Element Kitchen Hood by Fabrizio Crisa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Platinum A' Design Award in Home Appliances Design Competition Category.
PlatinumHome Appliance· 2026
Element Kitchen Hood
Client: Elica
Platinum A' Design Award Winner in Home Appliance Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #171453The Design
About Element Kitchen Hood
Element is a kitchen hood designed for contemporary kitchens. The body combines glass and black steel with white backlit touch controls. An additional modular shelf can be added, making the hood more versatile and adaptable to different requirements. Lighting is diffused over the hob, and the intensity is adjustable through a dimmer function. The perimeter suction is hidden from view, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity allow operation through an application, voice assistants or manual controls. A quiet motor keeps noise low during use.
The Recognition
About the Platinum A' Design Award
Element Kitchen Hood is a Platinum A' Design Award winner, an extremely prestigious recognition granted to truly exceptional, elegant, and magnificent designs. Platinum winners are marvels of creation, testaments to the limits of intellectual creativity, and demonstrate the unmatched professionalism and genius of their designers. These designs are expected to be the most renowned works that define the aesthetics of an era, contribute to the well-being of society, and push the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Element Kitchen Hood exhibits a transcendent level of excellence and unequivocally makes the world a better place with its advantageous and worthwhile characteristics. Element Kitchen Hood is a Platinum A' Design Award-winning work that triggers desires, inspires, excites, delights, and sparks great joy.
Interviews
Grand Interview
The Element Kitchen Hood earned the Platinum A' Design Award in 2026, one of the most prestigious recognitions offered by the A' Design Awards in the home appliances category, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with meaningful societal contributions. Among all the considered decisions embedded in the Element Kitchen Hood, from its invisible perimeter suction to its whisper-quiet motor and modular shelf system, which single aspect of this design do you consider your most defining achievement, and what does receiving this recognition mean for the trajectory of your work at Elica?
The design of the Element hood represented a stimulating challenge, born from the ambition to create a product capable of combining maximum compositional freedom, high performance and a strong aesthetic identity. From the early stages of the project, the goal was to develop a versatile and customizable solution, capable of adapting naturally to different living contexts and styles. From this vision comes a product available in two distinctive finishes, stainless steel and black, enriched by the possibility of integrating or not the decorative shelf, of the same finish as the hood body, an element that amplifies its architectural value and the ability to dialogue with the surrounding space. A design flexibility that allows Element to interpret different needs and tastes, always maintaining an elegant and consistent presence. Behind this formal essentiality lies important technological research work. Each aesthetic choice was developed without ever compromising on the performance front, making functionality one of the key principles of the project. The perimeter suction and silent motor are in fact the technical foundations of the product, ensuring efficiency, acoustic comfort and superior user experience. Element thus interprets a new hood idea: no longer a simple appliance, but a design element capable of harmoniously integrating into the kitchen architecture, combining customization, innovation and performance quality in a single solution with a contemporary and sophisticated character.
Smart home integration has become one of the most debated topics among contemporary consumers, and the Element Kitchen Hood addresses this directly through its Bluetooth connectivity with induction hobs and compatibility with voice assistants and a dedicated application. How did the design team approach the challenge of making this level of technological intelligence feel natural and unobtrusive within the Element Kitchen Hood's minimalist visual language, and what does this seamless integration genuinely offer to the everyday rhythms of modern kitchen life?
The conception of the Element hood was not driven solely by aesthetic research, but by a broader design vision, in which design and functionality evolve together to offer a superior user experience. Each choice was born from the desire to simplify the relationship between person and technology, making the product increasingly intuitive, efficient and integrated into everyday life. The integration of Bluetooth technology is one of the most innovative aspects of the project. The hood can communicate directly with the hob, automatically adjusting the suction level according to real cooking needs. An intelligent system that optimizes performance and frees the user from manual adjustments, ensuring a more comfortable environment and natural management of kitchen tasks. This ability to anticipate the user's needs reflects a contemporary conception of design, in which innovation is not limited to the introduction of new technologies, but is measured in their ability to simplify the daily experience. Reducing the time spent on operations, minimizing complexity, and making every interaction more immediate means creating products that concretely improve the quality of life. Element perfectly interprets this philosophy: an object with an essential and refined design that integrates advanced technological solutions in a discreet and intelligent way, transforming functionality into a fluid, natural and elegant experience.
The Element Kitchen Hood's research phase focused on energy efficiency, extended filter lifespan, and electronic motor innovation, all of which carry significant environmental implications in a world increasingly shaped by sustainable consumption priorities. In what ways does the Element Kitchen Hood contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of kitchen appliances, and how did sustainability considerations influence the material and engineering decisions made throughout its development?
Sustainability and respect for the environment are fundamental principles that guide every stage of our design process. For us, designing means not only creating products that stand out for their aesthetics and performance, but also taking responsibility for making informed, future-oriented choices. During the engineering phase, great attention was paid to finding a balance between aesthetic identity, build quality, and sustainability. The goal was to develop a product fully consistent with our design language, without sacrificing materials and solutions capable of reducing its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. This vision led to the choice to favor recyclable and durable materials such as glass and stainless steel, elements that, in addition to ensuring high technical performance and superior perceived quality, contribute to more responsible and circular design. Sustainability thus becomes an integral part of the project, not a simple requirement to be met. An approach that interprets contemporary design as a synthesis of beauty, innovation, and responsibility, giving rise to products designed to last overtime and meet the needs of increasingly conscious living.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The minimalist design, the combination of glass and black steel, and the backlit touch controls in white make the product design-friendly and in line with today's appliances. The additional shelf makes the cooker hood even more versatile and customisable, adapting to different customer requirements. The lighting is diffused over the hob and is adjustable in intensity thanks to the dimmer function.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 1200 x 487 mm x 694-1289 mm
- Tags
- hood, shelf, dimmer, kitchen hood, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, whisper-quiet motor, energy efficiency, modular design, remote control, auto mode, extended filter life, smart appliance
- Production Technology
- The Element hood by Elica is made using precise glass cutting and stainless steel bending. The components are assembled with welding and finishing for an elegant and functional design.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was blending cutting-edge technology with a clean, modular aesthetic. Achieving whisper-quiet operation required redesigning motor components within space constraints. Additionally, integrating Wi-Fi and Bluetooth systems that seamlessly communicate with induction hobs demanded advanced software and hardware coordination, all while ensuring easy maintenance and environmental sustainability.
- Research
- The research focused on integrating smart connectivity and noise reduction in kitchen hoods. Objectives included enhancing user interaction via apps and voice commands, improving energy efficiency, and prolonging filter lifespan. Methodologies encompassed electronic motor innovation, materials research, and user behavior analysis. Results demonstrated superior performance and user satisfaction, influencing smart appliance trends.
- Inspiration
- The Element hood is a perfect balance between tradition and innovation. Its essential lines recall classic forms, reinterpreted in a modern key. The invisible perimeter suction and integrated Wi-Fi technology highlight the focus on minimalist design, perfectly adapting to contemporary spaces while maintaining a clean and functional aesthetic.
- Project Duration
- The project started in november 2023 in Fabriano at Elica HQ, and was exhibited in Salone del Mobile in April 2024
- Operation Flow
- Users interact with Element via the Elica app, voice assistants, or manual controls. The hood auto-adjusts extraction power in real time by connecting with induction hobs via Bluetooth. Its whisper-quiet motor ensures minimal noise during use. Modular shelves can be added for customized storage, enhancing kitchen aesthetics and functionality.
- Patents
- P08042/EM
- Team Members
- Fabrizio Crisà
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.