DESIGN MAGAZINE 15 (January/February 2014)

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http://www.theloserproject.com

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EDITORIAL

Tiago Krusse

The myth of progress states that civilization has moved, is moving, and will move in a desirable direction. Progress is inevitable... Philosophers, men of science and politicians have accepted the idea of the inevitability of progress.

Montague David Eder (1932) To the minds of most people the desirable outcome of human development would be a condition of society in which all the inhabitants of the planet would enjoy a perfectly happy existence […].

It cannot be proved that the unknown destination towards which man is advancing is desirable. The movement may be Progress, or it may be in an undesirable direction and therefore not Progress […].

The Progress of humanity belongs to the same order of ideas as Providence or personal immortality.

It is true or it is false, and like them it cannot be proved either true or false. Belief in it is an act of faith.

J.B. Bury (1920)

Are people reflecting on themselves? The fundamentals of community life today demand from each and every one of us a deep reflection on the way we lead our lives. Throughout history humans have been proving their ability to think, and therefore to engage in a constant individual, personal development within groups of individuals. Such aim to evolve and progress has showed that humans are capable of continuously thinking on how to create new approaches and solutions to achieve an ideal way of living.

We have indeed had revolutions, made progress, but what about the evolution of human behavior? Is human being as an individual really coping with the fast and continuous upgrading process of knowledge and technology? As I see it, the key point has been disregarded. The importance of behavior has been dramatically put aside over the last two decades. It can easily be perceived that knowledge and technology are in a sort of a so-called Facebook phase, new content taking place, added by the second (at the most) but everything too ephemeral, impossible to reach due to the speed of the whole process. Firstly, the question: are the intentions good? There is a colossal information and disinformation torrent, which gives out a clash of protagonists, super gods or new myths. Ultimately it seems the sole purpose is to provide a better living for the happy few. Maybe we are neglecting |4|

the fact that a community is founded on the relations established among people, individuals; and, on the other hand, that behavior is the pivotal aspect which allows us to maintain a basic harmony in and within society, also in the sense of society keeping a good balance with environment and its resources. We are ignoring a combo of elements which are fundamental to our lives, such as respect for time and space. And this “insensivity” has to do with the lack of improved behavior - or should I put it, the lack of the crucial importance of improving behavior. Why the urge to go faster than the others? Why the brutal, massive destruction of natural resources? Why the repeated and explicit unpunished molestation of landscape? Is not the planet a single giant neighborhood with its distinctive and unique elements? It is easy to find someone to blame but we insist on neglecting our own responsibility, the way we individually behave, and most sadly we let ourselves be taken and visualized merely as a tiny part of well-designed and oiled statistical graphics. I believe that it is urgent to improve ourselves (includes morality, ethics, behavior), and from there the way we connect and relate to the people around us, not forgetting the vital importance of our environment. tiago_krusse@revistadesignmagazine.com

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CONTENTS

EXPRESSIONS Opinion by Rodrigo Costa — New World

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Essay by Francisco Vilaça — Snowed eye and I’m a little dwarf

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DESIGN Hercules table — Tiago Mota Clear function — Miguel Mestre Xavier Lust

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The Home Project

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Interview with António Lacerda Alessandro Marelli Cork possibilities

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Food design — Robert Bronwasser

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ARCHITECTURE Casa 2G — S-AR

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Reformed chalet in Braga — Tiago do Vale Arquitectos An office in Toronto — Barlett & Associates

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BOOKS BIG Bjarke Ingels Group 2001-2013 Belgium’s Best Design Fred Kradolfer Fernando Brízio

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This issue cover is an exclusive work of the fine artist Rodrigo Costa |6|

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design MAGAZINE

Editor in chief — Founder Tiago Krusse Executive Designers Joel Costa / Cátia Cunha Text Contributors Francisco Vilaça (Stockholm) Hugo Poge (Reykjavík) Nathalie Wolfs (Brussels) Rodrigo Costa (Oporto) English editing & proofreading Text preparation supervision Research (though carefully checked, all the information/references on the texts are the authors’ responsibility) Carla da Silva Pereira Photo Contributors FG+SG - Fotografia de Arquitectura João Morgado - Fotografia de Arquitectura Rui Gonçalves Moreno Advertising http://revistadesignmagazine.com/publicidade/ Office DESIGN MAGAZINE Jardim dos Malmequeres, 4, 2.º Esquerdo 1675-139 Pontinha (Odivelas) - Portugal www.revistadesignmagazine.com Publishing House Elementos À Solta — Desenvolvimento de Produtos Multimedia Lda. Rua Adriano Correia Oliveira, 153, 1B 3880-316 Ovar - Portugal NIPC: 503 654 858 www.elementosasolta.pt Media founded in 2011

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http://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com

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ERRATA

On the November/December 2013 edition, DESIGN MAGAZINE gave a wrong information about the Évora Fórum. The Évora Fórum requalification is an architectural work lead by the architect Fernando Sequeira Mendes. We would like to express our sincere apologies to the architect, the Fundação Eugénio de Almeida and to the readers. www.fundacaoeugeniodealmeida.pt

Photo: Jerónimo Heitor Coelho

On the November/December 2013 edition, DESIGN MAGAZINE included an article about the Micomoler design studio. It read Micomoler was part of the Wow Design Collective. In fact, Micomoler is connected to the Wow QStudio. We would like to express our sincere apologies to the Micomoler designers, the Wow QStudio and to the readers. www.micomoler.com www.wowqstudio.com

Photo: Courtesy of Micomoler

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http://www.interieur.be/awards

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AGENDA

Africa – Perspectives of the Office of Colonial Urbanization

Africa – Perspectives of the Office of Colonial Urbanization offers a journey through an African landscape designed (and invented) using as starting point the heart of Lisbon, the metropolis, at the end of the Portuguese colonization period (1944-1974).

It is the visual narrative of an architectonic learning process. It begins with images of public buildings boldly marked by the southern Portuguese tradition, until settling in the official New State architecture.

It also shows the first expressions of “African nativism” through the progressive expertise that Portuguese architects acquired over time from different local cultures, anticipating visions of autonomy and independence. A collection of drawings, reports and photographs, kept by the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, will be shown here for the first time.

The exhibition is curated by Ana Vaz Milheiro with Ana Cannas and João Vieira. www.ccb.pt Garagem Sul at Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisboa – Portugal Until 28 February 2014 Tuesday-Sunday: 10h00 to 18h00 Monday: closed Entrance: Jardim das Oliveiras

Photos: Courtesy of Centro Cultural de Belém

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http://www.and.org.pt

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AGENDA

Computex d&i awards 2014

The 7th COMPUTEX d&i awards 2014 are open for registration until March 31, 2014.

