Talks

23 Talks

The Home as a Therapeu –tic Tool

Davide Angeli AMDL Circle, Milan

25 AMDL Circle is a multidisciplinary studio founded by Michele De Lucchi, which is known for its humanistic approach to architecture, design and graphics. At Circle, we believe that research is the true foundation of architecture. For some years now, this research, free from commissions and direct assignments, is represented by the Earth Stations project: a new typology of buildings designed to promote human relationships. Over the course of the last year, our Earth Stations research has centered on the theme of living, with the goal of imagining a better home, a home in which everyone is able to build themselves. Despite technological evolution over the past few years, scientific discoveries, or changes in our way of life, the home remains above all a place of happiness. We would like to address the theme of housing with the assistance of psychology and sociology. The Earth Stations research on living has allowed us to reflect on what it means to be at home with the contribution of the psychologist Dr. Donatella Caprioglio, who has joined us on this journey. There is a very strong and direct link between us and our home: our home represents our body on a larger scale. Many elements of a home cannot change or need to be revisited because they are strongly linked to our deepest selves. We come into the world propelled by a libidinal drive: our life instinct. This instinct is what you see in a baby when it is born and immediately clings to the breast of its mother. When a baby is small and feeds from its mother, it is not even aware of its own body. Hence, the kitchen represents the most important space in the home: no matter how large or small, it is where the ritual of eating is consecrated. Afterwards, a child’s libidinal drive shifts to the anal area: in early life, the child develops proper sphincter control and starts discovering his or her own body. The bathroom is essential because this is where we take care of ourselves and our bodies. We close ourselves in and look at ourselves. In here, the functions of the body give us an indication of our health. The bathroom is, above all, the place where we enter into contact with water. Through water, we recall the intrauterine memory of that essential well-being that we had during the first period of life. In fact, Japanese baths often feature a very small tub in which you can stay in the fetal position, with hot water up to your shoulders. In many such bathrooms there is a window overlooking a garden or an ikebana: water, beauty and nature relax us completely.

26 Finally, as the child grows older, the libidinal drive shifts to the genitals: it is actually this erotic function that connects us to life. It is this period in which the child begins to discover the body of the other. This is represented by the bedroom, which is a place dedicated to the intimate relationship with the other. The principal rooms for the vital physiological functions are therefore the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom. After that, there is always a need for an entryway to a home. The doorway is important because it is the passageway between the outside and inside worlds. The internal world represents the privacy of our hearts: we need a space that filters between these two worlds, a space that does not immediately expose the interior of the house. Then there is a room for conviviality: the living room. This is where we show ourselves without really being seen. It is the room that is perhaps the least intimate, but the one that is most representative of the way we want to be perceived by others: it serves as our business card. Hallways are also very important. In modern homes, they have often been eliminated, but they function symbolically as an umbilical cord between rooms. They are transitions from one state to another. We do need transactional spaces. The windows or a garden, terrace or balcony give us the opportunity to look outside, to not feel closed in. We always need to have an outside perspective, to direct our gaze far away. We can also place some plants on the terrace, in the garden or on the balcony. Putting one’s hands into the earth is very therapeutic: removing a dead leaf and seeing that another flower is born is fundamental, because it completes that human need to feel a communion with becoming, with nature. Finally, there is the closet, which is essential for hiding our frailties. No house can be home without a space to hide our weaknesses: not just the broom and detergents, but also our imperfections.

