Tasked with providing the perfect bathroom faucets for Talisman C, a three-floor, 230-foot charter ship, London–based yacht design studio H2 considered more than aesthetics. Of course the fixtures had to be luxurious, matching the Art Deco motif of the ship’s lounges, bedrooms, and fitness area. But the pieces also had to be able to withstand salt, sand, and moisture.

Graff’s Luna hardware fit the bill. The collection’s most dramatic fixture—the 39-inch-long, wall-mount vessel filler—floats above the sinks, freeing up the limited counter space. Water streams down the fitting’s curved length; a wall-mount lever controls its flow.

Yet it was the finish of the sculptural piece—Graff’s patented polished chrome over solid brass—that sealed the deal. The highly durable combination is “well suited for environments with elevated humidity and salinity,” says Javier Korneluk, senior director of global sales and marketing. The finish also inhibits discoloration of the fixtures, corrosion of the metals, and other signs of wear and tear. Luna was a moon shot that has proved seaworthy indeed.

Go with the Flow

As part of a pilot plan targeting water use, Greater Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District installed 15 Hybrid urinals from Sloan in its office. Thanks to the fixtures, the agency is projected to save 585,000 gallons of water a year.

Photo courtesy Sloan

In December, plumbing systems manufacturer Sloan donated 15 of its high-efficiency Hybrid urinals to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. Installed in the agency’s office just off the Magnificent Mile, the urinals are on track to save 585,000 gallons of water annually. They also are part of a wider pilot program seeking to slash Chicago’s use of carbon-intensive potable water.

A shared desire to protect nearby Lake Michigan drove the partnership, says Sloan chairman Chuck Allen. The Hybrid models were chosen, he adds, because of their water-free operation, odor-control, and automatic-cleaning features. Indeed: Exactly one gallon of water flows through each unit’s housing and pipes every 72 hours, removing sediment and preventing buildup in the lines.

As the first local government unit in Cook County to install such urinals, the MWRD is now challenging neighboring municipalities to reduce their public water consumption as well. “Anything we can do to conserve resources,” says agency president Mariyana Spyropoulo, “is a win for everybody.” —AV