Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 11, 2024 – Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan) won the Red Dot Award for Design Concept 2024 for its Air Conditioning Unit design concept that features a multipurpose digital display.

For its sleek form factor, the concept was a winner in the Design Concept, Heating and Air Conditioning category. The exploratory “airPure” concept consists of a minimalist round-shaped body with a multifunctional, wall-mounted digital display.  

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning developed the airPure concept with future needs of generation Z homeowners in mind, who aspire to turn their homes into more personalized and attractive spaces.  This compact form factor seeks to give the air conditioner a more central role in the user’s lives while enhancing the user experience.

When the AC is on, the OLED screen can be used as an interface for the air conditioning system, enabling temperature control and/or indoor air quality monitoring. Air flow is controlled with retractable air outlets surrounding the unit body and hidden behind the display.  This unique structure is not only for visual purposes but more for better user experience of comfort. Users can control the room’s temperature without being annoyed by the wind directly blowing on them.  The air from the unit diffuses all around the room – along the wall, ceiling and floor, and that’s why users will not feel direct airflow.

The digital display can also serve multiple home décor purposes. For example, it could serve as a large ambient light to customize the room’s atmosphere, a picture frame, or even a mirror. 

“The airPure concept shows the potential of bringing air conditioning units into other home category objects, beyond its primary function as an air blower”, explains Lawrence Chu, Global UX Design Director at Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning. “Through airPure, air conditioning units can touch many facets of our lifestyle, promising experiences of comfort while being unobtrusive to the environment. It may even change how air conditioners are seen in the future, placing much more emphasis and importance on them in our living spaces.”

The Red Dot Award is a German international design award for product, brand, and communication designs and concepts, and continues to recognize the best creative works from brands spanning different industries. 

While the ‘airPure’ concept is still under exploration stage, it sets a unique vision for the future of air conditioners. 

For more details on the award-winning design concept, please visit: https://www.red-dot.org/project/airpure-71813

About Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning is a global air conditioning manufacturer established in October 2015 as a joint venture between Johnson Controls and Hitachi Appliances, Inc. (now Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc.). Approximately 15,000 employees have offered high-quality residential and commercial products, services, and solutions to our customers. We have released the most diverse HVAC products in the global market, including ductless solutions, chillers and residential air conditioning solutions that exceed customer expectations at all times.