bravo! founder Rodrigo Bravo talks about his design process, what inspires him, and last but not least, his intricate and highly functional products.

bravo! is a specialty design house and manufacturer of interior products, furniture, and equipment in Santiago, Chile. “It’s a family business that we started along with my brother and his wife nine years ago,” explains Rodrigo. “We started as a design studio focused basically on hand made, fine, and simple wooden furniture.” The next few years took bravo! in many exiting and different directions including interior architecture projects for hotels, work spaces, and restaurants. But from its inception, bravo!’s mission was simple: create pieces that are functional and minimal and fit seamlessly into our day-to-day lives.

By combining the traditional with the technological advanced bravo! produced its container collections, La Familia and BASE. Rodrigo tells KNSTRCT, “The design process is centered by focusing our work in local resources, both materials and technical aspects through innovative products.” bravo! prides itself on its devotion to craftsmanship, which seems to be disappearing in the global market—“We try to make our designs a vehicle for local sustainability: cultural, social and economical.” The company is committed to their work and strong beliefs in a harmonious development process.

The container collections, BASE and La Familia, were created for everyday use. The containers are multifunctional, range in sizes and shapes, and are made of Lenga wood and copper. Rodrigo and co. decided on Lenga wood because it is sustainable and from the forests of Patagonia. Copper is one of Chile’s main exports. It is a metal that locals are very comfortable manipulating and is native to the country thus providing the BASE and La Familia collection its sense of heritage and tradition.

Rodrigo is continuously inspired by his homeland. He is proud of his company’s understanding of the materials they work with. Rodrigo connects with his customers by allowing space for the final user to interact with his object and provide feedback. He creates, “A kind of bridge that gives the users a space for decisions and definitions on the objects that we design.” This continuous loop of dialogue allows for a more effective creative design process.

Sometimes this process leads to more questions than answers but nevertheless, bravo! always follows through on its design mission: simple ideas, local development, and innovation.

Photography: bravo!