The Urban Residency

Exhibits with a legacy

2020

The Urban Residency

A programme organised by Kenya Lighting Industries and Nairobi Design Week to give Kenyan designers experience in industry, providing them the opportunity to bring a real product to market.

Watch the video above or listen to the podcast below to see how Farhia, Kashyap and Grishon got on.

“There's no way we could be making products like this without Nairobi Design Week.”

Harpreet Virdee

Kenya Lighting Industries

THE PROCESS

OPEN CALL

The designers answered an open call, recieving multiple other entries for products that ranged from space dividers to solar lighting solutions, basketball hoops, and even skating furniture with a hint of gardening.

3 designs were judged on a balance of creativity, feasibility and market potential.

RESIDENCY

The designers spent 5 days at Kenya Lighting Industries, refining their designs and learning about industrial manufacturing methods such as laser cutting, CNC punching and electrostatic powder coating.

LAUNCH

The designs were then manufactured and launched at Nairobi Design Week 2020.

The final production prototypes were then left on site at 209 Statehouse Road in order to serve the community in the long term.

The designs will also be made commercially available, providing a key link between industry and Afrikan design talent. Sorry for the mic at the beginning of the call, audio gets better!

THE PRODUCTS

1

TRAPEEZ BENCH

GRISHON NGARE

Grishon is a product designer and sculptor who created these Samburu inspired benches to explore Kenya’s cultures through laser cutting.

The benches are electrostatic powder coated, and are suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

Grishon's Profile

2

BOLLARD LIGHTS

KASHYAP GOHEL

Designed for commercial and home applications, these steel lights have been laser cut and galvanised.

Kashyap Gohel is a graduate architect, who consults on projects ranging from commercial to residential.

Kashyap's Profile

3

BASKETBALL HOOPS

FARHIA ELMOGE

Farhia is an architecture student, who designed these hoops with the leading theme of NDW2020 in mind: Design is for everyone!

Farhia's Profile


3 young designers learn about laser cutting, CNC punching and electrostatic powder coating... and bring products to market.

Project Credits