October 20, 2024It is as much a love story as a tale of success. When Alejandro Estrada and Sandra Ovalle, founders of the Guatemalan design studio Piegatto, first met, they were architecture students at Francisco Marroquín University, in Guatemala City. Sparks flew, romantically and creatively. Since then, their work has garnered international attention. That’s hardly surprising, considering that their contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture is not only elegant but innovative, with an almost futuristic feel. It is as if they’ve discovered the sweet spot between fine and decorative art, with forms culled from the natural world that are both timeless and cutting-edge.
Although formally trained as architects, they sought a more artistic life and moved to Italy just after graduation, in the mid-1990s. “It was a beautiful beginning,” says Estrada. “We lived in Florence for two years. That created the foundation for our shared dreams. Sandra studied art restoration, and I studied sculpture. We learned techniques that gave us the base for do what we do now.” Indeed, the Piegatto collection balances sculptural qualities with high-tech processes and skilled artisanship.
After marrying in Italy, they returned to Guatemala. In 1998, the pair opened an architecture studio, art-restoration workshop and contemporary-art gallery. That business evolved into Piegatto, which was established in 2006. (The name is a play on the Italian words piegato, meaning “folded,” and gatto, meaning “cat,” as well as the Spanish pie, meaning “foot.”)
Today, Piegatto is a family business, spanning two generations and employing approximately one hundred people, including architects, designers and artisans, at several sites throughout Guatemala City, the nation’s modern capital, which boasts a population of three million and a vibrant economy. A woodworking studio, textile workshop and manufacturing facilities now round out the enterprise. Although the firm is known for its residential high-rises, “there is freedom in furniture design and room for experimentation,” Estrada says with a smile.
Piegatto’s showroom and main offices are housed in an Art Deco building, the couple’s former residence, retrofitted with a show-stopping glass facade — “big beautiful windows on the street to display our latest collection,” says Estrada. The sensuous, biomorphic forms of Piegatto’s furnishings offer a striking contrast to the surrounding metropolitan skyline. A coffee table resembles a stone tumbled smooth by waves, a leaf-like pendant lamp floats in the air, suspended in time.
This year marks a turning point for Piegatto. It exhibited twice at Highpoint Market, in North Carolina. And Tiffany Thompson, of Duett Interiors, used Piegatto’s Riddle chairs at poolside in a Miami home featured in a recent Introspective story. The firm is also poised to present at Salone del Mobile, in Milan. “Our goal is to make Piegatto a global brand,” says Estrada. They’re well on their way.
Here, Estrada talks with Introspective about realizing his dreams, running a family business and creating the company’s serene Airbnb on the shore of Lake Atitlán.
Was there a eureka moment that led to Piegatto’s birth?
Something was missing. Although we had many architectural projects, we wanted the freedom to create and express ourselves with the results we imagined. One night, on vacation in New York City, I dreamed about a painting machine with brushes on a rotating wheel. The machine turned and turned, spilling paint all over the place. That was when I realized I needed to search for a new way of doing things. That was my eureka moment that changed the course of our lives. It is about creating and the creative state of mind — something reflexive that happens when you open up and listen, see, smell, touch, feel.
Piegatto is a family business, which at times must be challenging. How does it work?
It’s very challenging. The key was understanding how everyone is involved in the process and sees themselves in Piegatto. We are six family members and work in different fields and strive to complement each other. I oversee the design department — from prototype to product, as well as presentation — as CEO. Sandra supervises the textile department and accounting as administrative manager. Our son, Pietro, is operations manager, and his wife, Analuz, is sales manager. Our daughter, Crisol, and her partner, Esteban, are interior designers and stage Piegatto projects for presentation.
Are there periods or styles, architects or designers that influence and inform your work?
We were definitely influenced by deconstructivism in our early years, especially early Zaha Hadid, as well as all the modernists. Now, we search for roots and truths from many sources. Recently, on a trip to Japan, we were mesmerized by Zen Buddhist temples and their direct relationship to modernist architecture. The genesis of an idea about design gives a sense of perspective and a base for comparing the evolution of that idea throughout history. We strive for new ways to represent universal ideas.
What’s one piece on 1stDibs that embodies Piegatto’s aesthetic approach, philosophy and creative process?
A monolithic piece where all the parts are created from the same material. Our aesthetic comes from understanding our bodies — soft when we touch, harder when we walk. Nature is like that, and we endeavor to discover ways to create as nature creates. The Pipo chair was our first successful attempt. Every part, including the armrests, was realized from the same material in an expression of beauty, movement and transparency.
Is there a Piegatto project or collaboration that you think exemplifies current design trends?
We recently constructed Casita Piegatto, our house on Lake Atitlán [west of Guatemala City], where we explore our concepts about integrating architecture, furniture and nature. It is an amazing site, surrounded by nature. The architecture, furniture and natural environment complement one another as a cohesive whole. Also, it’s an Airbnb that’s always booked, which allows us to quality-test each piece in real time.
Tell us something about the materials you work with.
Our work has to do with finding new techniques to use on traditional materials, such as wood, and new materials, such as biodegradable plastics. Three-D printing will definitely play a bigger role in the future, but only if that allows us to present innovative finishes that have never been seen before with the Piegatto quality we intend to give every piece. The materials we use must look and feel natural, even if they’re plastic. There are ways to make plastic resemble coral. We want to use new techniques to create unprecedented forms.