If there is any positive effect of the new crown epidemic, it is probably that it has caused many people to re-examine their hearts and calm down to think about what is most important in life. In the past two years, working and studying at home has become a norm. Busy contemporary people may never have a deep understanding of the environment we live in and the power and emotions that its design and furnishings can carry. What we once took for granted may be overthrown and given a new definition; and what we did not take for granted will gradually emerge as important.
"Supreme" has always supported local Canadian creative workers with words and stories. In 2022, when the haze of the epidemic seems to be about to dissipate, we reconnected with the design firms we visited many years ago—Odami and Alissa Coe Studio. The foundation of society is made up of people, and we hope to help them establish a deeper connection with Chinese readers through the form of revisiting. It also aims to explain to non-designers how, in the eyes of designers, how the epidemic will change people's perception and dependence on design.
About Odami: "Supreme" was the first print media to interview Odami Design Studio and write an article, that was in 2019. At the time, Odami's interior design for Toronto restaurant Sara caught our attention, with a table full of ingenuity. It is a great honor to witness Odami's continuous growth and innovation in recent years. The studio was founded in 2017 by Spanish architect Aránzazu González Bernardo and Canadian designer Michael Norman Fohring. Odami focuses on creating individual buildings and interior spaces that create a deeper connection with the place and the owner, thereby giving users a sense of belonging. They believe that each project has a unique character, and embody and amplify these qualities through a continuous exploration of materials, craftsmanship and light, so as to give buildings and spaces a timeless beauty.
About Alissa Coe Studio: Clay Turned into Poetry——A dandelion pendant made by Alissa Coe Studio was glimpsed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto by chance, using ceramics but showing feather-like lightness. Entrance by Alissa Coe, Matias Silva. Coe from Toronto is currently living with Silva in a house with a history of more than 300 years in Piemonte, northern Italy. Over the years, this house has been the home of several craftsmen, and Coe and Silva hope to continue its story and tradition by using this house built on the hillside as a studio. The quiet environment, flowers and trees of various shapes, the singing of birds in the ear…everything in nature is the source of inspiration for the studio, which makes the ceramics and stoneware made by Alissa Coe Studio reveal a kind of peaceful power.
ODAMI
“The pandemic forced people to really look, feel, and be a bit more in touch with their surroundings.”
Supreme: Our last interview was in 2019. What changes have Odami studios made in recent years?
Odami: When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, we were still a relatively new studio that had been in operation for less than 2 years. Somehow, COVID-19 became a catalyst for our growth and had a materially significant impact on the way we operate our business. One of the key realizations during this period was the importance of working with clients who shared our design vision. For anyone starting a business, especially if you have few contacts in your city, the first goal is to find clients, job opportunities, slowly expand your portfolio, and move on. As you develop, you realize that just as important as the work is finding clients who share the same vision — or even more so — in order to do quality work and grow in meaningful ways.
When the pandemic first hit, we were lucky to work with very good clients. However, due to delays caused by the epidemic, and material shortages due to supply chain issues, etc., the deep relationship we have built has also been shaken. As self-employed entrepreneurs, we have a natural tendency to "get impatient" – you always want everything to happen very fast. But the pandemic has forced us to learn how to deal with delays and accept that sometimes things are beyond our control. Along the way, we've become more aware that it's our shared passion for the project that keeps these relationships thriving despite the difficulties we're constantly facing. Without that — without a real alignment of opinion, and without a real ability to work closely and with mutual respect — the process is going to be very difficult. Because of this, we've become very careful to only take on projects that are an obvious fit, which in the end makes all parties more happy. It was hard at first, but learning to let go of unsuitable clients is probably one of the most important lessons we've learned during the pandemic. The uncertainty brought about by the epidemic has taught us to face problems more proactively and turn challenging situations into opportunities.
Supreme: During the COVID-19 pandemic, contact and travel between people has become very difficult. How have you managed to work with clients and partners during this time?
Odami: That's one of our biggest fears, especially in the beginning, when everything is unknown. In an effort to be accountable and respectful to the people we work with, we agreed early on to organize most of our meetings online and meet only when absolutely necessary. Surprisingly, we realized that some online meetings are actually more productive than meeting in person. For example, being able to share the screen via video call, and view drawings, share details, etc., turned out to be much easier than meeting online. It also saves everyone time as we are able to avoid driving. Currently, we schedule some online meetings and some in-person meetings, depending on what is being discussed.
Zhizun: How do you think the epidemic will affect the future architecture and design industry?
Odami: From what we’ve seen in our own work, it’s clear that the concept of home has really expanded its meaning and people are asking for it differently – a lot of people have rethought what they need in their current home, which Meaning their wish list of ideal home design will change as well. Such shifts appear to be part of a larger social trend. Our traditional definition of home, as well as the definition of office space, school, restaurant, etc., have become more open, and they have the possibility of being reinterpreted, because the lives of all people have changed greatly. The epidemic has forced the field of architecture and design to really question many preconceived notions about our lives and to adapt to the fact that many aspects of our lives are increasingly intertwined. Of course, whether such a multifaceted state of life is something to be celebrated is open to debate.
