Desafinado Papahia noho by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Parahi in Hoahoa Taputapu Competition Category.
ParahiTaputapu· 2026
Desafinado Papahia noho
Client: SAL+Co
A' Design Award Parahi Winner in Taputapu Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #180459
The Design
About Desafinado Papahia noho
Ko Desafinado he papahia noho i hoahoatia hei rangahau i te taurite me te whakauaua. E whai ana te āhua i te mārama o Scandinavia, me ngā rārangi torotika me te āhuahanga māmā, i honoa ki te taumaha me te tika pū o te hoahoanga hou brutalist o Parahi. Nā ngā ōwehenga pāpaku ka pōwhiritia he tū noho whakatā, ā, nā te wehenga i waenga i te nohoanga me te tuarā ka puta he ngangare ā-kanohi. Mā tētahi tārewa i āta whakaritea e whakataurite te nohoanga me te tuarā ki ngā ahunga rerekē. Kua hangaia te papahia noho tata katoa ki te ōki Pākehā me te pango whakauru, ā, ka whakaotia te nohoanga e tētahi urunga angiangi i tuitui-ā-ringa ki te hiako nohoanga hōiho o Parahi.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Parahi
Ko Desafinado Papahia noho te toa o te A' Design Award Parahi, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke e tohua ana mā te auaha, te mahi mōhio me te whakaaro hōhonu. Ko ngā toa Parahi he mahi pukenga e rite ana, he auaha mīharo, e whakatūturu ana i te wheako nui, te whakaaro me te mōhio-ā-ringa o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Desafinado Papahia noho he taonga whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he ngaio, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Parahi e whakauru ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa i te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau, ā, he tino mīharo ki ngā taipitopito. Ka whakatutuki a Desafinado Papahia noho i ngā hiahia, ka pā ki ngā hiahia, ka whakaoho i ngā kare-ā-roto, ā, ka kume i te pākiki.
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
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