Desafinado Dabilio by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Varahina in Famolavolana Fanaka Competition Category.

VarahinaFanaka· 2026

Desafinado Dabilio

by Cass Saldanha

Client: SAL+Co

A' Design Award Varahina Winner in Fanaka Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180459

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Desafinado Dabilio

Ny Desafinado dia dabilio noforonina ho fandalinana ny fifandanjana sy ny fahatsorana. Ny endriny dia manaraka ny fahazavan'ny fomba Skandinavianina, miaraka amin'ny tsipika mahitsy sy jeometria tsotra, ampiarahina amin'ny lanja sy ny fahamivantanan'ny maoderina brutalista Breziliana. Ny refy iva dia manasa hipetraka amin'ny fomba milamina, ary ny fisarahana eo amin'ny fipetrahana sy ny lamosina dia miteraka fifanenjanana hita maso. Ny fivoahana ivelany natao fanahy iniana dia mampifandanja ny fipetrahana sy ny lamosina amin'ny lalana mifanohitra. Ny dabilio dia vita saika amin'ny hazo oaka eoropeanina manontolo misy loko mainty, ary ondana manify zairina tanana amin'ny hoditra lasely Breziliana no mameno ny fipetrahana.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Varahina

Nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ny famolavolana Desafinado Dabilio, fankasitrahana malaza be omena ny famolavolana miavaka izay mampiavaka ny fahaiza-mamorona, ny fahazotoana ary ny fahamaotinan-tsaina. Ny mpandresy Varahina dia zavatra vita tanana mahay dia mahay ary mamorona mivantana izay manamafy ny traikefa be dia be, ny sarintsaina ary ny fahaizan-kafoy an'ny mpamolavola azy. Andrasana ho zavatra ankasitrahana be, ankafizina ary tiana, mahay amin'ny asa sady vaovao ny famolavolana Desafinado Dabilio. Ity famolavolana nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ity dia mitahiry ny fomba fanao tsara indrindra amin'ny zavakanto, ny siansa, ny famolavolana ary ny teknolojia, ary tsara indrindra amin'ny fitandremana ny antsipirihany. Ny famolavolana Desafinado Dabilio dia mahafa-po ny filana tsara, mikasika ny faniriana, mahasarika ny fihetseham-po ary misarika ny fahalianana.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Desafinado bench is conceived as a study in balance and restraint. Rooted in Scandinavian design, it relies on simple, straight lines and clear geometry. The low-lying proportions invite a relaxed posture, while the split between back and seat creates a visual tension. An intentional overhang balances the extended seat and back to opposite directions, turning structure into function.
Dimensions & Packaging: Materials:
Black Stained Oak
Seat in saddle leather

Dimensions:
Width: 130 inches or 39624 mm
Depth: 16 inches or 4876.8 mm
Height: 22 inches or 6705.6 mm
Seat Height: 12 inches or 3657.6 mm
Tags: Bench, Brazilian, wood, Balance, furniture
Production Technology: The bench is built almost entirely from a single material: European oak. Finished with a black stain, the wood emphasizes grain, mass, and shadow. This restrained material choice reinforces the clarity of the design, allowing form, proportion, and structure to define the piece without distraction.
The bench is complemented with a thin, hand-stitched seat cushion upholstered in authentic Brazilian saddle leather forced from local small business.
Inspiration: The piece draws from Scandinavian clarity, but it is grounded in Brazilian brutalist modernism. Its forms are direct and architectural rather than delicate or refined. The bench avoids excessive polish, embracing weight, presence, and material honesty. This subtle roughness distinguishes it from Japanese minimalism and reinforces its brutalist character.
Project Duration: Conceived in Miami in 2022, the project evolved through an intensive four-month prototyping phase and reached its final form in August of that year. The bench exists as a true one-of-one piece; all remaining prototypes were deliberately destroyed upon completion, reinforcing its singularity.
Operation Flow: Beyond simple seating, the Desafinado Bench invites multiple uses: a surface to recline or stretch, a platform for books and objects, or an architectural element that works as a space divider or low table. It shifts easily between function and presence, adapting to the way the body and the room engage with it.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Cass Saldanha, 2022.
This design is available for reproduction. Please contact the Designer if you have interest in discuss intellectual property and licensing the rights.
Image Credits: Cassiano Saldanha