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Breakdown by Louie Rigano

Louie Rigano is a recent graduate of RISD who studied industrial design and environmental studies. He is currently living in Japan on a Fulbright scholarship where he will learn traditional Japanese design philosophy and aesthetics and their role in modern design and culture. The first collection that has come out of his current studies is called Breakdown, a series of simple yet functional pieces that focus on structure.

From the designer:

Nothing lasts forever. As resources become increasingly scarce, we, as a society, must learn to live with less. Breakdown serves as a demonstration, as well as a call to arms, that less is beautiful and can also work better. There is nothing extraneous or unnecessary; the pure aesthetic is the sole outcome of the objects’ function and purpose. The series is composed of a shelf, a stool, and a tray table, that explore three methods of creating (and dismantling) structure: peg, lock, and wedge. Joinery takes a backseat to alternative methods of construction that require no tools for assembly. The shelf uses pegs that hold up the shelves, which can be easily rearranged. The stool utilizes a square seat that sits locked in place between four notched legs. The ‘H’ shaped leg pieces are slightly torqued inward which holds the seat in tension. The ‘X’ shaped crossbeams also lock in place. The tray table implements a crossbeam that locks in place and two triangulated leg pieces. The tray top’s two angled rectangular openings get wedged onto the top of the legs; this creates two handles that make the piece easy to carry and move about. The tray top can also be detached and used for serving. Japanese Oak is the chosen material, used primarily for it’s strength which makes the use of thin elements possible.

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.