This was a two-week design workshop hosted by Studio X Rio, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the students from Central Saint Martins have been working together with students from PUC-Rio university, local architects, artists and designers.

 

The workshop produced furniture designs and full-scale prototypes for Jongo da Serrinha, a local NGO. The organisation is dedicated to promoting culture, educating the youth and preserving traditional African-Brazilian jongo music. It is in the process of building ‘Jongo’s House’, a new headquarters to host its activities.

We have been asked to consider the ways domestic furniture can engage the public by creating comfort and intimacy. The designs and prototypes also needed to be creative, low-cost and practical.

 

We have developed our design around the words of broadcasting, playing and teaching. Our main concept was to create a playful tool which functions as an instrument therefore it can send the message to a wider audience and invite people to the school.