All exhibitors at COMPUTEX 2014 as well as non-exhibitors are eligible to compete in the COMPUTEX d&i awards 2014. This includes manufacturers, designers, sales representatives, importers or specialist retailers. There is no limit to the number of entries per contestant.

The COMPUTEX d&i awards are organized by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council) in cooperation with iF for the seventh time running.

The entries submitted must not have been available on the market for longer than two years at the time of the event or must go go into industrial production in 2014. Registrations will be accepted in the following eight categories: 1. Network Communication Products; 2. Components + Parts; 3. Computers + Systems; 4. Data Storage Products; 5. Displays + Digital Audio/Video Products; 6. Peripherals + Accessories; 7. Gaming + Entertaining Products; 8. Applications for hand-held electronic devices.

The products submitted must not violate the patent and protective rights of other parties. The organizers assume no liability.

Evaluation criteria (categories 1-7, hardware): Degree of Innovation; Design Quality; Craftsmanship; Choice of Materials; Environmental Friendliness; Functionality; Utility Value; Safety; Ergonomics; Universal Design and Product Identity/Branding.

Evaluation criteria (category 8, software): Usability (user-friendliness, navigation, functionality); Look and feel (esthetics, screen design, animation); Uniqueness (creativity, originality, innovation).

All entries will be evaluated by an international panel of experts in April 10, 2014 – these professional judges will decide which products will receive one of the coveted COMPUTEX d&i awards 2014 and also select the winners of the COMPUTEX d&i Gold Awards.

The winners of the COMPUTEX d&i awards 2014 will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will take place during COMPUTEX TAIPEI (June 3-7, | 14 |

2014). All the award-winning entries will be showcased at the COMPUTEX d&d award pavilion during COMPUTEX TAIPEI; IFA 2014 ( Berlin,Germany/ September 5-10, 2014); GITEX 2014 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates -October 20-24, 2014); CES 2015 (Las Vegas, USA/January 7-10, 2015); MWC 2015 (Barcelona, Spain/February 27-March 1, 2015); and CeBIT 2015 (Hannover, Germany/March 4-8, 2015).

In addition, all award-winning contributions will be represented in the iF online exhibition, on the COMPUTEX website, and will be published in a special commemorative album.

Registration is only offered online. Register as a client at the iF website and enter your product in the competition for the COMPUTEX d&i awards 2014. iF website: http://www.ifdesign.de COMPUTEX COMPUTEX website: http://www.computextaipei.com.tw/en_US/index.html

http://www.elementosasolta.pt

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OPINION

Rodrigo Costa

Illustration by Rodrigo Costa

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New World ... I could put my hand on a thousand subjects, and use so many pretexts. I could care for inexistent or unending series of events/affairs, as the disappearance of Maddie and the endless number of suspects, who are either caucasian or black, sometimes alive and other times already dead; her own parents, their family or close friends, complete strangers or… not really. I could also insist on writing about so many events which though seemingly not real, lay before my bare eyes... Or events I may be only imagining to behold — more than ever, life means dealing with mirages and doubts, due to the gradual and hasty loss of all things we can firmly feel.

I could be writing and laughing at Portugal, now a kingdom of anecdotes. Muted and unabashedly, I could be enjoying the material wasted by my “friend” Woody, who keeps on delaying bringing equipment and staff to a country where movies and scenes sprout as mushrooms — and say it again, even disregarding the possibility of the wetland may dry-out causing mushrooms to die.

I may return – once I am already here —, retake internal matters, grazing as meek and patient sheep in the slopes, rage-green, of a country sunk in the economical expected-unexpect continuous flow.

A country that can no longer count on – never really did – Ireland, the emerald cut to set precious, extremely affable people, with a true sense of nationhood.

However, if I was a foreign affairs minister, I would be writing about globalization. Unreasonable and condemned, as they insist on disrespecting the specificities; as they linger in the psychosis of equalization; as they insisting on reducing (or trying to) — after making victims, there is not much more left to do — Nature and human nature itself to concrete and irrefutable latitudes and longitudes, to lifeless lab numbers, and formatting presented by economists. Economists who, in general, resemble goblins, still unsure of what do with the country they usurped from Alice…

Thank you, Lord, for there is not lack of work; land to till; some areas enjoying temporary fallow, and while others wait to grub-up. It brings me back António Nobre and his poem “Life”. At the end, in desperate ecstasy, he cries the absence of faith in a world on which God seems to have given up. Troubled and distressed, he calls out for Jesus. And then

asks an hypothetical love whether the reason why the wet nurse gave her milk and God gave her eyes: was it to see the world as ball of mud, which travels through space just like a weightless swallow... The Earth… “O my love! you would rather be blind…”, he finishes.

No! On this edition I wish to salute Tiago’s decision to break boundary lines and sound out the world.

I would like to praise his attitude and daring spirit, to face and overcome the typical obstacles raised by country which feeds upon them — as somebody wealthy who refuses to close his profitable core business — and still keeps stumbling over itself. I must acknowledge what I believe to be the most significant reason for him to delay his due decision. It is hard to deal with the feeling of leaving behind what I think it is the most clear indicator of nationality: national language, which represents the identity of a country; the code we use to talk alone with ourselves, without having to hesitate between our will and lexicon or syntax.

Actually, given the Portuguese government’s proposal — in fact, imposition — for their citizens to emigrate, we must reformulate semantics, and understand what is being proposed and imposed is solely the use of other languages. We can be at ease then, no need to buy suitcases, pack, unpack, or even leave our houses. Language is always the solution, never a problem... Language and fingers! Keyboards become excited, and a man must never admit defeat.

If someone would ask me what the risk is, I would reply, based on my limited knowledge and considering the few countries I did visit, the ghosts of xenophobia are really just ghosts. If we could avoid being tacky, if we dared denying being easy meat for a small-minded country unable to grow, the world would have to show respect for us. The fact is many Portuguese citizens are victims of segregation in their own homeland; mediocrity has taken over all the places and roles in the influence game and decision-making process; it will not let go, it will take destiny into its hands, swaying the wagon toward the precipice. Then, if the shoes are way too tight, it will be finally worth venturing to take them off and carry on barefooted. www.rodrigo-costa.net | 17 |

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ESSAY

Francisco Vilaça

There’s no bigger respect than crying for someone you’ve never met.

