Desafinado Nofoa Umi by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Apamemea in Mamanu Meafale Competition Category.

ApamemeaMeafale· 2026

Desafinado Nofoa Umi

by Cass Saldanha

Client: SAL+Co

A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Meafale 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 Nofoa Umi

O le Desafinado o se nofoa umi na mamanuina e fai ma su'esu'ega o le paleni ma le fa'agata. O lona foliga e mulimuli i le manino o mamanu Sakanetinavia, fa'atasi ai ma laina sa'o ma foliga geometri faigofie, ua tu'ufa'atasia ma le mamafa ma le sa'o o le brutalist modernism a Pasila. O fua maualalalo e vala'aulia ai se nofonofo mālōlō, ma o le vaeluaga i le va o le nofoaga ma le tua e fa'atupuina ai se vevesi va'aia. O se pito e fa'alautele atu ma le loto i ai e fa'apaleniina ai le nofoaga ma le tua i itu fa'afeagai. O le nofoa umi e toetoe lava a faia atoa i le oak Europa ma se vali uliuli, ma o se aluga manifinifi na su'iina i lima i pa'u saddle Pasila e fa'amae'aina ai le nofoaga.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Apamemea

O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Desafinado Nofoa Umi, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Desafinado Nofoa Umi e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Desafinado Nofoa Umi e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.

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