Category: Blog

Antonio Larosa is a designer and educator who has been featured in many publications around the world . His work has been featured in Domus, Interior Design, Interni, Fast Company, Vogue, Contract Magazine, Design Journal, Furniture Today, Java, The Daily Mail, Desert Living, Home Fashion magazine, Taiwan News, Il Giornale Promosedia, Giornale Dell’ Arredamento, CNBC, Club System International, Gente Motori, The Business Journal, Gap Casa, Die Tischlerfachrift, European Home & Garden, Taburet, Home Decor Buyer, Office Layout magazine and may others. Over the years his work has been also featured on national television shows such The Apprentice on NBC and many other US and European news channels.

“Thank you so much to all those publications that have asked me for images and interviews over the years. Now is the time to move forward quietly and diligently to serve the people in need of a lovely chair to sit down for a coffee or in need of a practical bench at the park to rest and chat with friends  …It’s time for more design and less shine!”.  Antonio Larosa

 

 

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Created for public spaces, the GT bench design was inspired by the Palazzo Terragni located Lissone, Italy. The building (pictured below) was designed in 1938 by the master of Rationalist architecture, Giuseppe Terragni.  The clean design of the bench, the selection of materials and finishes are blending together exceptionally. At first glance the bench even looks like a miniature Palazzo Terragni.  Larosa named the bench GT in honor of the rationalist architect and the city of Lissone but this product is also a masterpiece of sustainability as well. The simple armrest/handle is a universal design detail added to facilitate the use of the bench for the elderly or disabled …a useful aid to sit down and get up from the seat and -at the same time- allows two elderly people to sit next to each other (something that would not be possible in a traditional bench with arms located at both ends). Structure made of solid aluminum, seat made of composite wood slats or man-made stone. Antonio Larosa designed the GT bench from recycled materials and to be completely recyclable! …but seriously, who wants to convert into reusable material such a beauty? Buy GT and keep it forever!

 

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What is biophilic design?

The word “Biophilia” was first introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm who stated that biophilia is the “passionate love of life and of all that is alive…whether in a person, a plant, an idea, or a social group” in his book The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness in 1973.

Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. Used at both the building and city-scale, it is argued that this idea has health, environmental, and economic benefits for building occupants and urban environments.

Biophilic design is argued to have a wealth of benefits for building occupants and urban environments through improving connections to nature. For cities, many believe the biggest proponent of the concept is its ability to make the city more resilient to any environmental stressor it may face. In furniture design, the first Biophilic collection was designed by Antonio Larosa in 2011 for Florida-based Benchmark Contract Furniture. Isola is a unique modular seating system specifically designed for public areas such as lobbies, airports and shopping centers. The distinctive, flexible design allows for incorporation of a plants into the seatings and allow architects and interior designers create indoor “forests” in any public space.

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For those of you who know me well, you know my passion for designing furniture that fosters relationships instead of isolation. I always believe that good design can encourage people to want to interact …and what better than a picnic table is able to represent true socialization in public areas? Meet Granada, designed in Arizona for Florida-based Benchmark Contract Furniture.

The main idea behind the Granada table was to design a sleek product that can be used both inside and outside in cafes, open-space offices, restaurants, schools and colleges, etc…Stylish enough to be used indoors and strong enough to be used (and withstand the abuse of) outdoors as a traditional picnic table. No sharp corners …only friendly, eye appealing rounded details. Place this table inside an office (maybe with a bunch of plants) and it will certainly feel like you are working at the park with your colleagues!

 

Granada was designed specifically for public spaces and is built in North America using the most advanced technology in furniture production. A sublimation process was used to give the metal a warm wood appearance.

 

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