Soli Setulo by João Demele is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Fenitjhara Competition Category.

BoronseFenitjhara· 2026

Soli Setulo

by João Demele

Client: Morada Decor

Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award Winner in Fenitjhara Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Soli Setulo

Soli ke setulo se etselitsoeng ho lula letsatsi le letsatsi. Moralo ona o leka-lekanya ergonomics, bobebe ba ponahalo le nepahalo ea sebopeho. Sebopeho sa lehong le tiileng se entsoe ka lehong la Jequitiba le lengoang bocha le fumanoang ka boikarabello, ka liphetoho tse boreleli le tse tsoellang pele lipakeng tsa maoto, setulo le setšehetsi sa mokokotlo. Setšehetsi sa mokokotlo se kobehileng se apesitsoe ka letlalo 'me se tataisa boemo ba 'mele ntle le mochine ofe kapa ofe oa ho fetola. Mekobo e latelang sebopeho sa 'mele le foam ea tšebetso e phahameng li fana ka boiketlo. Mochine oa indasteri o netefatsa nepahalo, athe ho phethela ka matsoho ho laoloang ho boloka botšepehi le ho tšoarella ha thepa.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award

Soli Setulo ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang haholo e fuoang meralo e ikhethang e tsejoang ka boqapi, bohlale ba ho qapa le bohlale. Bahapi ba Boronse ke lintho tse nang le bokhoni ka ho felletseng le boqapi bo hlollang tse tiisang boiphihlelo bo bongata, mohopolo le bokhoni ba ho iphumana ba baqapi ba tsona. Soli Setulo e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e nang le boprofeshenale bo bonahalang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa bonong, mahlaleng, moralong le theknolojing mme o hlahella ka ho tsepamisa maikutlo lintlheng tse nyenyane. Soli Setulo e kutloisisa litlhoko hantle, e ama litakatso, e hapa maikutlo mme e tsosa takatso ea ho tseba.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The chair explores the balance between ergonomics visual lightness and structural precision resulting in a contemporary piece with sculptural presence. Its solid wood structure features smooth and continuous transitions between legs seat and backrest highlighting craftsmanship and technical mastery. The curved leather upholstered backrest gently supports the body while precise stitching and hand finishing reinforce material integrity and the uniqueness of each piece.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width: 560 mm x Depth: 600 mm x Height: 840 mm. Height Seat: 460 mm.
Tags: Wooden chair, Sustainable design, Ergonomic chair, Contemporary furniture, Organic curves, Eco-friendly materials, Brazilian Furniture, Brazilian Culture.
Production Technology: The chair production is guided by sustainability and industrial efficiency. It uses responsibly sourced reforested Jequitiba wood and components designed to reduce waste throughout manufacturing. The seat incorporates curves that adapt to human anatomy combined with high performance foam for comfort and support. Industrial machining ensures precision and repeatability while controlled manual finishing preserves material integrity and durability.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was balancing ergonomics and form. Developing a continuous curved backrest capable of adapting to different bodies required extensive research, testing, and fine adjustments. Manufacturing the wooden structure demanded high technical precision to achieve organic forms and smooth transitions without compromising structural strength. Integrating wood and leather also required careful detailing to ensure durability, comfort, and consistent aesthetic quality in potential scaled production.
Research: This design project was developed through research into sustainable materials applied to contemporary furniture, combined with an understanding of function as an adaptive element responsive to different bodies and contexts. The design process integrated hand sketching, 3D modeling, and full-scale prototyping to refine form, structure, and ergonomics, particularly the backrest curvature. The combination of wood and leather references Brazilian modern furniture, positioning craftsmanship as the conceptual core of the object.
Inspiration: The Soli chair inspire by a synthesis of form, identity, and materiality. Its design is structured as a continuous gesture, in which seat and backrest are unified through a single curve. Each curvature is carefully dimensioned to accommodate diverse body types, reflecting the plurality of Brazilian culture. Inspired by traditional wooden furniture and natural elements such as branches and animal horns, the combination of wood and leather emphasizes material honesty, lightness, stability, and tactile comfort, enhancing the users sensorial experience.
Project Duration: The Soli chair was developed through close collaboration between designer and manufacturer with the objective of creating a chair that intuitively adapts to the human body. Completed in 2025 the project followed a rigorous development process with multiple prototypes ergonomic adjustments and formal refinements. The result is a contemporary chair that balances comfort aesthetic identity and production feasibility reflecting research collaboration and care in its creation.
Operation Flow: The chair works as a single, continuous gesture. The seat supports the body, while the curved backrest approaches like an embrace, intuitively guiding posture. There are no adjustments or mechanisms: comfort comes directly from the form itself, which naturally adapts to different body types. The wooden structure sustains this movement with lightness and stability, transforming the act of sitting into a natural, welcoming, and efficient everyday experience.
Patents: Unspecified
Team Members: João Demele – Designer

Juliano Schmidt and Rafael Schmidt – Project approval
Juliano Schmidt and Luiz Eduardo Bossardi – Execution and prototyping
Image Credits: Images developed by designer João Demele.