José Saramago, Seeing, 2004 (PT)-2006 (EN)

Snowed eye and I’m a little dwarf I believe the time is (s)now, sooner than later it’ll be anywhere the eye can see — divine calling beginning the journey, fleeing from Heaven’s highest peak and tracing their way down with no pointless rush, just like living in Desmond’s, hypnotic, velvety melodies —God’s voice i t’s amazingly beautiful, witness the hermetic absence of sound produced by its presence in the air, it looks somehow anarchic this descendent, this delusive appearance of loss of track or consciousness, —where’s what destiny, how certain it actually is, with all its twists and sharp turns, —I’m small, how dizzy I am but never pushing comrades, no, never on windy madness, they say winds bring change, you can’t change what’s meant to be —thinking backwards but looking forward that tiny point far from where the journey started is marked, and landing will be immaculately gracious.

Life as a tremendous fallacy, the mistake of the geometrically drawn footprint is a trace of something needed to be swiped, —one day I shall be a snowflake, yes one day I shall definitely be a snowflake.

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HERCULES TABLE

Tiago Mota

In 2013, the architect Tiago Mota designed the Hercules table made of solid pine plywood with a synthetic resin finishing. A top, a cross bar and two feet show the simplicity of the structure. The construction and production of the Hercules were based upon traditional methods providing robustness and stability to the finished product. The responsibility for the construction and production was given to Pau Marceneiros, a specialized carpentry based in downtown Lisbon.

The Portuguese architect Tiago Mota states about Hercules: “the lightness and raw appearance is given by its finishing and the excellent properties of the unusual type of solid pine plywood used”. The presentation text of the product also points out the meticulousness of the whole process, starting with the cut to the “fill with wooden mortar where necessary to rectify any noticeable flaw, sanded until smooth, rounded the edges, assembled with simple | 20 |

joints and glued, and finally sprayed with synthetic resin, in order to preserve greater comfort to the touch and maximum naturalness of the materials”.

The architect was honest, and he clearly specified that the Hercules design process made it necessary to cut parts “to perform a direct mold on the solid plywood planks”, and during the assembling process, the carpenters followed strict traditional wooden manipulation methods.

With an unquestioned aesthetic quality, the Hercules show us how good design can be when produced with simplicity, and it also underlines a salutar interrelationship among designers, artisans and local businesses. A good work from the architecture and design atelier lead by Tiago Mota. No myths at all!

Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Courtesy of Tiago Mota

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CLEAR FUNCTION Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Joana Soda

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The designer Miguel Mestre presents “The Dine” produced for the company MadeiGuincho. “The Dine” is a marine plywood table with a white lacquered top; a built-in inox ice-bucket was inserted into the middle of the table making it accessible to everyone. The primary essence of the table design was clear to Miguel Mestre; the designer wanted its purpose to be instantly at sight, visible, having at the same time a neutral presence, so it would be suitable and useful to a wide variety of situations and people, and in interior or exterior environments. Thus the built-in bucket offers an additional function to the table; it is a comfortable solution to ensure all drinks remain cool and accessible during meals or relaxing events.

The Portuguese designer was born in Lisbon in 1986 and took a degree in Product Design at the Faculdade de Belas-Artes, Universidade de Lisboa. Under the Erasmus programme he studied at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, in Spain; he then returned to his former Portuguese university to earn a

postgraduate degree in Product Design. From 2009 to 2012, Miguel Mestre practiced his professional activity as a freelance designer. Last year he founded his own design studio called MM, and since then he has been creating a collection whose objects evidence a line of thinking with a special focus on functionality, sustainability and cost. He highlights a very down to earth and concise approach to design, most certainly a reflection of his own personal beliefs. www.miguelmestre.info www.madeiguincho.com Project info: Dimensions: ø130cm x 75cm Material: marine plywood, with a white lacquered top Ice bucket: inox Usage: interior and exterior Client: MadeiGuincho

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XAVIER LUST Text: Nathalie Wolfs

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Xavier Lust was born in 1969, he studied interior design at Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, Belgium, where he opened his own studio in 1992. His work is spread through various fields, from urban furniture and interior architecture to industrial commissions and limited edition pieces. In 2000, Xavier Lust started to design for MDF Italia, an ongoing relationship which was the start of his collaboration with leading international producers such as Driade, De Padova, Cerruti Baleri, Fiam, Extremis and Skitsch. His work has been recognized worldwide and winning important awards including the Italian Compasso d’Oro. Xavier Lust has pursued his research on special edition pieces now featuring in well-known galleries.

His design is recognizable due to the tension he puts on the pieces, and the free expression of his three-dimensional and fluid forms. Shown in over 50 exhibitions worldwide, his work was the object of a significant retrospective in 2007 at the Mac’s – Musée des Arts Contemporains –, in Belgium, and is part of the permanent collections of museums such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in Paris, France. Xavier Lust is a frequent guest lecturer at major art and design institutions, and his work deserves regular highlights from the media in different design publications.

“ S-table”, 2009, for MDF Italia

www.xavierlust.com

“Virgo”, 2009, for Driade

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“Blow Up”, 2011, for Skitsch

“Cone” chair, 2013, for A Lot of Brasil

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“PikNik”, 2002, for Extremis

“Sumo”, 2008, for Cerruti Baleri

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THE HOME PROJECT Text: Tiago Krusse

Photo: Courtesy of The Home Project

The Home Project is a design studio founded in 2005

by Kathi Stertzig and Álbio Nascimento. The two designers created their studio with the intention to be aware and informed about “solutions with an origin”. Álbio Nascimento clarifies this idea in his concise studio presentation: a search for a “responsible design innovation that unfolds from an exploration between people and place”. They both define their standpoint as an integrated design “that explores cultural research as an approach to authentic, engaged, sustainable material culture”. They are also driven by their curiosity and passion backed by the interest on technique and materials. The aftereffects and the cultural aspects of the making process are important issues, underlining sensitivity and prize for tradition.

The German Kathi Stertzig and the Portuguese Álbio Nascimento met in Italy while attending the Politecnico di Milano. They lived in Antwerp, Netherlands, for some years, and now they are based in Berlin, Germany, and Faro, Portugal. She studied Interior | 28 |

Design in Hannover and Milan, earning her degree at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Stertzig defines her work as a reflection of continuously questioning how design can improve social and environmental issues. Stertzig taught Product Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven and at the Bauhaus-University in Weimar, Germany. In his turn, Nascimento trained Interior and Product Design in Lisbon, Portugal, and Milan, Italy; afterwards, he worked as a researcher within ExperimentaDesign — the Portuguese knowledge production and project development unit working in design, architecture and design culture, created in 1998, based in Lisbon, with Guta Moura Guedes as chair. The particular interest in crafts cultures lead Nascimento to focus his work on cultural innovation and vernacular craft, the subject of his MA thesis and semester lecture at FH Potsdam, Germany. www.the-home-project.com

“Tea for One”, by The Home Project. Produced by Ceràmica Sambola

The hand-thrown tea set is made particularly for single users -to celebrate the ritual of your tea! Place the cup on top of the pot as a lid, it will keep your tea warm.

