Desafinado ᱵᱮᱱᱪ by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.
ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ· 2026
Desafinado ᱵᱮᱱᱪ
Client: SAL+Co
A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ Category
- 6,013
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #180459
The Design
About Desafinado ᱵᱮᱱᱪ
ᱰᱮᱥᱟᱯᱷᱤᱱᱟᱰᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱵᱮᱱᱪ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱚᱠᱷᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱺᱡᱟᱣ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱯᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱠᱟᱸᱰᱤᱱᱮᱣᱤᱭᱟᱱ ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱪᱟ ᱵᱩᱡᱷᱟᱹᱣ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱥᱚᱡᱷᱮ ᱜᱟᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱡᱮᱭᱚᱢᱮᱴᱨᱤ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱮ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱨᱟᱡᱤᱞᱤᱭᱟᱱ ᱵᱨᱩᱴᱟᱞᱤᱥᱴ ᱢᱚᱰᱟᱨᱱᱤᱡᱚᱢ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱦᱟᱢᱟᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱚᱡᱷᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱟᱶ ᱢᱮᱥᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱞᱟᱛᱟᱨ ᱩᱥᱩᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱨᱟᱢ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱯ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱱᱮᱦᱚᱨᱟ ᱮᱢᱚᱜᱼᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱯ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱮᱭᱟ ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱨᱮ ᱦᱟᱹᱴᱤᱧ ᱫᱚ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱴᱮᱱᱥᱚᱱ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱩᱭᱦᱟᱹᱨ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱚᱣᱟᱨᱦᱮᱸᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱯ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱮᱭᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱩᱞᱴᱟ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱛᱮ ᱡᱚᱠᱷᱟᱭ ᱫᱚᱦᱚᱭᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱵᱮᱱᱪ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱤᱩᱨᱚᱯᱤᱭᱟᱱ ᱳᱠ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱦᱮᱸᱫᱮ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱮ, ᱟᱨ ᱵᱨᱟᱡᱤᱞᱤᱭᱟᱱ ᱥᱮᱰᱚᱞ ᱪᱟᱢᱲᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱤ ᱛᱮ ᱨᱚᱠᱟᱱ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱯᱟᱛᱞᱟ ᱛᱚᱥᱚᱠ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱯ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱟᱹᱣᱟᱭ᱾
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ
Desafinado ᱵᱮᱱᱪ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱣᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Desafinado ᱵᱮᱱᱪ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
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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