27

Design –ing with techno –logy

Matteo Loglio Oio Studio, London

29 Matteo Loglio is a product and interaction designer, currently a founder and director at the London-based studio oio. During this talk, he presented his work from the early beginnings as a design student, all the way to his most recent projects as a founder at oio studio. The talk started with a reflection of the designer’s role in the ever-growing technology industry, where the presenter has been working for the past ten years. He says that designers working in this field always have to balance creative and design skills with a solid understanding of science and technology, without being dragged towards one end of the spectrum, or the other. One of the challenges of being a designer in this day and age is to simplify and bring clarity to complex subjects, turning them into beautiful artifacts - being these product interactions, graphic languages, or furniture pieces. In the context of technology and interaction, this challenge takes the form of understanding complex systems, that are often unknown to the designer herself, in order to turn them into a creative medium. This process is not always linear and it often requires a multi-disciplinary understanding across fields beyond the traditional design skillset. Matteo Loglio used his most recent work with artificial intelligence as an example, where he had to study this complex subject across science, engineering and even philosophy, to be able to then use it as a creative medium in his design practice. Another example of this process is the project “Primo”, that Matteo Loglio created during his studies at MAInd, a master of advanced studies in interaction design in Lugano. The project started as an exploration into tangible interfaces in the context of early years education. The outcome of the course was “Primo - a toy for children” designed to teach programming logic fundamentals, through play. The product was composed of a toy car and a tangible programming language that children had to use to drive the car through a series of challenges. The most challenging aspect of the project was to make a subject as complex as programming logic, simple and clear so that a 4 year-old child could understand it. The project was further developed as a commercial product, through the London-based company “Primo Toys”, that Matteo Loglio founded with his previous business partner Filippo Yacob. The company turned the prototype into a real commercial product that is currently sold all over the world and used by millions of children every day. The product launched on the Kickstarter crowdfunding website in 2013, then again in 2016,

30 collecting more than 1.6 million US dollars, making it the most funded ed-tech product on the platform. Across the years the product collected some of the most high-profile design awards, such as Red Dot Design award, Cannes Lion and D&AD pencil, and was displayed in galleries and museums around the world, such as MoMA in New York, V&A in London, or Triennale in Milan. The presentation then moved towards the subject of artificial intelligence, and how that is becoming a subject of research and creation for the presenter. One of the projects designed by Matteo Loglio included Natural Networks - a series of floating buoys across the London canals, connected to an artificial intelligence that was designed to write poetry from the point of view of the canal. Another example is NSYNTH SUPER, a musical instrument using a machine learning algorithm to generate new sounds, designed at Google Creative Lab, where the presenter worked for three years. The presentation followed with a reflection about artificial intelligence in the creative context, how it is currently a very popular technology, but mostly considered as an analytical and functional tool. The creative challenge for designers is to start using this new medium as an emotional and domestic tool as well, and also working with product companies to develop new artifacts to make it more accessible. New emerging technologies are typically used by their creators as a means for profit, often exploiting users that do not have the necessary knowledge to understand the underlying mechanics. It’s a designer’s responsibility to make these more transparent and accessible for the general public. This is what Matteo Loglio is doing through his new venture oio - a creative company working on the next chapter of emerging technologies, by making them more accessible, affordable and ultimately sustainable for everyone. Oio works with large organizations such as Google, Ikea or Arduino, all the way to smaller startups like Pigzbe or Airpop, developing future products and concepts. In addition to third-party design services, oio is also working on their own products. They recently released oio.radio, an online web radio where anyone is free to stream worldwide for free, without any infrastructure, or Fairculator, a tool to calculate progressive VAT, for a fairer distribution of wealth. Currently their most ambitious project is Roby - an AI creative director, running its own social media accounts and chatbots on the oio Discord server. The talk ended with a reflection about the role of designers across technology, a medium which is often

31 viewed with skepticism in the design practice, especially by more traditional professionals. The presenter showed many examples of the creative, artistic and poetic power that technology can have, and he encouraged the audience to start researching and creating, as there hasn’t been a better time to start, such as now.