Black ceramic is a lost craft which is traceable far back to the Neolithic era. This unique way of firing clay changes its material properties increasing porosity, giving it a special dark gloss. Until now, black ceramics have never been glazed in the Catalan region. Our craftspeople have made it happen. The result is a dark mirrored finish on the inside of both pieces.

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“Breakfest egg”, by The Home Project. Produced by Studio Piet Stockmans

This porcelain breakfast set was inspired by the shape and fragile shell of an egg. A glazed oval plate with a hole for your breakfast egg comes with two different sized cups for fruit and coffee to keep your egg or hands warm. We found a studio in Belgium that is capable of translating this into fine porcelain: “Breakfast egg” is produced exclusively at Studio Piet Stockmans.

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“Vaso 2.0”, by The Home Project

“Candeeiro Cortiça”, by The Home Project

Photo: Bob Noris

Photo: Vasco Célio/Stills

Cork is a unique material that can offer sophisticated solutions. The home project is exploring the features and possibilities of cork as natural, eco-material for industrial design applications. Besides being a regenerating and recyclable material, cork has specific behavior that cannot be imitated by synthetic substitutes. For this reason, cork is irreplaceable in some specialized heat resistant and lightweight high-tech applications.

- Vaso 2.0 – The classic terracotta pot improved by cork. The features of cork add several benefits: the pot is now unbreakable, antiseptic, and will not scratch floors or tabletops.

- Candeeiro Cortiça - part of TASA Project

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INTERVIEW

António Lacerda

António Lacerda, president of the Associação Nacional Designers (AND — Portuguese Designers National Association) talks openly about his life since his childhood, how was it like to grew up in Porto and what took him to be currently teaching at the Universidade do Algarve. The AND is now celebrating its 10th anniversary, and we thought it was the right time to ask António Lacerda about accomplishments and new challenges.

By Tiago Krusse Photos: Rui Correia

What sort of memories do you keep from your childhood in Porto?

The family warmth, holidays and weekends spent at a house my parents had by the beach. Afternoons playing with Lego, and football matches on the street. Wandering through unfinished buildings, and the feeling to be part of a group like The Famous Five, by Enid Blyton. All the memories I keep from that time are good. I remember our group rolling down the streets of Porto on skate boards… The city has always been a very mystic place. True creative people. And maybe it is the reason of my early tendency to pursue art. On the other hand, I also had family cases, like my grandmother who studied and took a degree in Fashion at the old Soares dos Reis Artistic School. My mother was an outstanding draughtswoman, and my uncle a good photographer with a strong jazz background. Fascinating times, full of joy. I keep these memories tenderly, with a saudade feeling.

ne to present new concepts, and space to develop our own inclination and skills. The repercussion was obvious in the relationship between teachers and students, causing occasional conflicts. Carolina Michaëlis was one of the most important public schools in Oporto, and I remember it well. It was where I realized I would like to study Art and take a degree at the Soares dos Reis school. My parents panicked; they were afraid how this decision could compromise my future professional options. The Soares dos Reis school had an artistic atmosphere which gathered all the genres the 1980s produced. Those were the most fantastic days I ever spent at a school, not only because of the the good friends I made but of the excellency of teaching and training. The school had all the conditions to provide knowledge and experiences, the art teachers were the best and the whole atmosphere very stimulating to us all. Some of the best designers, architects or fine artists came out from the Soares dos Reis school.

The 1970s were times of dramatic changes in Portugal. What kind of political and educational atmosphere did you grow up in?

I was born in 1973, and I my memories about those days is superficial. I do recall there were talks about political issues at home, and sometimes my parents would take me along to street demonstrations. They were fighting for freedom an for a better country.

Though quite young, I felt proud of them, and thrilled to be able to witness to such historical events. I remember that expectations were high and the will to change was tremendous.

You studied classical performance for piano, and you had a strong inclination to jazz music. Why did you not follow a musical career?

I started having traditional classical piano lessons at the Silva Monteiro School in Oporto but I did not continue. The pedagogical teaching technique of the Tonic sol-fa was too demanding, and the exercises were too restricting to me. I always enjoyed improvising, so I gave up taking piano lessons and formed a garage band with some friends. I had some a few, not significant concerts, and I remember playing during recesses with people like Manuel Cruz and others, part the Ornatos Violeta rock band.

The school had this peculiar musical atmosphere, and quite a few rock bands started there. Music has always been an important part of my life, and I regret having disregarded a professional path when I had the time. Other interests aroused, like sports and later design. In 2005 I started learning at the Jazz School of Oporto. I experienced a huge evolu-

How would you describe the schools you went to?

I went to public schools. Elementary school was just nearby my parents’ house. Teaching methods were very severe but teachers were prepared for the everyday changes. We started to do things differently, and there was enough freedom for everyo-

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… I knew I wanted something with a clear, concrete practical side, an activity which would allow me to make a social and cultural contribution…

tion as a player, and I even managed to write music.

I produced a CD with 6 songs but only to distribute to friends. Two years ago I formed a band with some students and a colleague from the university.

We did rehearsals and play at a Yoga school in Faro.

We broke up the band because we did not have the time the keep up rehearsing, and some members had to leave Faro. But despite all of this, I do keep my interest in music, and lately I have been learning to play other instruments, like fujara, duduk, hukulele, hang drum or jew harp. I practice regularly, and who knows, one day I might come up with a more ambitious musical project?!

Why did you end up choosing Design?

When I went to the Soares dos Reis school, I had already decided to study one of the art disciplines. Not underestimating other disciplines, I knew I wanted something with a clear, concrete practical side, an activity which would allow me to make a social and cultural contribution. I was keen on graphic design, and it was the start of a process to accomplish my aspiration. No doubts. It is what I really love to do.

In 1992, you were already studying design at the Escola Superior de Artes e Design (ESAD) in Porto. Why did you choose ESAD, and how would you classify that period, not only as a student but also on a personal level?

I decided to take a degree in design in 1992. The only two schools in Porto were the Faculdade de Belas Artes, Universidade do Porto (FBAUP), and ESAD. At that time, ESAD had two years of existence, and the references were very good regarding the quality of the teachers, infrastructure and equipment. It was focused on design. As for FBAUP, my feeling was it lacked the conditions I was looking for. Thus I chose ESAD, and I had the best teachers in that field of knowledge; for instance, I remember | 34 |

Andrew Howard and his initiative for inviting foreign designers to run workshops and give lectures. One of the workshops was led by Edward McDonald and Jon Wozencroft, Neville Brody partner and co-founder of FUSE [an influential, experimental typeface publication, launched in 1991], and teacher at the Royal College of Art in London. Unforgettable moments.

