Christoph Behling

Christoph Behling is a product designer and founder of Christoph Behling Design, a London-based product design studio established in 2004. Behling is also the founding director of SolarLab Research & Design, a company exclusively focused on solar-powered transport and architecture.

Biography

Behling was born in 1970 in Geneva, Switzerland and raised in Germany. He completed a diploma in Industrial Design in 1995 at the Art Academy in Stuttgart,[1] where he studied under Richard Sapper, before relocating first to Tokyo, then to London, where he has been based since 1998.

Career

Behling spent his formative years in a number of design practices in Tokyo and London. In 2004 he founded both Christoph Behling Design and SolarLab Research & Design. He taught on the Design Products course at the Royal College of Art in London from 2005 to 2009 and is curator of the annual Sustain Exhibition at the RCA.[2]

In 2006 Behling launched his Serpentine SolarShuttle, a solar-powered boat that can feed unused electricity back into the national grid. This project attracted attention and won various design awards.[3][4]

In parallel to his work on SolarLab, Behling has worked as a product designer, across a variety of industries, including communication technology, fashion, luxury goods, watches, water sanitation and transport.

He has been the lead designer for TAG Heuer since 2004. About watches, Behling has said "If you look at a watch, it's locally produced, with a minimum amount of resources, can be repaired anywhere around the world, doesn't use a battery but instead uses waste energy from your body, and has a value that increases rather than decreases. You will find it difficult to find a product that is as sustainable." [5]

Since 2007 he has also worked as the creative director of the Atelier Group, a Paris-based mobile telecommunications communications company, responsible for the design of the TAG Heuer luxury phones: Meridiist, Racer and Link, Modelabs’ Levi’s phone and the concept for the 'My Dior' phone.

Behling collaborates with Geberit, a European sanitary manufacturer, with whom he works to reduce water consumption in homes.

Exhibitions
      • 2000 World Expo, Hanover, Germany and Lisbon, Portugal
      • 2002 The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York
      • 2006 The Science Museum, London
      • 2006 Royal College of Art, London
      • 2007 So Watt! Exhibition: Du Design dans l’Energie, Paris
      • 2008 Design of the Year, Design Museum, London
      • 2009 1.618 Sustainable Luxury Fair, Palais de Tokyo, Paris
      • 2009 L'Objet du Design, Saint Etienne
      • 2010 Sustainable Futures, Design Museum, London

Awards

Product Design

      • 2011 Salon International de Alta Relojeria (SIAR)(Best Concept Watch AG Heuer Mikrotimer Flying 1000)
      • 2011 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (Best Sports Watch TAG Heuer Mikrotimer Flying 1000)
      • 2010 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (La Petite Aiguille TAG Heuer 1887 Chronograph)
      • 2009 Red Dot Award Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS Caliper Chronograph)
      • 2009 Red Dot Award (TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5
      • 2009 Australian International Design Award(TAG Heuer Meridiist mobile phone)
      • 2009 Fortune Design Award, China (TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph)
      • 2008 Salon International de Alta Relojeria (SIAR)(Best Chronograph of the Year Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph)
      • 2008 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (Ultimate Sports Inspired Timepiece TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph)
      • 2007 iF Design Award TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 360 LS Concept Chronograph)
      • 2006 Red Dot Award (TAG Heuer Calibre 360 Concept)
      • 2006 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (Best Sports Watch TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 360)
      • 2006 iF Design Award (TAG Heuer Professional Golf Watch designed in collaboration with Tiger Woods)
      • 2005 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (Best Ladies Watch TAG Heuer Diamond Fiction)
      • 2005 Red Dot Award (TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Concept)
      • 2005 Wallpaper Design Award (Best Watch TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Concept)

SolarLab Research + Design

      • 2006 Responsible Tourism Award (Highly Commended Best Transport Initiative Serpentine SolarShuttle)
      • 2007 CondeNast Design & Innovation Award Winner Sustainable Category Serpentine SolarShuttle)
      • 2007 Travel & Leisure Design Award (Best Transportation Serpentine SolarShuttle)

Notes
  1. "ABK-Stuttgart". Archived from the original on 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  2. Sustain-Show-Award Archived 2011-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Solar Lab
  4. Vimeo
  5. Mr Porter.

References
  1. The Observer Ethical Awards. "Judging Panel"
  2. Matchbox magazine interview."The Sun King"
  3. Telegraph Magazine interview."Eco Hero"
  4. Curve Magazine interview
  5. Calibre 11 interview
  6. TAG Heuer Mikrogirder
  7. TAG Heuer Mikrogirder 2000
  8. The SolarShuttle."Travel & Leisure Design Award 2007"
  9. Geberit
  10. The Design Museum."Designs of the Year"
  11. Royal College of Art
  12. Sustain Award & Exhibition
  13. SolarLab Research + Design."Exhibitions"
  14. Australian International Design Awards 2009.
  15. TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph. "Salon International de Alta Relojeria (SIAR) 2008"
  16. TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph. "Fortune Design Award, China 2009"
  17. TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Concept. "Wallpaper Design Award 2005"
  18. First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards. "Serpentine SolarShuttle"
  19. Foster+Partners news archive – Conde Nast Award. "Serpentine SolarShuttle"
  20. Serpentine SolarShuttle. "Serpentine SolarShuttle"
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