Alva Design

ALVA is a Brazilian design studio dedicated to furniture and objects, founded by the siblings Susana Bastos, artist and stylist, and Marcelo Alvarenga, architect. Their projects are the result of the meeting of these two perspectives, the architectural and the artistic, and express, in a balanced but vibrant way, the relationship between rationality and emotion, functionality and poetry, design and materiality. For ALVA, a piece of furniture – or an object – can be capable of transforming an environment and drawing attention to it; just as it can be discovered slowly, revealing its beauty and functionality little by little, for a closer look. "Protagonism" and "supporting roles" are a matter of personality, both can have aesthetic and functional qualities and fulfil their role in the composition of an environment and in people's lives. Soapstone and metals, which are abundant in Minas Gerais, the siblings' home state and the location of their studio, as well as various Brazilian woods, compose the majority of their pieces. Natural leather is also present in these compositions, and ALVA explores the different colour possibilities that this material offers. The mixture of different raw materials in the same product is a strong characteristic of the studio's creations. From the materials, the studio extracts the maximum aesthetic expressiveness and greater technical freedom of the craftsmanship. From rigorous and tireless drawing, well-honed shapes, proportions and compositions.