After ESAD you decided to complete your academic carreer earning a postgraduate degree in multimedia, and a doctorate degree presenting the thesis “Systems of Institutional visual Identity: Design and management of graphic signs”. What was the reason for you to want to achieve these goals?

After graduation, me and some friends opened a design studio in Porto. One year later I decided to accept a new challenge, so I went to Lisboa were I lived for two years while working for an advertising agency. Then I started working as a freelancer, completing some assignments for important clients based in Lisbon. I knew Porto was the right city to develop my work; I went back and founded Fuel Design. Three years went by and I felt this need to go back to school to learn and gain more insight. I believed with greater knowledge I could be even more useful and fulfill to the Fuel Design studio needs. It is never enough; you always have many new things to learn, with which you can improve and develop new skills. At the time I decided for a candidacy to a master degree in Multimedia Technologies at the Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto (FEUP), which had a partnership with FBAUP. It was quite an interesting experience, classes composed mainly by engineers, and then us, the designers. I did the coursework programme but not the final dissertation; it was when I decided to apply to a doctorate in Visual Identity, one of my fields of expertise.

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… I am aware of all the hard times we all must endure until our work gets due recognition value…

Was there a teacher or teachers you would like to highlight as having had a crucial impact on your life, or someone who gave you the necessary boost for you to proceed with your purposes?

During graduation at ESAD, there was teacher Andrew Howard, at FEUP teacher Eurico Carrapatoso, and more recently during the doctorate in Design, professors Eduardo Herrera and Leire Fernandez, and Fernando Moreira da Silva. All played a fundamental role in my academic years, and in my personal and professional life.

You became yourself a teacher in 1997. How did you face the responsibility of teaching?

I feel I have this mission spirit, and that I am capable of planting and arising ideas on pupils’ minds. I believe this kind of awakening could be of use for them to realize and expand their own creativeness, or as a social purpose. In my classes of Communication Design at the Universidade do Algarve, I try to convey a message about the designer’s role, and how his/her work should and must contribute to visually and culturally develop society. The designers’ work is a crucial factor for boosting our economy.

Why did you decide to move to Algarve and start a new cycle as a university teacher?

I came to Algarve firstly for personal reasons, and only afterwards, when I got to Universidade do Algarve, the professional ones came forward. I have also became associated with all sorts of projects, events and exhibitions. It all brought me closer to Faro. I live in Faro for eight years now. I recovered a house in the historical center of the city, and I cleave to other activities together with the Universidade do Algarve to improve the city economy and culture. I consider Faro as my new hometown, but I often visit

Porto.

When did you become the president of the Associação Nacional Designers (AND)?

I became the president of the AND in January 2013.

I was already part of the AND but I did not have the time to play a more active role because I was finishing my doctorate.

What persuade you to grasp this new role?

It was again my mission spirit… And again because I truly believe in my work and will to make things happen and make a social contribution. I have been keeping this idea throughout my whole life, and the will to do more and better.

What is the present mission of the AND, and why is its role important to all Portuguese designers working in Portugal or abroad?

To begin with, as a designer, I have experienced all the vicissitudes any young designer has to overcome during the first years. I began working for firms, design studios, and I even created my own business. I had to learn how to deal with clients, institutions, people, forms, proposals, payments, debts…

By experience I know what we all must go through to achieve something and reach our goals. I am aware of all the hard times we all must endure until our work gets due recognition value. We are going through a time of significant change due to economical and social crises, and in this sense it is vital for designers to forgather contributing to define goals, rights and responsibilities. This is the AND’s mission, in addition to with fighting for the full recognition of Design as a professional activity. In 2006/7, the Portuguese parliament recognized Design as a commercial activity as far as taxes are concerned. Designers used to have a tax code designated as “other artists”. This was a very important achievement, | 37 |

In 2006/7, the Portuguese parliament recognized Design as a commercial activity as far as taxes are concerned. Designers used to have a tax code designated as “other artists”. This was a very important achievement, developed by the AND, but it is only an example of the important actions we have been promoting.

developed by the AND, but it is only an example of the important actions we have been promoting.

There are basic deontological codes urging to be established, along with a set of rights and duties, regarding designers and whoever commissions design work. I would like to mention the so deeply desired Chamber of design. We live in a corporative society… We have corporative institutions for engineers, architects, doctors, and they all have their own regulations and all sort of agreements from each they benefit. These chambers protect their own professional activities, and regulate their rights and responsibilities. What regulates and protects design as a profession? In the current paradigmatic scenario and time, it is my belief only a Chamber of design could suit the purposes of defending the professional activity, both economically and politically. This is a fundamental issue so that Portuguese designers could be socially acknowledge and have, as professionals, their own regulations, and therefore setting rights, duties and specified rates for the work they provide. These are key aspects to the design activity, and we must fight for the same dignity other professionals already conquered. There are thousand of design students and professionals who work freely on the market with no protection whatsoever.

We receive a large number of phone calls from our associates exposing daily problems and specific situations in need of an urgent solution. The Chamber of design would surely not solve all the problems the design professionals have to face everyday; nevertheless it is a essential step forward to establish basic rules, deontological codes, and to set specific rights and obligations under the law.

Is there a strategy, and which are the major challenges the AND faces in the short-term?

One of the greatest challenges we a set our minds to since I became chair in January 2013 was to be | 38 |

close to our associates, and to bring back former associates letting them know we are ready to fight for their rights and goals as professionals. We redesigned our visual identity; we provided our associates with a new website in which we can promote them. We improved our communication network and opened a new space in Faro; there we present a large number of activities aiming to encourage the relationship not only with designers but with society in general. We almost duplicated the number of associates, and the feedback we have been receiving from designers proves we are on the right direction.

Our main goal is to create the Chamber of design, and despite all the present difficult context, we are confident that in two years’ time this goal will be accomplished.

The Portuguese government has been talking about design, along with some national industrial and professional associations, as a key factor for the economical development of the country. Having given order to close the Centro Português de Design, this government gave the idea that something new was about to happen. Do you not feel this is a golden opportunity for the AND to show its interest in becoming the one of the major partners in such announced national mission?

There is a great deal of work to be done, and we have scheduled for 2014 a number of official meetings with all the institutions and agencies somehow related to the design profession. The motive is assert our position and the goals we want to achieve.

It is going to be a hard and long road but with a very concrete destination. Our aim is to dignify the design profession, and to fully achieve the recognition of its legal status.

How do evaluate the AND’s role since its foun-

dation in 2003?

Since 2003, the AND has been showing work, sometimes in an almost imperceptible way to the public.

