New York product designer Todd Bracher will create “Das Haus,” a model house within the international interiors show IMM Cologne in Germany next year. The show appoints a young designer to create the residence each year, addressing questions including “Why do we live in a particular way and not differently? Why do our homes have corners? How many walls do we need to feel comfortable, and why do we prefer particular furniture? How do we prioritize functionality, aesthetics and tradition? Which colors and materials create positive feelings, and which ones are sustainable? What role does the home play today? And what role will it have tomorrow?”

“The home is an elementary synthesis of needs and functions that is very precisely directed toward supporting the people who live inside it in their daily lives and their growth,” says Bracher, who is based in Brooklyn and works with brands that include Cappellini, Fritz Hansen, Herman Miller, Humanscale, Issey Miyake, Swarovski, Zanotta and 3M. “Why do we choose a particular lifestyle? We want to question our conception of what makes contemporary living by rethinking the principles that define the home and asking ourselves if they meet the requirements of the world today.”

Next year’s show runs January 16 to 22 in Cologne, Germany.