Deceptively simple

Lead Designers Nicolau De Freitas

Entry Description

This lamp has the form of an icosahedron, a regular solid with twenty identical faces. In this case, the edges of the geometry are used to create a frame that embraces and showcases a soft vintage lightbulb. The wooden edges are flat, giving the lamp a strong yet elegant structure that also allows the light to spread. About 85.3% of the light passes directly through the wooden frame into the environment, while the rest is reflected and diffused indirectly.
The lamp is 30 centimeters tall and designed to fit a standard lightbulb at the very center of the frame. The dimensions of the pieces (length, width, and thickness) are carefully calculated to achieve four goals: center the light source within the frame (length and width); block as little light as possible (thickness); provide a strong structure (width); and allow room for a standard lightbulb (length, thickness, and width).
In total, the object is formed by 30 identical flat wooden pieces, each cut with a unique pair of angles in two different planes to fit precisely at the edges of the icosahedron. These flat pieces are oriented so that their surfaces point to the center of the lamp, leaving their thinnest edges at the outer limits of the geometry. This setup projects thin shadow lines into the surrounding space.
The lamp merges the simplicity of a regular frame around a bulb with the complexity of a structure whose triang

Sustainability Approach

This lamp is crafted from solid wood, cut with precision and then carefully assembled by hand. By combining machine precision with manual craftsmanship, it achieves both structural accuracy and artisanal quality.
Solid wood is a renewable material that stores carbon throughout its life, making it an environmentally responsible choice. Using natural oil as a finish enhances its durability and highlights the organic beauty of the grain without introducing harmful chemicals. The lamp’s long-lasting construction ensures that it remains a functional and aesthetic object for many years, reducing the need for replacement and minimizing waste.
The combination of sustainable materials, thoughtful design, and manual assembly reflects a commitment to ecological responsibility. Every detail, from the careful cutting of the wood to the hand-applied oil finish, contributes to a product that is both en