Vaulta commissioned Monochrome to design housings for its domestic range that deliver durability, design for maintenance and disassembly, provision for cooling and airflow, sealing against dust and water ingress, user-safety, and simple fabrication in a clean, visually appealing package. 

Initial concepts and illustrations were heavily influenced by Vaulta’s intent to employ sheet-metal bending and welding in the fabrication process, which imposed a variety of design limitations. There were also technical and mechanical challenges – for example provision for cooling and maintenance within the constraints of security and water/dust resistance. Multiple build options were proposed before the selected option was moved into the styling phase. The goal then became to develop a design that was visually attractive, while blending unobtrusively into the surrounds of family homes and apartment complexes. The solution lay in a unique design approach to the unit’s (functionally-necessary) panels of vents, layering a sense of modernity and sophistication on an otherwise minimalist appearance.

While the product remains in the process of commercialisation, Monochrome’s design has assisted Vaulta to gather momentum and the participation of new investors.