25 Oct V Travels to the Kohler LATAM Experience!
V Architecture’s Rebecca Irizarry recently returned from Kohler, Wisconsin, and had the experience of a lifetime! Once again, Mr. Joel Rivera from Infiva Puerto Rico and his spectacular team of KOHLER LATAM knock it out of the park!
V Architecture was humbled and honored to have been chosen to walk alongside top Latin American architects, interior designers, and developers during the KOHLER LATAM Experience Trip 2024 from October 14th to 17th. KOHLER’s legacy started more than 150 years ago, and, according to the legend, John Michael Kohler sold his first bathtub and enamel cast iron hog scalder for 14 chickens and a cow. That is how this entire legacy of products started, and we got the exclusive chance to experience it.
We arrived at the KOHLER Design Center, which hosts more than 36,000 sq ft of innovative product design and technology. We then took a tour of about three miles into the interior of the KOHLER Company Factory. It was amazing to observe the dedication, organization, and craftmanship devoted to each product. From the heat of the cast iron to the sights of the enameling, observing the process was truly enriching.
Our favorite part of this tour was the Waste Lab. This lab was created to take over most of the waste recollected from the production process and transform and recycle it into a new, attractive, useful, and artistic product. One of their most recent additions is the Vox Sink, a vessel sink made with 70% recycled manufactured material.
Another element that captivated our attention was Nada Debs’s Artistic Collection “Transcendence,” where she fused craft techniques with simple geometrical forms and blue tones. Her work is stunning and very inspiring. We also had the privilege of being part of the discussion with KOHLER’s LATAM leaders, who spoke about the brand’s future goals, specifically with Latin America.
As part of the experience, we visited The Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and The Beacon. We enjoyed how KOHLER fosters local and international artists in the first one. At the Beacon, we observed how Kohler’s history is being preserved. In one way or another, everyone on the trip was an artist, so both visits were simply enriching. Concluding the trip, one of Rebecca’s favorite experiences was visiting the Ann Sacks Showroom; we marveled at the exquisite quality of the luxury brands Kallista and Ann Sacks.
As our V Architecture representative on this experience, Rebecca wraps up this trip and takes some time to let it all sink in; she has realized that Kohler’s mission is very similar to ours. As designers and architects, we have the power to impact people and communities, and our contribution shall continuously strive for the general well-being of the people who trust us and our work.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Rivera for his exceptional hospitality and to KOHLER LATAM for choosing V. This experience has been truly invaluable, and we are honored to have been part of it.