The necessary conditions are now gathered and in place, so that we are ready to undertake the solid workload produced and clearly state our intentions.

The AND is the sole professional association with national coverage which only represents professionals with certificate in superior studies, graduate’s, master’s and doctoral degrees . From 2003 on, the AND has also provided support partnerships and initiatives not only with entrepreneurs but superior educational institutions. The AND has also played an important role by supporting and answering to public institutions’ demands and needs. Finally I allow me to highlight again the AND’s role during the tough process of recognizing design as a profession, and its clear definition under the Portuguese law regarding Economic Sector Classification Codes. We will keep on working to achieve and manage further

objectives for the profession and professionals.

In your opinion, what Good Design stands for?

It stands for social rules as a strategic function. Integration, creativity, quality, competencies, interdisciplinarity/articulation, pleasure, environment, ability, goals, viability of projects; it values links, connections, and the future.

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ALESSANDRO MARELLI

Alessandro Marelli was born in Brianza, in the Lombardy region, North of Monza (approximately 14 km from Milan), Italy. In his short biography, the Italian designer makes reference to Brianza because it is known for being an important center of wood/furniture industry district, and he “has always been interested in and concerned with all the themes about ‘project’, participating in the development of public and private furnishing with different companies and architecture studios, getting so to the bottom of knowledge of the ‘subject’ wood.”

After the degree in Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano, Alessandro Marelli co-operated briefly with Prospero Rasulo, from September of 2003 to December of 2004. During his studies, the designer had the opportunity to get in touch with Enzo Mari. Two years later, Marelli was called by Mari, and from 2006 to 2008 he was his unique co-worker. It was a very important creative experience for Marelli; during this period, he developed and followed “the whole project process in constant collaboration with Enzo Mari, regarding industrial products”. He was also responsible for coordinating image and graphics, “starting from the development of the very first formal hypotheses, going through the realization of technical drawings and to the execution of real models, arriving to the contacts with suppliers and to the real production”. Among several projects with Mari, Marelli likes to highlight Mari’s exhibition “The art of Design” which took place at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Turin, presented and held on the occasion of Turin’s nomination as World Design Capital 2008.

After such a rewarding experience with Enzo Mari, Marelli decided to found his own studio, and now he spends most of his time immersed on what he cannot live without: projects.

Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Courtesy of Alessandro Marelli

www.alessandromarelli.it

Lanx (2012) Lanx is a table/desk lamp which uses OLED technology (by Lumiotec). One of the main characteristics of this new and innovative technology is the extreme thinness.

In this project we wanted to emphasize it using a simple laser-cut aluminum foil with a thickness of 3 mm veneer with slabs of walnut, subsequently folded. This structure is very thin and light, allowing to house both OLED and cables. The result is ethereal, because of the thin profile.

The highlight of the Lanx lamp is its extreme thinness. The simple, minimalist aesthetic design is counterbalanced by the warm wood veneer, making it a perfect desk lamp for modern and traditional spaces alike. www.lumiotec.com

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Esagono (2009) The design principle of this self-supporting bookcase is based on the particular junction between uprights and shelves. This junction, with a structural function, confers extreme stability through a “cone clamp� which results from the opposing hexagonal pillars, together with screws and brackets to unite.

This particular morphology does not require cruises, background or any element to allow stability, thus suitable as a wall bookcase or space divider.

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Althea (2012) Althea is a sofa-bed consisting of foam which wraps around a pouf decorated with custom-designed embroidery work made with a digital embroidery machine. All of the above is fastened by a lifting webbing strap with a 3D printed buckle, to engage properly in the catch. It is the exciting result of an experimental design process, synergistically involving artisan, designer and digital technologies, and employing both advanced technological know-how and traditional crafting skills.

Photo: Federico Villa

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CORK POSSIBILITIES Photos: Pedro Sadio & Maria Rita / that image

In partnership with Corticeira Amorim, world’s leading producer of cork, experimentadesign developed and presented at the EXD’13, Lisbon’s design & architecture Bienalle, the project Metamorphosis. It is defined as a research process and experimental project focused in showing some of the possibilities of exploring age-old cork as an innovative, creative material. The idea joined Alejandro Aravena (CL), Álvaro Siza (PT), Amanda Levete (GB), Eduardo Souto de Moura (PT), Herzog & De Meuron (CH), James Irvine (GB), Jasper Morrison (GB), João Luís Carrilho da Graça (PT), Manuel Aires Mateus (PT) and Naoto Fukasawa (JP). Architects and designers gave their contribution by finding new possibilities and creating cork products, but also giving a personal testimony of this environmental-friendly, sustainable material’s properties, performance, expanded functions, forms, searching for innovative solutions to the industry. The exhibition was a co-production between EXD’13 & DGPC/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.

“Cork kit exploits the characteristic of lightness and find ways of emphasising the tonal range of colour variations without adding natural pigments.

The advantage of using this material is that you can have zero wastage, as cork is fully recyclable.”

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“Cork is a material which is certainly worthy of attention in design.

Its appeal lies in the combination of its old-world appeal and new-world technical capabilities.�

Jasper Morrison

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“A light, white concrete obtained from incorporating cork aggregates, this material boasts unique and interesting features, both technically (it is lightweight and a good insulator) and in its form (it is both very attractive and tactile), where the characteristics of cork are transferred to concrete.”

João Luís Carrilho da Graça

“As well as cork’s ecological, insulating and natural attributes, what I like is touching it, so I chose to “redesign” a door handle… to handle.

Essentially, it was the touch; and, on top of that, the texture is lovely, compact, consistent, neutral and pleasant. It has a cream tone that works in virtually all environments; it’s not purple, red or canary yellow.”

Eduardo Souto de Moura

“Cork is known for its natural temperature-regulating properties and it is known to maintain a similar temperature to our own bodies, thus providing a unique connection between us and the product.

As a result, this bench offers a very comfortable experience.”

Naoto Fukasawa

“Architecture and design can benefit from cork’s unique set of properties by being aware of them and being imaginative.” Álvaro Siza

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“Cork and sound absorption are a natural match.

It doesn’t get much better.”

James Irvine

“Cork, which is a natural material with countless physical attributes, can be very expressive. In addition to its thermal, acoustic and ecological qualities, it communicates something sensory and aesthetic.”

Manuel Aires Mateus

“we profited from its high insulation capacity, its low weight and the time captured in its skin.

With an increasing global need for energy efficiency, it would be nice to see cork offering its advantages to a broader public.”

Alejandro Aravena

“With cork we use material that addresses the senses: visual, aural, haptic and olfactory.”

