Fisher & Paykel Release New Column Refrigerators and Freezers

Kitchen customisation reaches a new level with the release of Fisher & Paykel’s range of Integrated Column Refrigerators and Freezers.

Following extensive consultation with the Australasian and international design community, the new range offers designers exciting additional integration possibilities and modular fridge-freezer combinations. Internally, the Columns reflect the changing role of the kitchen in contemporary life, with specialised variable temperature zones and a beautiful high-quality stainless-steel finish.

The Future Design Workshops, run by Fisher & Paykel in Australia and New Zealand as a forum through which to engage with architects and designers, were an important part of the feedback process that informed the design of the Columns. “When we were developing our new Columns series, we really listened to the architecture and design community for guidance on our design approach,” says Mark Haydon, chief designer at Fisher & Paykel.

The result of this is an unprecedented level of attention to detail and customisation, both aesthetically and functionally. As kitchens become more streamlined in their design and take on an ever-increasing role as the social heart of the home, designers have focused on integrating the refrigerator into the cabinetry. The Columns take this further, allowing customers to supply their own custom door panel to seamlessly integrate with their kitchen. The units fit flush with cabinetry with minimal 3mm gaps with no visible hinges or grilles, while a toekick allows for variable height and depth. A joiner kit is included with all freezer columns, and can be purchased as an accessory, making it simple to hide the gap between the Columns.

It is this customisation that has Melbourne architect Ben Robertson, founding director of architecture studio Tecture, so impressed. ‘The column fridges allow us as designers to cater for different family typologies and their needs, with the varying sizes, while still offering the clean integration that is synonymous with Fisher & Paykel’, he says. ‘In addition, the concealed ventilation grille that is no longer required in the kicker, creates an even greater seamless integration’.

As the saying goes, ‘it’s what’s inside that counts’, and the Columns’ innovation goes beyond the elegant exterior. Fisher & Paykel’s state-of-the-art food care technology is focused on ensuring food stays fresher by offering the Variable Temperature Zone system. This ensures food is stored at its optimal temperature. For anyone who has experienced certain foods deteriorating quickly in a traditional fridge, this is a revelation. Working alongside this is the ActiveSmart™ Foodcare technology, which adjusts airflow within the fridge to maintain a stable and even temperature, rapidly chilling new items to a safe temperature and quickly freezing foods to retain moisture when defrosted. An added benefit is that also this also helps the fridge intelligently adapt to daily use and reduce energy consumption.

Fridge and freezer each have three temperature modes, which are controlled from a central panel. These modes can be adjusted to offer two zones in the same column, which creates the ability to use it as a fridge (35F/3C), pantry (54F/12C) or chill mode (31F/0.5C) within the refrigerator, alongside the freezer column that offers soft freeze (19F/-7C), freezer (13F/25C) or deep freeze. Fisher & Paykel CEO, Stuart Broadhurst, says ‘Our focus was on designing an integrated refrigeration platform that delivers class leading food care, high quality design and reliability, and seamless kitchen integration for the global marketplace’.

A further level of customisation is provided by the modular design that allows customers to choose the configuration to suit their lifestyle. The vertical refrigerators (24”/610mm and 30”/762mm) and freezers (18”/457mm, 24/610mm, 30”/762mm) can be mixed and matched with different sizes and finishes and can be installed either side by side or individually throughout the kitchen spaces. By allowing them to be separated, the Columns range responds to the tendency in contemporary kitchen design toward distributed appliances. Different households can position them in places that suit their use of their kitchen, giving them the freedom to create a totally customised kitchen.

The release of the Columns is a significant moment for the future of kitchen design, and will doubtless be seen in many architectural homes in the near future. It is a testament to Fisher & Paykel’s commitment to responding to the requests of the design community, taking their feedback on board to deliver a product that provides unparalleled levels of customisation.