Addendum - Newsletter chairs.ws n.2 February 2009

Reflections on a sustainable design
by Monica Graffeo

I always considered design as a way to improve the world and actually it really happens in certain environments, such as in the disability, the projects for the developing countries, in the health system.


In the furniture world, the sector where I am working, this target is less reachable: it is so difficult trying to improve the world through an armchair!! But I like to think that I can change the point of view of that armchair’s user, and change it for the better, improving his satisfaction and well-being.

Fortunately in nowadays furnishing world you are given real opportunities to work following ethic-social patterns, e.g. considering the environmental sustainability: the companies have become much more sensitive to the subject and there are solid and quite approachable solutions that also satisfy the commercial terms.

I am personally leading a research in this direction, trying to find an answer by focusing on the delivery aspect: disassembling, compact, stackable objects. I am considering that the pollution deriving from the furniture transport on wheels is one of the less sustainable aspects: my equation states: less volume = more pieces = less means of transportation = less pollution.

Of course it is also important to use recyclable or "clean" materials, but I believe more in the projecting sustainability: what is the point of dismissing a well-planned and well-working object, made to last in time, which I am fond of? The grand masters of decoration have conceived intrinsically sustainable objects, that you can pass along to your children and your children’s children: their lesson is more topical than ever.

In 1996 I finished my study courses at the Italian School of Design in Padua and I started in the very same year to work as a designer with Gabriele Centazzo. I cooperate with Kristalia since 1998, at the beginning as internal designer, then this turned into an open cooperation in 2005. I have been teaching at the Italian School of Design in Padua from 1996 to 2005. In 2003 I have been awarded the Young&Design first prize for my Boum sead by Kristalia, in 2004 the Mints chair produced by Arflex reached the second place, while the Lazy Mary chaise longue, produced in 2005 by Disguincio, has won the Good Design Award. Some of my projects have been displayed at the 2007 Triennale for the exhibition “The moving landscape of new Italian design” and in the D forDesign exhibition in Turin in 2008. I recently worked for Lago, Plust, Coin, Mohdo, Ciacci-Kreaty, Geelli..

CLIENTS: Kristalia, Arflex, Disguincio, Lago, Plust, Coin, Mohdo, Ciacci-Kreaty, Geelli, Italamp.

Monica Graffeo
designer

Contacts:
Via Stradelle, 74
33084 - Cordenons (PN) - Italy
Tel. +39 0434 932799
Fax +39 0434 932799
www.monicagraffeo.it
info@monicagraffeo.it