Herzog & De Meuron

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FOOD DESIGN

Robert Bronwasser

The Aladdin Crave Collection is a range of products designed by the industrial designer Robert Bronwasser (Netherlands) and composed by a built-in bowl, plate or cup. An easily and comfortably transportable way of having a home meal out, “on the go”. Besides the storing and carrying issues fully resolved, the Dutch designer had also in mind the real need for a leakproof resistant product, microwave and dishwasher safe. The Aladdin production and Robert Bronwasser official certificate all materials are BPA free, unlike polycarbonate food or liquids plastic containers. The high standards concerning public health are an essential concern and main feature.

We truly appreciated the joyful side of the collection; shape and colors give us a sense of familiarity, and not a science fiction film feel. Joyful but not chil-

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dish, the design clearly respects the user and his/ her needs.

The Aladdin Crave Collection is part of Robert Bronwasser’s project Smool, a design insight on which he has been working with such great enthusiasm since 2002. Smool is defined has a design agency with a personal approach and dominated by Bronwasser’s vision of commercial product design.

Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Courtesy of Smool

www.europe.aladdin-pmi.com www.smool.nl

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CASA 2G Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Ana Cecilia Garza Villarreal

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The architecture studio S-AR headed by CĂŠsar Guerrero, Ana Cecilia Garza, MarĂ­a Sevilla and Carlos Flores projected the Casa 2G, a single family residence located in San Pedro, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. With a construction area of 360 m2, the S-AR team decided to use simple materials: concrete, steel, glass and wood. One of the main design aims was to create a comfortable atmosphere and to achieve a completely different harmony within the surrounding urban environment.

The house drawing shows a simple rectangular volume which is divided by an interior courtyard in two halves, the social and private areas. The concrete wall with a door is separated by a few meters from the street in a residential area. It allows the existence of a small front yard for pedestrian and a vehicular access. The concrete facade reveals the spirit of a simple design, and clearly states its intention to establish a visual dialogue with the Sierra Madre mountains.

The house is protected by concrete walls that look like a shield, ate the same time elegant as the the whole block seems to levitate. The interior space produces a clear contrast by revealing a wide open space, a central patio and the garden. These open areas are essential to capture the light and to create natural ventilation. Every room is able to keep its own privacy, and has an independent courtyard. The social area provide a natural connection: kitchen, dining room, lounge, and ending up with large terrace facing the back garden.

Together with the simple construction system, the architects selected doors, windows and metalwork to keep the same frame of reference. There is an intentional rawness and natural felling brought about by the materials. It is an aesthetic coherence to which we could relate quite easily. But there were also social and economical aspects regarding the selection of the materials. The team urged to prove that by using local materials and local workers, unemployment could be prevented, and in general architecture would gain from not repeating itself.

The manual systems used to open the windows, skylights and doors were specifically designed for this project in a team work including architects, carpenters and blacksmiths.

The building structure and the set of materials and systems chosen were meant to establish a closer experience between users and architecture. The raw

but elegant approach to all of the house visual elements gave emphasis also to the clear purpose of reducing the number of industrial materials.

The idea of a reinforced concrete block levitating over a platform helps providing insulation to the interior spaces. The orientation of the house was defined considering solar exposure and the existing trees in order to provide protection from sunlight and shade to the roof.

The perforation of the concrete to create the interior space was complemented with a clear glass membrane which preserved the idea of the whole visual layout. At the same time, it put in evidence the continuity of the material used on floors, walls and slabs. This accurate design emphasizes the spirit of the building, its structural quality and the expressive method through which the project took form. www.stacion-arquitectura.com

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REFORMED CHALET IN BRAGA Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: João Morgado – Architectural Photography

The Portuguese studio Tiago do Vale Arquitectos was responsible for requalificate a nineteenth century chalet in Braga (northern Portugal). The Three Cusps Chalet has a construction area of 165 m2, and a site area of 60 m2. The project was presented in 2012 and the works finished in 2013. Along with the intention to recover and highlight the interesting original chalet characteristics, the architects restored the space, and transformed it into a modern home and work/office place for a couple. The word chalet is from Swiss origin, meaning “small wooden house from the Swiss loggers”, and actually the style became very popular in Portugal during the nineteenth century — especially in the Estoril and the Cascais areas near Lisbon, but charmed other parts of the country. The architectonic trend came from northern Europe and South America. As for the Three Cups Chalet, the idea came from Brazil, when during the second half of the nineteenth century an impressive number of emigrants returned to their northern roots, in the Douro and Minho Portuguese regions.

The chalet forms part of a row of three properties that were built to house the servants of a nearby palace, Wood is not the main material as in the original Swiss chalets; it is rather the building’s shape that relates it to the original archetype. The restored eave, the remade roof and its original Marseille tiles over a pine structure, and the recovered window frames, successfully bring back to life the chalet elegancy, bliss and collective imagination. The new construction materials were consistent with the original and recovered materials offering a solid aesthetic unity.

The turquoise facades create an extra visual impact but its primary intention is bring back those past glorious colors without disturbing the surrounding and street harmony. The identity of the building is now preserved to stand for at least another century.

The architects hammer away at the entire chalet interior for it to harmoniously house a work space and a living space. The building’s typology, its narrow

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proportions, demanded extra care and attention on how each area would function alone, on one side, and function in the dual-use context, on the other.

The organizational requalification opted for a space layering hierarchy by level, by floor, social to private from bottom to top. The staircase plays an important role in the whole design program, not only because it keeps the feel of visual relation and continuity inside the whole building, but because it helps clarifying each floor function, private or social, with no need for imposing drastic obstacles. As a matter of fact, the radical barriers that developed the chalet over the last years into a dark and suffocating space were totally removed. All of the obtrusive, negative and unnatural interventions were nullified to give way to an accurate vision of a reformed chalet fit to hold the needs of a modern way of living.

The height of the building and the exposure to natural light were clear positive assets, and the design team worked to ensure and fully take advantage of them.

Sunlight just flows naturally throughout the building creating different atmospheres all through the day.

