Another episode in our series about the thoughts and reflections of designers during the lockdown. The Milanese duo chats about these weeks of work, about cooking and gardening.
Roberto and Ludovica, how is this situation affecting you, your life and your work?
Roberto (R.P.): We keep it going. Surely we all have noticed that our cities are decidedly less polluted. The air itself has a different taste. On the other hand, it’s undeniable that we will pay a high price for this. I am glad to say that I can continue my creative work from home. But I really miss traveling, usually I am always on the way to some place.
Ludovica (L.S.): It’s truly a global experience, something that, in its totality, would have seemed unimaginable only a little while ago. It’s like living in some kind of fantasy movie, and the script we are making up on the fly.
How did you organize you working space?
R. P.: Having enough space and plenty of light its easy to find a corner where each of us can work, undisturbed and with the right illumination. We have a terrace, too. And it’s spring. My favorite place is here, with view on the terrace. From my desk I can see the buds bursting, and it feels assuring to see that life goes on.
L.S.: Thankfully everything works fine and we have no trouble working from home. We did not find ourselves in difficulty because everything had been set up beforehand. I think at the moment we all are working in a totally innovative way, fully exploiting all the technological possibilities.
Can this “suspended time” be transformed into opportunity for designers and planners? And if so how?
R. P.: I believe that good design does not depend on suspended time or convulsive time. Good design answers directly to the precise questions asked by society. Today it looks like society – but also nature, the environment, the cities and everything that surrounds us - is screaming a rather precise questions… let’s see if we are able to give an adequate answer!
L.S.: I think that all projects are guided by the same vision. A project is intuitive, something that needs time to develop. That won’t change.
Are there new projects born from this particular situation?
R. P.: To be honest, we are currently working on all the projects we had in the pipeline. Instead of new projects, this particular situation rather invites new reflections. Probably this is a good thing for all of us.
How do you spend your spare time?
R. P.: Gardening… that’s my passion! I spend the time with my family and on the phone, talking to friends.
L.S.: I take the dog for a walk and enjoy the light of the spring sun whenever it shows. I work out at home and indulge in the flavor of grandma’s sweets and the delicious smell that is filling the house. The old family recipes!
Do you have any suggestions for your colleagues and others?
L.S.: You have to look at the world from various angles. Only when you stop for a moment to take a closer look, from different angle, you can see the beauty of the infinite worlds this reality holds.
