Emiliano Godoy
Sustainable design isn’t merely a catchphrase for Mexico City–based industrial designer Emiliano Godoy. The density and environmental tensions of the megalopolis he calls home have both challenged and inspired him to pursue responsible design decisions with his firm, Godoylab, and eco-friendly production practices with Pirwi, the furniture company he launched with Alejandro Castro in 2007.
Ideal working environment:
A quiet place with no cell-phone reception or email that has an amazing coffee machine, shortbread cookies, and great hi-fi audio equipment.
Lucky break:
Still waiting.
Dream commission:
A well-funded, open-ended project about biological-material exploration for design.
Hero:
Buckminster Fuller. I really think designers and architects should revisit the idea of “Spaceship Earth” more often.
Antihero:
Lee Iacocca. So much talent going into the wrong industry.
Irritating buzzword:
“Carbon offset.” It should be mandatory and we should call it a “carbon tax” instead of making it sound like an indulgence that can be bought for absolution.
The Canasta, created in 2008 for Nouvel Studio.
Highest compliment:
“I majored in industrial design after hearing your lecture.”
A book:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared M. Diamond. The relationships he draws between a society’s behavior and the most basic characteristics of its surrounding environment are enlightening when thinking about design and its change-inducing potential at the design and specification stages.
A film:
The Boss of It All, by Lars von Trier. I only saw this 2006 film a few months ago, and I think that the idea of asking oneself out loud—–in the middle of a meeting—–“What would my character do now?” is hilarious!
The Flex Stool, designed in 2007 and manufactured by Pirwi.
An album:
Homónimo, by Petróleo. It’s my own band, so I’m cheating here.
“Eureka!” moment:
When I understood that there really is no such place as away, just out of sight.
Worst-ever idea:
Never working under someone else before starting my own design office. I would’ve learned so much and saved a ton of money and time.
Best advice:
Be patient. You will hear stories about instant success and heavenly intervention, but it’s a long race and there are no shortcuts, so enjoy the ride.
When not designing:
Dining with my wife, Jimena, or biking around town to try out new pastry shops.
"The Chair", in oak and tan leather, created by Hans Wegner in 1949.
Best seat in the house:
Hans J. Wegner’s PP501 from 1949. It’s still “the chair.” Also Louise Campbell’s Bille Goes Zen, although I haven’t sat on it yet
Wish I had:
Taken business administration classes at school or studied for an MBA. Juggling a design office and a furniture- manufacturing plant with no formal business training is really hard, if not just plain stupid.
Looking forward to:
More hours of sleep!
Articles
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Emiliano Godoy on Knitted Pieces
I am really interested in pieces made using vegetable-based, biodegradable materials.
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101 Product Design
We’re surrounded by legions of products, most of them unremittingly lousy. What separates the good from the bad from the ugly? Take out your well-designed pencils for Product Design 101.
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Graphic Design: Project Projects
Manhattan-based Project Projects may be a graphic design studio, but it works in all dimensions, on the page and off. Founded by Prem Krishnamurthy and Adam Michaels in 2004, the firm designs…
Products
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Emiliano Godoy
Sustainable design isn’t merely a catchphrase for Mexico City–based industrial designer Emiliano Godoy. The density and environmental tensions of the megalopolis he calls home have both…
-
Emiliano Godoy
Sustainable design isn’t merely a catchphrase for Mexico City–based industrial designer Emiliano Godoy. The density and environmental tensions of the megalopolis he calls home have both…
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Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects
I very recently got my grandmother's old sewing machine up and running (huzzah!) and have been on the lookout for some neat projects to get me stitching. Lotta Jansdotter is an icon of DIY design…
Dwell Collections
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Scandinavian Designed
Having just returned from a trip to Copenhagen, I have Scandinavian design on the brain. Though the region arguably experienced its golden era in the mid-20th century, with the work of icons like…
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7 London Products We Love
The London Design Festival kicked off Saturday, and we, like the rest of the design world, is waiting with bated breath to see who shows up and what comes out of this year's events. Our own Dwell…
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Geigy's Graphic Design
Design Musem Zurich's current show Good Design, Good Business showcases the great graphic design from 1940-1970 of the Swiss chemical company Geigy.
Tip
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How to Build a Lighting Concept
I’m a fan of floor lighting plus a couple of small table lamps for the living room. Use ambient lighting and low-wattage warm bulbs to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Videos
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Universal Design: Public Restrooms
In the first video of a two-part series, New York–based firm Smart Design examines the intersection between Universal Design principles and the limitations of public bathrooms.
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Emerging Designer: Louise Campbell
The Danish designer Louise Campbell has animated Royal Copenhagen and other traditional brands with a playful, experimental spirit.
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Emerging Designer: Jason Miller
The first subject in our emerging designers series, Jason Miller draws on threadbare bits of Americana, serving up something entirely new with a sly, subversive spin.
Events
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Design USA: Contemporary Innovation
This exhibition features outstanding contemporary achievements in American architecture, landscape design, interior design, product design, communication design, corporate design, interaction…
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Planning India: From Chandigarh to NanoCity
swissnex San Francisco invites a panel of experts to discuss the past and future of urban planning in India, highlighting two examples: Chandigarh, a city mandated by the Nehru government in the…
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Design Real
Design Real, curated by Konstantin Grcic and designed in collaboration with Alex Rich and Jürg Lehni, is the first design-focused show to be presented at the Serpentine Gallery…
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