The Italian office focuses on design that narrates what the “after” might be like
The multi-award winning Italian noa* network of architecture, an established presence at the Archiproducts Design Awards, is again part of the prestigious panel of jurors for the 2021 Awards.
Lukas Rungger and Stefan Rier, founders of the young team of architects and designers at noa*, are the subjects of our weekly appointment with the 2021 ADA jury.
What do they expect from this year’s entries? What is their personal vision of the near future of design? Let’s see what they have to say.
Interview with noa* network of architecture, on the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards jury
What do you expect from the entries, and what characteristics should the winning products have?
We will be looking for entries with a vision that gives us an idea of what comes ‘next’.
How should contemporary design evolve to meet the needs of the community?
The enormous amount of information and visual input we are fed these days can be difficult – if not impossible – to process.
Contemporary design should be efficient, easy to achieve and simple to use. Design should make our lives less cluttered and enable us to make better use of our spare time.
In the post-pandemic era, how can design define a ‘new normal’?
Design can define a ‘new normal’ by making it look like the ‘old normal’, at least in part.
How do you think the pandemic has affected design?
Our daily lives have changed enormously over the last year. Some things will go back to how they were, while others may never be the same again. Products and objects shape the way we live our daily lives. We are eager to see how they react to the changed parameters and anticipate the future challenges that might arise because of what we have gone through.
About noa* network of architecture
noa* network of architecture is a young team of architects and designers led by founders Lukas Rungger and Stefan Rier. They are based in Bolzano and, as of April 2018, in Berlin.
The office explores and examines interdisciplinary design methods, constantly evolving according to the nature and needs of every project. They pursue the concept of ’emergence’, according to which everything is perceived as much greater than the sum of its parts, and deploy a holistic approach and strategy – central to how noa* conceives design.
‘We increasingly equate our work to conducting an orchestra made up of many different talents’ – Lukas Rungger.
Exploring ‘genius loci’ – analysing the soul of a place, space or context – is the recurring theme underlying the philosophy and methodology of holistic design. The choice of materials, reduction to the essential in construction, conscious contact with the landscape are all critical aspects for noa*.
Every project is viewed as an intense learning process, with an in-depth analysis of the ‘lost and found’ essential to all aspects of design, along with looking back to understand traditional culture and forward to devise contemporary ways to improve modern life.
Before starting any design, noa* looks for traces – the unique characteristics of a particular place or anything that needs to be preserved or highlighted.
“…we conceived noa* as an open laboratory, where experimentation and curiosity are the driving forces. ‘Limits’ are our constant companions, which we try to move, break and erase.” – Lukas Rungger.
The call for entries for the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards is now closed.
The jurors called upon to vote on the entries for the award’s sixth edition are now ready to assess key aspects of innovative, ethical and sustainable design.
The jury’s vote will lead to the definition of an initial longlist, a selection of proposals that will participate in the final stage of the Award.
The winners will be selected from the longlist and announced during the first week of November.
Monastero, ph. Alex Filz
Floris, ph. Alex Filz
Ötzi Peak 3251m, pf. Alez Filz
Apfelhotel Torgglerhof, ph. Alex Filz
Gloriette Guesthouse, pf. Alez Filz
Hotel Hubertus, ph. Alex Filz