On the occasion of Milan Design Week, IED Roma Design is showcasing “All the lives of wood”, a project that examines the relationship between design and sustainability through a conscious use of wood.
Sustainable design for Riva at Fuorisalone 2025
Date
25 March 2025
This initiative is the outcome of a partnership between Riva, a well-established company specialising in solid wood processing, and Legambiente, with the aim of promoting an approach to design that is sensitive to the environment and the durability of materials. The project began with a contest aimed at 2nd year Product Design students, who were challenged to develop wooden objects with a sustainable approach. The participants worked on solutions that combined functionality and aesthetics, experimenting with new strategies to reduce waste and exploit the repurposing of materials in the production of furniture. The outcome is a collection of prototypes that demonstrates how design can bring together innovation and environmental responsibility. The result is an exhibition to be held from 8 to 13 April 2025 at the RivaViva showroom (Via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi 18, Milan), which will culminate with a special event on Thursday 10 April at 5 pm, during which a winning project (already produced by the company) will be presented with an award.
The projects on show
Each project on show expresses a personal interpretation of the material, transforming it into a functional and narrative element. Dear Joy, by Massimo Gentile, rethinks the concept of jewellery boxes with a modular design that lets you arrange rings, necklaces and bracelets visibly and neatly, without having to close them inside a container. An approach that turns tradition upside down, transforming the custody into exhibition. The same designer also presents Smart Organizer, a desk accessory designed to optimise work space, featuring compartments designed to hold everyday objects and keep things tidy. Gyra, by Tommaso M. O. Grasso, is an essential oil diffuser that combines craftsmanship and technology. The design evokes the childlike activity of spinning a top: a manual rotation adjusts the intensity of the fragrance, while the combination of natural materials and 3D printing gives rise to an object that stimulates touch and olfactory perception. Juke, by Giovanni Iannone, showcases vinyl as a furnishing element. A tilting system makes it possible to browse and select records with an intuitive gesture, while the covers remain visible, turning the music collection into an integral part of the domestic space. Eclipse, by Eraclea Lucia La Rocca, was inspired by the idea of a table that conceals and reveals. Inspired by the lunar eclipse, it plays on the contrast between open surfaces and closed sections, allowing space to be organised without disrupting the visual balance of the furniture. Onda, by Alessandro Randazzo, takes inspiration from the motion of the waves to produce a sideboard with surfaces that feature relief engravings. The sculpted texture interacts with the light, creating shadow effects that accentuate movement and make each reflection different depending on the point of observation. Finally, Twine, by Vittoria Trizzino, experiments with the combination of wood and fabric to create a light and dynamic storage system. The intertwining, inspired by African craftsmanship, establishes a versatile structure capable of adapting to different spatial requirements
Partners involved
The partnership with Riva allowed the students to engage with a company operating in the field of furniture and artistic woodworking, and to tackle a design path that included the stages of materials research, experimentation with different processing techniques and prototype development. Legambiente supported the initiative by conducting activities to raise awareness on responsible resource management, highlighting the importance of a conscious use of wood from the perspective of a circular economy.
*Ph. detail of Onda prototype by Alessandro Randazzo. Photograph by Antonio Cama
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