From Arteluce to Astep: A His –tory of Evolution and Respect

Alessandro Sarfatti Astep, Copenhagen

I like to think that “evolution” is one of the words that best describes Astep. This word immediately evokes evolution of the species. It implies a gradual transformation. The dictionary also provides the following definition: a series of precisely ordered movements. In other words, small steps forward. A small step forward. A step. Astep. Astep’s evolution is related to [1] my own personal history, [2] the philosophy of the project and [3] the company concept: 1] My paternal grandfather, Gino Sarfatti, is recognized as one of the pioneers in the world of lighting, in Italy and now also around the world. He founded the company Arteluce in 1939, which became a reference point for the sector in the 1950s and 1960s. His pieces can be found in museums, and today are sold in galleries and auction houses for significant sums of money. He defined himself as an “artisan of light,” and post-war Italy was very fertile ground for high-quality craftsmanship. My grandfather did not draw lamps, he planned and built them. Then in 1978, my father Riccardo founded Luceplan together with my mother Sandra Severi and Paolo Rizzatto, with the idea of making “beautiful things for the many” of Bauhausian memory; that is, creating a product that is always innovative but with a more industrial dimension. The dream was to deliver the best of the best to the greatest number of people at the lowest cost (citing Charles Eames). Luceplan was sold to Philips in 2010. 2] The common thread that unites these companies is their approach towards design – an approach based on research and experimentation. The will to create something new. Not revolutionary, but a small step forward in a direction. Whether a new light source, technology or a material used in other sectors that can be used for the development of a new lamp, the desire is to explore new concepts, new solutions in packaging, as well as in communications, distribution and working methods. Seeking to evolve in some way. To advance, taking small steps. 3] Astep is a company of our time. As I’ve said, Arteluce was a business that reflected Italy in the 1950s and 1960s, while Luceplan was an expression of the 1980s and 1990s. Astep was born and developed in this present era. Ours is a digital age, characterized by high speed, which has both positive and negative consequences. Such speed is a double-edged sword.

34 It provides us with tools that simplify our lives and make previously unthinkable things possible. At the same time, though, it also redefines human being, and reverses situations with respect to a humanity accustomed to a slower pace of change. Baricco describes this very well in his book The Game. Astep has decided to operate on the basis of 3 pillars that we’ve called:

Design Legacy

Accessible Technology

Sustainability

Design Legacy I already spoke about my background, the fact that Astep is the third company created in our family, and also about how we view design. Let me quote from Dieter Rams, who summarizes our design vision very nicely: “Good design is innovative. Good design must be useful. Good design is aesthetic design. Good design makes a product understandable. Good design is honest. Good design is unobtrusive. Good design is long-lasting. Good design is consistent in every detail. Good design is environmentally friendly. And last but not least, good design is as little design as possible.” Our products are created with respect for originality and history. By creating and curating timeless designs, we aspire to continuously create new stories. Stories that tie together our legacy and the rapidly evolving technology whilst maintaining respect for our surroundings.

Accessible Technology In the world we’re living in today, it is easy to share knowledge – and with that knowledge-sharing comes the availability of technologies that before were only available to the few. Technology is engrained in our DNA. It inspires creativity and new possibilities that connect both past and future. At Astep, we research new technologies, and find novel uses for established technologies – that are not usually applied to lighting design. By this process of combining unexpected elements, we create new timeless inventions. We are focusing primarily on portability. The two components that enable us to think about cord-free lamps are LED light sources and batteries. Technology is advancing greatly in both of these areas. We believe that an increasingly efficient light source (these days, it’s possible to produce the same amount of light with one watt as it was 20 years ago with about eight watts), together with similarly efficient batteries, makes a perfect combination

Sustainability The third pillar upon which Astep stands is sustainability. We consider it essential, and not something that can be delayed, to put respect at the center of our decision-making processes. Sustainability is, for us, an attitude. More specifically, it is an act of respect that must be reflected in every decision we make. Respect for the environment isn’t the only issue on which we focus. But 360° respect. Respect for those who work with us, our suppliers, our customers and all the interested parties with whom we come into contact – from packaging design that limits the use of disposable plastic to the fact that our lamps are designed to be timeless. For this reason, we applied for the B Corp Certification in late 2019. Thus, we have taken the necessary step to avoid our efforts being washed away in the greenwash revolution. By applying for the certification, we have an extraordinary opportunity to look at our company from a 360° view. Thus, we are able to locate areas where we are already meeting the highest standards, but more importantly, where we can improve in order to have an even bigger positive impact on our surroundings. It is a diligent process as it investigates every aspect of our organization, which allows us to continuously try to do even better in every aspect; whether it is for our people, products or planet. Becoming B Corp certified is a commitment to our continuous improvement to redefine our business. As long as we continue moving towards something that is more meaningful, more substantial, more relevant; every step is valuable and deserves the same consideration and respect. This is the very core of Astep. To me, the essence of evolution is to capture the best of what has been and let it evolve into the heart of what is to come.