Embracing a hopeful vision of sustainability, the movement challenges traditional perceptions of renewable energy by imagining creative, aesthetic, and functional uses of solar power. This collection of work was created by first-year Master’s students in Product Design at ECAL, under the guidance of designer Philippe Malouin. Developed specifically for the Soleil·s exhibition at the MUDAC design museum in Lausanne, the projects reflect bold experimentation and speculative thinking. Rather than focusing solely on efficiency or utility, the students explored poetic, playful, and sometimes unconventional applications of solar energy, highlighting the emotional and experiential potential of this technology. Among the featured works are two standout projects which have been developed and feature in the exhibition: ‘Solar Shade' by Carl Johan Jacobsen, a wearable hat that powers a cooling vest using flexible solar panels, and ‘Butterfly Sunglasses’ by Takumi Ise, simple lightweight eyewear that combines colour, movement, and solar functionality.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

UNITÉ

with Philippe Malouin

During a week-long workshop led by designer Philippe Malouin, first-year BA Industrial Design students conceived and crafted soliflore vases, each intended to cradle a solitary flower of their choosing.

Junkyard Diving

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Junkyard Diving

with Philippe Malouin

"Form follows function" is an expression attributed to the modernist architect Louis Sullivan. It is a statement that is quite relevant to industrial design. On the other hand, form can sometimes also determine function in a process of reverse exploration. During the workshop with Philippe Malouin, students were encouraged to look for new functions inspired by forms found in a metal recycling center. In this process, random discoveries and associations were made to generate a new and surprising vocabulary of forms.