Ceramic tiles were the inspiration behind this entry
Ceramic tiles – in particular the encaustic variety – were the inspiration for Cousins & Cousins’ entry.
According to senior architect Cristina Martin, the team decided to create patterns based on ceramics to complement the many timber, concrete, stone and abstract designs in Amtico’s collection.
‘We wanted to create a colourfully patterned ceramic floor and saw that this was missing from the collection. So we thought, why not go crazy with colours and pattern?’ she says.
Cousins & Cousins was drawn to the strong geometric nature of encaustic tiles and their contrasting use of pattern. The practice also liked the idea of using white as the backdrop then adding highlight colours to create ‘fun and elegant’ designs, adds Martin.
‘We see the Amtico encaustic range as a contemporary adaptation of the encaustic tiling tradition, using a flexible, durable and sustainable product to reinvent a tradition that has been used since Ancient Greek times,’ says the practice.
Cousins & Cousins’ final three designs include its favourite, an Art Deco-flavoured stepped pattern created with the Varied Block laying pattern. This uses a thin strip
of gold to give a bit of shine as a highlight to the otherwise green and white design. Another green and white pattern uses the Woven laying pattern to create triangles
of colour on a white background. Lastly, the third design uses the Pleat laying pattern for a five colour linear design with bold rows of chevrons. This fulfilled the practice’s desire to create a pattern using many colours, and incorporates a range of greys with white and blue.
Cousins & Cousins sees potential application for the designs in a variety of sites – such as cafés, bars, restaurant, retail and residential, says Martin, who worked
on the project with Jelena Cousins and Rachel Welsby.