The students of Architecture and Urbanism at Feevale University, Vinicius Machado de Araújo and Alessandra Cátia Flesch, are finalists at the X Concurso Internacional de Diseño Sustentable Vivienda Digna. Oriented by a professor of this Institution, Luciana Neri Martins, the students have developed the Cuboflex, a table thought from the idea to build some furniture directly connected to the individual’s lives, relating food, socialization and work. The award takes place on November 7, in Central Society of Architects from Buenos Aires.

Organized by a non-governmental organization (NGO), Vivienda Digna, the contest aims to create sustainable furniture, which can be built through the reuse of discarded materials. With a direct relation to the proposal of the NGO, which intends social housing-related, the furniture should be developed with originality, usefulness and constructiveness with a maximum of 90% recycled materials.

The Cuboflex can serve as public and private furnishings and has the possibility to be used as a bench, sofa, bed, shelves, coffee table and corner table, among others, according to the will or the need of the user. The research was originated from the pursuit of information, the goal of the contest, and the NGO. ‘Surely, it is a singular experience that will immensely contribute with the academic experience. Even more for participating in a contest with a proposal that totally links end users and architecture. Although the contribution is to a lesser extent, it is immensely gratifying to think that this furniture can be built and enjoyed by people who really need it, and may at least, improve the quality of someone’s life’, says Vinícius.

The winner of the contest will get a promotion to stay in a luxury hotel in Buenos Aires. The participants, who are already finalists for the event, will have their projects exposured through social media, on site and similar ones, and printed in the contest catalog, besides an invitation for a show, which will take place in some venues all over the city.