November 2019 marks the fifth anniversary of a strong working relationship between Design & Form and Active Birth Pools, the world’s leading designer and supplier of water birth pools.
The two companies began working together in 2014, when Design & Form began the tooling for the first of three pools, which have since won numerous awards in the maternity and healthcare sectors.
Design & Form manufactures three principal products – the Active, the Venus and the Princess – as well as a fourth pool that Active Birth Pools developed for the German market.
In the Building Better Healthcare Awards, the company’s birth pools were described as “the pinnacle of water birth pool design and development – an incomparable combination of design, materials & manufacturing.”
This description summarises very neatly the strengths that the two companies bring together. Active Birth Pools has over 30 years’ experience of water birth pool design, and uses evidence-based, ergonomic design principles to create the best possible environments for births in water. It has sold to hospitals worldwide, and midwifery professionals have described its products as “revolutionary” and “technically perfect”.
In 2014, it sought a manufacturer that could do justice to its pioneering ideas, and Design & Form proved to be the perfect choice. Established in 1983, we have a long history of applying traditional craftsmanship to cutting-edge designs. Moreover, our proprietary materials – especially FICORE® – afford unique advantages that Active Birth Pools emphasises on its website. It notes:
It states: “Ficore® gives our pools superior strength, resistance to bacteria and heat retention… The ultra-smooth finish is less slippery, more tactile and warm to the touch.
“Fabrication in Ficore® gives our pools a density that is five times harder, and heat retention seven times greater compared to pools made from fibreglass or acrylic… Ficore’s unique properties allow us to sculpt complex, curvaceous forms that make our pools incredibly comfortable, appealing, practical and easy-to-use.”
This combination of exceptional design experience and unique materials technology has enabled Active Birth Pools to set new standards and to establish an enviable position at the forefront of the industry. Design & Form is proud to be part of its success story and, with a number of ‘next generation’ products scheduled for development in 2020 and beyond, we look forward to continued collaboration.
