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Issue 59 - The Life Outside Issue

Issue 59

The Life Outside Issue

Introducing the Life Outside issue of Habitus magazine. With life increasingly being absorbed into a digital space, there is never a more important moment to hold something tangible. In this context, the power of nature to have a physiological impact on our sense of wellbeing has never been more important. So how can we cultivate the benefits of the our natural environment in the most intimate of places – our homes? This was the question that helped to bring this issue of Habitus to life.

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Geberit – A Legacy of Innovation
ProductsEditorial Team

Geberit – A Legacy of Innovation

When Swiss plumber, Caspar Melchior Albert Gebert opened his first plumbing business in 1874, little did he know he was on track to create a legacy of more than 140 years.

Today, Geberit is the European market leader for concealed toilet cisterns, sanitary ware and piping systems. With its family lineage harking back to Gebert’s early endeavours, and Swiss know-how for technical innovation, the company is represented in 41 countries and has 6200 employees.

Caspar-Melchior-Albert-Gebert-1874
Caspar Melchior Albert Gebert

Its very first milestone arrived as Gebert’s two sons, Albert Emil and Leo Gebert patented their ‘Phoenix’ invention – a wooden cistern set to become the cornerstone of the business.

Geberit-Wood-cistern-1905‘Phoenix’ cistern

Their next was buying a 1.493sq m block of land for a new production plant, located in the same town as the original business, Rapperswil. It led to another groundbreaking product – a plastic cistern – that coincided with the appointment of the third generation of the family, Heinrich Gebert and his brother Klaus.

First-generation_concealed-cistern_1964

First generation concealed cistern, 1964

Together, the two entrepreneurs drove the business internationally and exponentially, creating the first concealed cistern, and expanding into countries including Paris, Germany, the United States, Mexico, China, India, South Africa, Qatar and many more. Sales exceeded one billion Swiss Francs and Geberit listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange in 1999.

1960-70s_historical-picture_assembly1960s-70s Geberit assembly line

As a result, Geberit’s products have been used in many of the world’s most prestigious buildings, including Le Louvre Lens museum in France, buildings for London’s Olympic Games, the Princes-Elisabeth-Station in Antarctica and CCTV Tower, headquarters of Chinese Central Television, which was voted the ‘Best Tall Building Worldwide’.

Along with ‘Phoenix’, plastic and concealed cisterns, and various piping systems, Geberit creates products to suit each country’s trends and latest requirements. For example, in Australia it launched an ultra-thin cistern, to conform to our three-inch thick walls.

2012_Sigma50_customized_dark_shale
Geberit Sigma50

The company is also renowned for looking after its 3000 sales staff around the world. Through ‘Living Geberit’ workshops, it organises for staff to learn about the business, and the company’s Social Commitment program, launched in 2008, is designed to make a sustainable contribution to improving quality of life by helping people in developing regions to have better basic sanitary services.

Romania,-Bucharest
2013 project in Bucharest, Romania

Winning many high profile awards over the years, Geberit continues to innovate and set trends in the industry. Well hung and well sprung – Geberit is set for many more decades of design pioneering.

Bathroom_long
1_1-Logo_Geberit_cmyk_coated

Geberit
geberit.com.au

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Issue 59 - The Life Outside Issue

Issue 59

The Life Outside Issue

Introducing the Life Outside issue of Habitus magazine. With life increasingly being absorbed into a digital space, there is never a more important moment to hold something tangible. In this context, the power of nature to have a physiological impact on our sense of wellbeing has never been more important. So how can we cultivate the benefits of the our natural environment in the most intimate of places – our homes? This was the question that helped to bring this issue of Habitus to life.

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