Supreme: Do you think the relationship between human beings and design and architecture has changed because of the epidemic?
Odami: I think there's a greater awareness of how important design actually is, on many levels—whether it's aesthetics or functionality. During the epidemic, many people work and live at home. It can be said that our house has become our world during such a special period, making its design a real focus. Design does have a direct impact on human well-being, whether it is the pleasure that pleasing objects and spaces can provide, or the impact of often overlooked functional considerations such as light, ventilation, privacy, or storage on mental health . The pandemic has forced people to really see, feel, and connect more with their surroundings.
Supreme: Nowadays people are facing so many uncertainties, what can design bring us?
Odami : Design has the potential to offer us a lot, or rather limitless, considering how important it is to every aspect of our lives – from the large scale of buildings to the small objects and furniture. Over the past few years, many fields of design have undergone increasing scrutiny and rethinking, and in their own way grapple with social issues such as instability, unaffordable housing, inflation, etc., while giving sustainable , inclusiveness and other issues more consideration. But we are quite optimistic about the future. Designers are creative and design is essentially about questioning and breaking the status quo. When thoughtful design is executed correctly, it has the power to truly improve the quality of life. Design can give us hope and make a real difference in our lives.
Alissa Coe Studio
“Although we may be physically distant from one another, we all bound together in a very real way.”
Supreme: It has been three years since our last interview. What changes has Alissa Coe Studio made in these few years?
Alissa Coe Studio: "Evolution" is a good choice to describe how our work has changed over the years. As always, our pieces are still very much inspired by nature, but some of our work has expanded to larger sizes, or new materials such as stoneware. We made a series of sculptural vases over 1 meter tall for the renovated Park Hyatt Toronto, and it was so exciting to make such a large piece of art!
Of course, we continued to do small pieces, but we also started exploring stoneware with colors inspired by Pietra di Langa, a natural stone from the Piemonte region of Italy where we are located. Unlike our mostly white porcelain, stoneware can come in subtle shades of gray or earth, or even a very bold black.
Supreme: Previously, your sources of inspiration mostly came from nature, which is why you chose to settle in Piemonte, Italy. Has the new crown epidemic affected your design style or artistic language?
Alissa Coe Studio: We are very fortunate to be able to survive the epidemic in this peaceful paradise. Since our studio is in the mountain house where we live, surrounded by the forested hills of this rural area, our daily lives have been far less affected by the pandemic than those who live in the city. But the pandemic has certainly strengthened our connection to the region and further cemented the central place nature holds in our work.
Supreme: What is the biggest impact or challenge brought by the new crown epidemic to the studio, and how did you overcome those difficulties?
Alissa Coe Studio: We're actually lucky that remote work has been our standard way of working since we moved to Italy. Since we live and work in a remote location, we primarily work with clients via email and phone, so that hasn't changed during the pandemic. Interestingly, it's almost brought us closer to some of our clients as remote work becomes standard for more people these days.
As for the challenge, most of our previous design work was mainly for the hotel industry. With most hotels and resorts around the world closed during the pandemic, this meant that many of our projects were either canceled or postponed. To overcome this difficulty, we began to turn to more private house-related design work, such as home furnishings, utensils and so on.
Zhizun: In addition, what thoughts have been triggered by the epidemic?
Alissa Coe Studio: One of the important lessons I learned is that we are all more interconnected than we think, we are actually all "in the same boat", so to speak. Whether considering the need to protect the vulnerable in society, or the degree to which modern human life depends on global supply chains, the post-pandemic era has brought these previously all but neglected human connections into the spotlight. Although we may be physically distant from each other, we are actually connected in a very real way every moment.
Zhizun: How do you think social networks affect people's perception and perception of design?
Alissa Coe Studio: This is a very interesting question! It seems that many people enjoy carefully editing, curating, and arranging the images they share on social media, and in doing so, may develop a deeper awareness and experience of their surroundings. Because through this kind of curated, more organized living, people may be able to become more aware of the world of design and be inspired to make more thoughtful choices when it comes to how design fits into their lives.
Supreme: Nowadays people are facing so many uncertainties, what can design bring us?
Alissa Coe Studio : There is no denying that health and safety are paramount. It is gratifying to see that doctors and scientists are more recognized and respected by society, because they are indeed true heroes. Home isolation, lockdowns, etc. during the epidemic have also rediscovered the importance of paying attention to mental health and how the environment we create at home can play a role. In a world so unstable, creating spaces that help to bring peace of mind is a small but valuable contribution that design can provide.
