Behind every design choice for Typhoon Next lies a practical question: how can a fume hood be made easier to assemble, use every day and maintain?

From the patented tilting sash system (link to article) to the fully demountable structure, from the internal baffles developed in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano to the LED Status Light: Typhoon Next was born from the meeting point between functionality, technology and design.

We spoke to Paolo Ariagno, Engineer of Typhoon Next, to understand how the project came about and which choices shaped its now iconic identity.

Was there a moment when you realised that the Typhoon Next project needed to take this particular direction?

“At the beginning, I received a brief containing a series of requirements: smooth movement of the front sash and ease of cleaning; simplifying or even eliminating pre-assembly at the factory; simplifying the utility, hydraulic, electrical and on-board electronic connections, as well as packaging, shipping and on-site assembly.

This led to an analysis aimed at finding the most advantageous solution in terms of component modularity, assembly speed, reduced packaging volume and smooth sash movement.

The solution chosen was the ‘Portal’ concept. The Portal integrates the mechanical layout of the sash into a flat frame, only slightly larger than the opening window, containing the lifting system with guides, cables, pulleys and counterweight.”

A choice that is not only about transport. The Portal is in fact adjusted and tested in the workshop before shipment.

“Yes, so that it can be assembled quickly while ensuring smooth and quiet movement of the entire mechanism.”

Was the tilting glass developed in response to a specific need?

“The tilting glass solution followed a specific request: to develop a solution that would make it easier to clean the inside of the enclosure, and the sash in particular, since access is limited by the presence of the worktop.

We studied different solutions, analysing their pros and cons.

The tilting solution proved to be the most suitable, also because of safety and use.

Furthermore, the mechanism is quite compact and remains concealed inside the sliding tracks of the front sash.”

Most importantly, the system is designed so that the different functions are interlocked.

“The tilting mechanism can only be operated when the sash is fully raised, when the machine is switched off or in standby mode.

It is impossible to lower the sash unless it has first been closed again, and a safety microswitch prevents the machine from starting if the sash is not in the correct position.

The system also offers a practical advantage when large equipment needs to be handled: it allows the maximum opening of the fume cupboard to be increased when bulky equipment needs to be inserted.

As it is an optional feature, the system can also be integrated into a standard fume hood with very few changes.”

The tilting system also had an impact on the machine’s aesthetics…

“To allow the sash to rotate outwards, openings had to be created in the upper part of the front uprights. The initial idea involved removable sheet-metal covers, but during development these were replaced by a more elegant solution: thermoformed opening panels, which, together with the top panel, helped define the visual character of the fume cupboard.”

It is one of several points where, in the Typhoon Next project, a functional requirement also becomes an element of visual identity.

Why make the structure completely demountable, even drawing on solutions from the automotive industry?

“Once dismantled, the components occupy one tenth of the volume of the assembled frame.

Assembly was also designed to be as simple and reliable as possible, reducing the time required through a series of interlocking components.”

Design and fluid dynamics: two worlds coming together?

“The development of Typhoon Next was supported by collaboration with Politecnico di Milano: the work focused on fluid-dynamic analysis, with the aim of maximising efficiency and safety of the new fume hood.”

How did this collaboration develop?

“I contributed by designing a new internal baffle system to split the airflow and further reduce turbulence and pressure losses, thereby improving overall efficiency.

It is a particularly interesting example of how, in this project, design was not considered separately from the machine’s performance, but as part of a broader design process.”

How do you give movement to a rectangular box?

“This is probably the most interesting part from a design perspective: how do you transform a piece of equipment with necessarily functional geometries into a contemporary object, without losing sight of the laboratory context?

Since certain volumes still had to be retained, particularly the front glass with its sash system and the aluminium side profiles derived from the previous design, I was faced with a design challenge: to ‘give movement’ to a large rectangular box and evolve it into something more dynamic and appealing.

The greatest design freedom was in the upper front section: the larger sheet-metal components, which are particularly well suited to small production batches, and a central thermoformed decorative element common to the different versions.

And it is precisely this element that incorporates one of the most distinctive features of Typhoon Next.”

The LED Status Light was also integrated into the central thermoformed element.

“It was created by integrating a new feature for this type of equipment: the LED ‘Status Light’, which uses different colours to provide useful information about the machine’s overall status at a glance.”

The light thus becomes both an interface and a visual identity element of the fume cupboard.

How important is it, in a product designed for the laboratory, to find the right balance between innovation and simplicity?

“A fume hood is not an object to be looked at occasionally. It is a daily presence in the laboratory, designed to support work over time.

These are products intended to last, and therefore they should not tire the user with an overly original or aggressive aesthetic, but rather convey a sense of calm and tranquillity, helping concentration, a necessary prerequisite for this type of activity.”

Perhaps this is where all of Typhoon Next’s choices come together: the design does not seek to attract the operator’s attention, but to improve the way the operator experiences their work.

“Exactly. Typhoon Next is, first and foremost, a project designed around the work that takes place inside the fume hood.”

Behind every design choice for Typhoon Next lies a practical question: how can a fume hood be made easier to assemble, use every day and maintain?