We are specialized in designing buildings and urban plans. The starting point for the design of our assignments is to achieve the best possible result with as few resources as possible. In other words: ‘Less = More’. The ideas from the Bauhaus period are an enormous source of inspiration for this.

As an architect, we designed a new facility in Dammam in Saudi Arabia for Raqtan accompany in the food equipment industry. During a conversation with the director, Muthanna Abduaziz Al Raqtan, I was presented with a dilemma. He told me that he had a lot of trouble with the design of coffee bars. The espresso machines are sometimes placed against the back wall of a coffee bar so that the Barista is making coffee with his back to the customers. Or the machine is pontifically on the bar so that you look at a wall of steel and you still can’t see how the coffee is brewed. He asked me if I could solve the problem or if I might know someone who could. I offered to give it a shot, not knowing anything about espresso machines. Incidentally, the open-mindedness creates the best ideas if you don’t understand them.

Sometime later, while driving in the car on the highway, I looked through the windshield of the car. At that moment I saw the theatre that I wanted to design. I immediately drew a sketch behind the wheel so as not to forget the idea. Back at the office we immediately started working out the idea. The idea consisted of a circular metal frame on the bar on legs with a large opening in the middle. As a result, when the frame is on the bar, you can see exactly how the coffee is brewed. This makes the frame a theatre for the customer and a stage for the Barista, allowing him to show his skills.

To make the design simple without many details, the shape is rounded on all sides. This gives the metal body a skin. There are therefore no places where unhygienic substances can remain. The flowing transitions underline the design principle of ‘Less = More’. The body is flat and tight. The design is cuddly. There is a 2 and a 3 group model designed.

The top of the frame is wider than the bottom to accommodate the group heads. On the side of the Barista, half of the body is slightly set back and rounded to provide a good view for the Barista for positioning the piston. This part is perforated for extra light on the barista side and to camouflage the seam with the body on both sides. After all, we wanted to design a machine that was as seamless as possible. The frame stands on 2 round legs on the counter, through which the pipes go to the ‘under the counter unit’. This UCU contains the technique of the espresso machine. Next to each group head is a booster boiler to get the exact temperature of the water to brew high-quality coffee. The steamers for frothing milk are insulated cold water steamers for the safety of the Baristas.

Contact has been made with Geoff Michelmore in Brisbane Australia. He is an engineer in espresso machines. He made the first working model. This was the basis for the espresso machines that are currently being produced and placed in coffee bars worldwide.

Muthanna Raqtan, Geoff Michelmore and Rempt van der Donk are the founders of AREMDE company. Shortly afterwards Walter America was added to the board as a partner. Walter America does the marketing of AREMDE. He has proven that he has earned his spurs in this field. The AREMDE logo was designed by Walter Amerika. This logo is now the shape for the punched structure of the drip tray. Due to the roundness of the punched hole, hardly any splash water is formed. The name and logo are also cut from the body and illuminated visibly on the side of the customer. The machine comes in every colour imaginable. We prepared a list of very beautifull list of standard colours.

The design has since evolved into a competitive espresso machine that is installed in leading coffee bars, restaurants and hotels in all parts of the world. For more information, please visit the internet site: www.aremde.com.au/

This design has created a change in the coffee industry. The new machine provides more interaction between the Barista and the customer than the machines introduced to date. The customer can see how the coffee is brewed in the open kitchen of the machine. The Barista can show her skills to the customer. The machine is a feast for the eyes due to its simplicity in form and material. It’s a machine whose curves you want to touch. It is a machine where, partly due to the golden ratio, there is balance in the design.