Introducing

Traditional in form yet experimentalist in nature, Gonçalo Prudêncio’s work is developed with a special focus on sustainable issues combined with his very own standpoint on design.

What was your first project?
It was an idea I had for a door-handle. The main concept was to go beyond 'form follows function' and integrate feeling in the equation. Therefore, I was very interested on the surface (skin) of the object, and how it could generate both a tactile and visual sensation. Unfortunately, the project had to be abandoned before production.

Where does your inspiration come from?
From life and the people in it.

What’s your design process?
To approach design as the collaborative production of (eco)systems, where the product is only the tip of the iceberg of a far more complex system of interactions and interferences.

What are you planning to work on next?
I have different things in the horizon, but among them there's one very dear to me. It's called Frigo, and it's basically an ecological alternative to a regular fridge. Three years ago I decided to give up using mine and designed a cooling container built from different materials that doesn't need electricity and it works great! I'm undergoing the design phase, and looking for producers to charm with this idea.

City of Residence Sintra, Portugal
Age 35
Education Faculty of Architecture in Lisbon and Politecnico di Milano
Motto Dreamality (dream + reality)
Favourite quote Time is how you spend your love (Zadie Smith)
Best advice received Take events in your life seriously; take work seriously; don’t take yourself seriously.
Best tip for designers The "richer" your life is, the "richer" your work will become. Live!
Three things every designer needs Even easier, only two things are needed: a heart and a brain.
Newest addition to your studio A Wave System stereo by Bose.
First design that inspired you This might not be the first, but it has been a reference to me though time: Wishbone Chair by Hans J. Wegner.

Photos courtesy of Gonçalo Prudêncio.