Shaping Light and Landscape: GU Interior Design Talks Ridges at Dawn

At GU Interior Design, we believe in “silent cultivation”—steadily refining our craft and bringing a unique perspective to every project. Receiving the Rome Design Awards is a profound affirmation of our efforts, strengthening our resolve to continue pushing boundaries and pursuing excellence.

The award has greatly encouraged our team and validated our creative direction. We aim to use this recognition to strengthen trust with existing clients and showcase our capabilities to potential partners. It marks a key milestone in aligning us with international design standards.

Experimentation is essential to our growth. In this awarded project, we employed folded-plate structures to echo the geometry of mountains. Achieving the precise origami-like lines demanded complex craftsmanship.

We are grateful that the client embraced this approach, allowing us to challenge traditional construction methods and bring a sense of geometric landscape into the home.

Surprisingly, the inspiration came from a mountain bike the client had not yet purchased. Their passion for sports led us to visualise the slopes and ridges of mountainous terrain, which became the conceptual foundation of the origami-like geometry defining the residence.

Design is not a monologue; it is a dialogue. Meaningful communication and mutual empathy between designer and client are essential to creating spaces that genuinely reflect the user’s lifestyle.

We begin with the clients’ functional needs and provide professional assessments of feasibility and value. Within the space where clients grant creative freedom, we introduce artistic elements and unique details that elevate the overall design.

The precision required exceeded our initial expectations. We persisted through continuous site reviews and eliminated any sample or detail that did not meet the standard. This persistence allowed the project to achieve a refined and fully realised execution.

We travel. Stepping into the unfamiliar broadens our perspective and enriches the reservoir of inspiration we draw upon in our work.

Life moves through rises and falls. We conveyed this through sloped ceiling forms that conceal beams—a functional gesture layered with metaphor, reflecting the client’s transition into a new chapter of life.

We stay professional, remain optimistic, and embrace self-reflection. The most valuable learning often comes from refining ourselves through mistakes.

Carlo Scarpa. His mastery of materials, composition, and light has influenced us since our university days. His work carries a poetic mystery that resonates deeply with us.

We hope people ask, “From what perspective does this work originate?”—our answer: life’s twists and ascents inspire the spaces we create, embracing those rhythms and offering sanctuary for the spirit.