Architecture Awards 2020

BUILD 2020 Architecture Awards 32 Jul20567 Italian born London resident, Roberto Nicolo founded and has grown a multi-disciplinary studio that creates distinctly human products and experiences for some of the world’s most interesting and innovative companies. With fifteen years of demonstrated experience and award-winning success, Roberto’s designs combine functionality with emotion to create beautiful aesthetics. The studio recently launched Etherin, a new brand with a lighting product range, so we took a closer look to find out more, as well as highlight the ongoing success of Roberto Nicolo himself. ince moving to London and founding his own design studio, Roberto Nicolo has earned experience in designing brand environments and products of all types. His designs combine creative flair and functionality which feed into Roberto’s interest in how everyday objects have the capacity to move people. Roberto is a firm believer that design has the power to make life easier, but also much more enjoyable. Prior to founding his design studio, Roberto built up an in-depth knowledge of arts and design with an MSc in Industrial Product & Services Project Management, and a BA (Hons) in Industrial Design, as well as mastery of CAD, materials, and production techniques. Roberto brings extensive technical background to projects, whilst also offering unique and culturally-inspired insights. Crucially, he will always challenge the status quo and is not afraid to bring new ideas to the table. Roberto’s experience spans live events, trade show exhibitions, brand experiences, conferences, product launches, experiential activations, festivals, staging, product and lighting design. The consistent thread evident in all he does is the strong focus on customer experience. Design is about change and Roberto has his sights set on new things in the form of his new brand, Etherin. Etherin believes design can give life to a new language. It is a brand built around cultural potential and design character for liberal, curious, and socially-conscious people with an appreciation for tradition and the finer things in life. Etherin explores the world through design, working with talented artisans and finding ways to blend beauty into objects which protect cultural language. Etherin intertwines materials, artisanal tradition, environmentally-conscious technology, and manufacturing techniques. The result is truly beautiful objects. In that way, Etherin speaks the language of the world by designing and manufacturing objects of worldly blended beauty. s Best Exhibition & Event Design Studio 2020 - South East England To make objects that fulfil the vision that Roberto has for Etherin, the brand follows four key principles; exquisite traditional craftsmanship, best quality sustainable technology, perfect imperfections, and objects made by people. At the heart of every Etherin object is the incomparable knowledge and skill of traditional craft to promote culture and tradition. By blending these traditional techniques and skills with sustainable technology, Etherin creates objects which speak a new language of the world. A firm belief in the power of design and the determination of sustainable technology, as well as a stringent focus on quality, means a conscientious approach to how Etherin designs and selects energy-efficient, recyclable, and environmentally-friendly elements for its objects. Etherin understands that the world is not perfect but works to find the beauty in it. At least fifty percent of every object that Etherin produces is handmade by artisans specially selected from around the world. The brand steers clear of industrial manufacturing and instead chooses to support small and independent designers and manufacturers who bring their own unexpected imprecision to each object. Perfect imperfections are what Etherin calls the language of artisanal precision. No two Etherin objects are ever exactly the same, making every object bespoke to whoever owns it. From cultures around the world that inspire their design, to those who assemble them by hand in Italy, people are at the core of every Etherin object. Driven by ethical and worldly language, Etherin insists on products that are free from chemicals, made with natural organic materials, that blend perfectly with sustainable technology and are therefore never industrially reproducible. Etherin is proud to introduce its first product, Lomy. Lomy is an interpretation of the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon