2019 PENELOPE STOVE

PROJECT INFO

In 2019, CTM S.r.l. decided to expand into a new geographical market area: North Eastern Italy. Market analysis revealed a strong demand for hybrid heating products capable of combining two traditionally separate systems: a hydraulic heating unit, serving as the technical core of a centralized home heating system an indoor stove, capable of integrating into living spaces while showcasing the visible flame

At the same time, pellet fuel was experiencing a particularly favorable market phase. The objective was to develop an indoor pellet stove connected to a centralized water-based heating system, a product that merges the functional logic of a boiler with the aesthetic and emotional qualities of a stove.

CLIENT REQUEST

Following the competitive analysis, the main product requirements were defined:

• Develop a pellet-powered thermal unit for centralized heating. The company already had boilers in its catalog, but these were technical-room products, strongly mechanical in appearance and large in volume.
• Combine technical performance with domestic integration, allowing installation in a living room or kitchen, where the flame remains visible, unlike traditional closed boilers.
• Integrate control devices (electronic control unit) directly on board.
• Ensure adequate pellet storage capacity.
• Allow color customization beyond the standard palette.

SOLUTIONS

The primary challenge was reconciling the inherent volume of a hydraulic thermal machine with the spatial and aesthetic expectations of a domestic environment. The most critical compromise concerned depth reduction versus fuel tank capacity. Volume could not be drastically reduced without affecting autonomy, so proportional balance became the guiding principle.

From a formal perspective, the unavoidable parallelepiped geometry was decomposed into horizontal modular elements. This strategy achieved two results: It visually lightened the mass of the object. It enabled a flexible color system, since each cladding element—due to powder-coating process constraints, could only be painted in a single homogeneous color. Side panels and the front door were conceived as a modular system of replaceable colored tiles, allowing different combinations and customization options.

The double front door also provided the opportunity to address a safety issue: the internal door isolates the hotter combustion chamber, preventing accidental contact and reducing the risk of burns. The control display was integrated into the upper surface as a retractable flip module. It can be lifted for use and folded back into the top plane.

The result is a system in which both technical performance and domestic integration are resolved within a single coherent design.

MATERIALS

DIMENSIONS

• Length: 760mm
• Width: 650mm
• Height: 1300mm

CLIENT WEBSITE

https://www.ctm-italia.it/