This bar project has been one of a kind. Economic conditions required us to rethink our usual way of working. Material availability was uncertain, and importing from abroad was largely impossible. What initially appeared as limitation gradually revealed itself as a different set of priorities. The process called for openness and adaptability. Our familiar focus on precision and control softened, making room for attentiveness, intuition, and responsiveness. Working within constraints became less about solving problems and more about listening, to the place, to the people, and to what was realistically possible.
Instead of relying on predefined solutions, we designed furniture that could be produced locally in Cuba. Along the way, we encountered moments of cultural difference that proved deeply instructive. Where European practice often leans toward strict adherence to norms and specifications, Cuban craftsmanship is shaped by a broader understanding of life, one that allows things to remain flexible, pragmatic, and human.
Blueprints, rather than being rigid documents of obligation, are understood as shared intentions: guides that leave space for interpretation, improvisation, and dialogue. This mindset challenged our habits and expanded our perspective, reminding us that design is not only about accuracy and control, but also about trust, adaptability, and the wisdom of not seeing everything too narrowly.