From top to bottom, and from East to West, the structure benefits from the “invitation” to natural light to spread at ease and transverse all floors, and to provide a comfortable and bright ambiance. The purpose of maximizing the natural light potential stood side by side with a choice of materials and finishes. White walls and ceilings, carpentry plus white Estremoz marble, contrasting with a natural-colored hardwood flooring, gave all spaces an undoubted aesthetic quality and sense of comfort. A renewed and clarified building, an architectural project revealing a well-succeed redefinition of space: in keeping its formal and original appeal, the design work preserved the inherent architectural memory, also introducing and reconciling it with the present, with an open eye on the future. www.tiagodovale.com

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Architecture: Tiago do Vale Arquitectos, Portugal Architect in charge: Tiago do Vale Location: SĂŠ, Braga, Portugal Constructor: Constantino & Costa, Portugal Project year: 2012 Construction year: 2013 Site area: 60 m2 Built area: 165 m2

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AN OFFICE IN TORONTO Text: Tiago Krusse Photos: Tom Arban

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a warehouse was reformed by Bartlett & Associates considering the specific needs of an international advertising and marketing firm, Fuel Advertising. The team lead by Inger Bartlett was given the task to transform the place into an open space, and to establish the appropriate atmosphere for a firm which values teamwork, partnership, and the respect for its own identity. For a firm with such creative demands, the intent for defying Inger Barlett to the project was also to create a well-designed space capable of optimizing not only its functionality but of producing a fascinating and inspirational working environment. The area of 3252 m2, which originally included 90 offices, was turned into an open space with only 15 offices. The client indicated four different but complementary needs: an open space with vertical adjacencies, a central and multifunctional meeting point, creative breakout areas, and the brand solid statement focused on its global dimension. The Bartlett & Associates presentation text points out: “the challenges were to leverage the existing scale of the building (with its high ceilings and dramatic space), to incorporate the historical roots, to address vertical adjacencies, provide design interest to inspire creative thinking, and provide a consistent aesthetic to unify the solution�.

The scale of the building and the will to reform the internal way of circulating plunged the Inger Bartlett team into defining three dominant axis. With such clear definition, the outcome lead to wide corridors, pronounced perspectives, high ceilings, pivot doors and a spacious boardroom. What we find interesting is the feeling of neutrality, all design elements were integrated into the single purpose of creating an unifying identity. The renewed area was designed to provide a clean atmosphere, turning each space into a comfortable, efficient and inspiring multifunctional office. The imple details and a clear graphics of the whole give consistency to the required emphasis on the global firm’s statement. The selected colors and materials express a vision of simplicity. Furniture and lightning are disposed in a way that shows not only their useful function but also the dimension of the company and its daily demands. www.bartlettdesign.com

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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

The Spanish Arquitectura Viva Arquitectura Viva is a magazine, directed by the architect Luis Fernández-Galiano, whose interests go beyond architecture to other related disciplines. It now presents the AV Monografias/Monographs 162 (2013), BIG 20012013 edition, focused on the architectural work of the Bjarke Ingels studio. Written in Spanish and English, the Viva’s 162nd edition is a comprehensive monograph which highlights the creativeness and methods of Bjarke Ingels Group’s architecture.

This edition includes ten works and fifteen projects by the BIG. The beautifully printed and design monograph provides a wide and deep analysis on the architect and his path since the beginning of the 21st century. His works and projects show which was Bjarke Ingels’s studio approach to each specific project and how the group delivered answers to spiritual, ethic, aesthetic and ontological needs.

Along with all constructive requirements, it is interesting to observe how ideas are transposed into reality. The plans and the execution of different programs prove to be rigorous, enhancing the importance of high standards of perfection. The complexity of the works and projects reveals art and skillfulness; on the other hand, an accurate sense of usefulness not only to humanity but to new urban dynamics.

Text: Tiago Krusse BIG Bjarke Ingels Group 2001-2013 Publisher: Arquitectura Viva AV Monografias/Monograph 162 (2013) BIG 2001-2013 Publisher: Arquitectura Viva ISBN: 978-84-6165-592-2 Paperback English, Spanish 144 Pages Sep 20, 2013

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Belgium’s Best Design, by Hadewijch Ceulemans, presents a selection of 48 of the best Belgian design objects since 1900, based on the top-ten lists by over 40 Belgian designers, curators, journalists… It features iconic designs like Louis-Herman De Koninck’s “Cubex” kitchen (1930) and Maarten Van Severen’s “.03” chair (1998), pieces by Jules Wabbes or Henry van de Velde, recent objects such as Bram Boo’s “Overdose” desk (2007) or Sylvain Willenz’s “Torch” lights (2008). The book – written in English, Dutch and French – is an useful introduction to the work of Belgian designers. Overlooking Belgium’s design history, the book points out there is no such thing as a “Belgian style”, since nothing in particular makes Belgian designers, as a whole, to stand out. Each designer has his/her own style, his/her own techniques, his/her own area of expertise. Nevertheless, this selection of 48 objects also gives clear evidence it is impossible to deliver an overview of over 100 years of design in just 300 pages. We are looking forward to seeing similar initiatives, and hope that more of the work of young Belgian designers will be included in future editions.

Text: Nathalie Wolfs

Title: Belgium’s Best Design Author: Hadewijch Ceulemans Release date: November 2013 Finish: hardcover Format: 24,2 x 17,1 Number of pages: 230 Illustrations: ISBN-10: 946058117X ISBN-13: 9789460581175 Language: English, Dutch and French Publisher: Luster, Antwerpen

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BOOK REVIEWS

I carry with me a ghost: imagination. And the things that I imagine! But this imagination of mine makes me believe that I’m still the same person that I was so many years ago. Because I believe that a man is always as young as his heart, and age doesn’t wrinkle the heart.

J.Kradolfer, in Diário de Notícias, April 9, 1966

The Portuguese publishing house Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda presents the 6th issue of its “Colecção D”, entirely dedicated to Fred Kradolfer (1903-1968). Written by José Bártolo, the preface offers the reader a personal view of Kradolfer’s life, revealing his social and cultural background, and establishing a relation with the social, political and cultural environment of Portugal in the beginning of the 20th century. The young Swiss Kradolfer arrived in Lisbon in 1924. The preface allows us to fully understand the reasons why Kradolfer became so important for the evolution of the “modern graphic languages” in Portugal. Witten in English and Portuguese this volume is rich in historical, graphical and photographical contents.

Text: Tiago Krusse | 98 |

Author: Silva Designers Title: Fred Kradolfer – design de comunicação e expositivo/communication and exhibition design Publisher: Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda Release date: December 2012 ISBN: 978-972-27-2088-5 Pages: 129

The 7th issue of the “Colecção D” by the Portuguese publisher Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda offers an overview of Fernando Brízio’s product and interior design work. The preface was written Pedro Gadanho and mixes a personal view on Fernando Brízio’s trajectory with an opinion regarding the work of the designer. It is an emotive testimony of Fernando Brizio’s intentions and work, offering the reader a wide perspective of his creative process.

Written in English and Portuguese, the volume is very well documented: text, drawings and high-quality photographs. A useful outline of Fernando Brízio’s life, an “unusual designer” as Gadanho describes him.

Author: Silva Designers Title: Fernando Brízio – design de produto e de interiores/product and interior design Publisher: Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda Date: May 2013 Pages: 128 Paperback ISBN: 978-972-27-1989-6

Text: Tiago Krusse

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http://revistadesignmagazine.com

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