Interview about 428 Candleholder, winner of the A' Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award 2024
The 428 candleholder is part of a Collection that is named 'Transitions' Collection Series. Its curvatures are formed all the way up from its square base transitioning to its octagonal tip. The 428 candleholder when positioned on a table serves not only as a home decor element but also resembles a miniature architectural piece due to its intricate geometrical design.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsStarting from a basic primitive, in this case a square, we wanted to progress to a more complicated one, while passing from all the in-between equilateral n-sided primitives without making the transitions obvious. All the shape transitions were solved in the 3D programme before any prototype was printed. To connect each shape with their neighbouring shape we have evaluated several curve progressions and decided on the most aesthetical results. While the transformations wouldn’t look as pleasing if the curves transitions were very linear, so we have later added some more twists in the direction of the curves midway throughout the progression.
The design’s concept evolving from a geometrical progression is giving it the architectural look. The Candleholder stands like a tall maquette of an architectural form. Initially, the design process started as a study. As the study evolved thoughout time, it made sense to assign this design to a candleholder for a tall candle, firstly because of it’s vertical form and secondly because it’s cubistic nature contrasts the candle’s soft and round form nicely.
Initially, the object was made out of polyurethane resin without a brass cup. Although we were making our customers aware (by using stickers with warning messages on the product) to not let the candles burn all the way till the very end, we had a few examples where this did happen and the tip of the candle holder ended up darkening from the candle’s flame. In order to prevent this from happening in the future, when we switched to Jesmonite as our choice of material, we decided to also incorporate a brass cup in order to prevent any damage from occurring to the candleholder’s tip finish. When switching to the second version with the brass tip we designed a mold that allowed us to insert the brass cup into it before the casting process.
Our experience with hard-surface modeling, particularly using lofted curves, was crucial in bringing the 428 Candleholder to life. This technique allowed us to make continuous refinements throughout the design process while receiving immediate feedback on how each change affected the form. CGI provided the flexibility to explore multiple variations of the design, giving us the ability to compare different iterations and select the one that best captured our vision. This iterative approach, coupled with the precision of digital tools, enabled us to fine-tune the design in ways that would have been much more challenging with traditional methods.
We chose this name because it’s playful. Although for anyone who is aware of the design logic behind it, it may seem obvious, anyone not aware of it might think it’s just a random number, since it’s not clear if it’s pronounced four to eight, four twenty eight or fourhundred and twenty eight. For the ones who fall under the second category we would like to think they will be very pleasantly surprised when realizing it later on. Also, we wanted to include in it’s naming the fact that this object is a study of a progression.
Initially, the digital design provided a precise and flexible foundation, allowing us to explore complex forms and geometric transitions. Once we decided on the final digital model and moved onto 3D printing, we gained the ability to quickly translate the digital concept into the physical model.After the 3D-printed prototype we moved onto making the mold out of silicone and 3D prints and later do castings. The combination of digital design and handcrafting—through both 3D printing and final casting—allowed us to retain the precision of the initial concept and with this production method we are able to translate our concepts into final castings.
We are very happy with the recognition we earned from A’ Design Awards and we are looking forward to pushing the boundaries even more, experimenting with more shapes and transitions. The award made us want to explore more into the concept and release more products under this collection.
In the transition between n-sided primitives, we took great care to avoid a direct, sharp connection between the corners of one shape and the corners of its neighbor. Instead, we allowed for a more fluid, organic progression. Rather than all edges originating from the corners, we deliberately designed most edges to fade out from one shape and gradually fade in from a different location as they lead into the next shape in the sequence. This subtle shift creates a smoother, more harmonious transition, where some corners may align, but the majority of the edges evolve in a way that feels natural, almost as if the forms are gently flowing into one another. The result is a delicate balance between continuity and change, where the progression is felt rather than immediately seen, creating a sense of movement and transformation within the design.
The 428 candleholder being one of the first objects in our catalogue was a very good starting point in order to go through all the necessary steps from design to final product and encouraged us to delve deeper into our next products that required more complicated molds.
The 428 Candleholder was a key starting point in establishing our approach to responsible manufacturing, and it has influenced the entire production pipeline for the objects that followed. We prioritize keeping the manufacturing process local, ensuring that each stage—from design to final product—occurs in close proximity. Specifically, for the 428 Candleholder, the digital tools used for design, the 3D printers that produced the prototype and mold shells, and the workshop where the silicone molds were made are all located just meters apart. The casting, finishing, and packaging processes follow the same local approach, minimizing transportation and reducing our overall carbon footprint. This proximity not only supports a more sustainable and efficient workflow but also strengthens the connection between design and craftsmanship, allowing for a high degree of quality control at every step. This model reflects our vision for responsible manufacturing—one that combines technology with local expertise to create products with a lower environmental impact.
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