Elin Lucia Dobrostal

The point of departure for my research for the “In and Out” project was a statement by Otl Aicher in Begreifen mit Hand und Auge, die Sprache der Hände von FSB (2005): “(…) the culture of thought necessitates a corresponding culture of the hand, demands that the hand be treated as a subtle, sensitive organ.

If our hands can open up whilst at play just as they do when working, if they perceive by touching, then our minds will likewise open up more freely.” Looking back over recent years, needs can be seen to have shifted in the Covid era and our awareness of surfaces with which our hands come into contact in the public domain has altered.

Hygiene in the public sphere (public conveniences for instance) seems to have become more important than ever, any shortcomings posing a possible health hazard. I responded to this greater need for hygiene and disinfection with the idea of designing a visibly self-cleaning door handle that conveys a sense of safety. The user’s hand can then apply itself “playfully” to what it does, thus allowing our minds to open themselves up more freely and spiritedly again.

I wanted to begin the project by producing a comprehensive rundown of all the types of door there are, along with their functionalities and applications.

The upshot was a kind of reference work for house-door, garage-door and door-handle types. I then went looking for interesting entrances round where I live, went into a building supplies store to test a few door handles. At a later point, I photographed various door settings in Dublin, a city famous for its colourful timber doors.

It was interesting to observe that many doors bear traces of keyholes and door handles that have been replaced at some point whereas the doors themselves have remained unchanged. They differ from doors in Germany in that the doorknob is often fitted in the middle of the door.

The idea for my blueprint derived from my aversion to touching door handles in public conveniences primarily. Frequently touched surfaces are often contaminated with microbes and viruses. This has become a problem affecting all door handles in public areas since Covid descended upon the world.

Conversations I had with friends and fellow-students revealed to me that many of them share my qualms. The research I conducted up-front into opening mechanisms requiring no contact by the hand made it clear to me that I wanted to create a fusion of the existing and the new.

I would retain a traditional handle-operation format and integrate an automated cleaning mechanism that ensures safety through hygiene. The handle’s visuals were to be adapted to its function: it was to make a clean and elegant impact, which meant concealing the electronics.

I opted for the inside of the door, for which I devised a circular door handle that can be moved and simultaneously disinfected within the door roses. I had produced a number of prototypes in modelling foam beforehand, as well as creating several sketches in Rhino.