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Learn more about Bernardo
and Tacloban Prevails >
with Tacloban
Prevails
IN THE
WORKshop...
Design for good
WITHHIS TACLOBAN PREVAILS LINE,
FURNITURE DESIGNER BERNARDO
URBINA CONTINUES TOCHANGE
THE LIVES OF TYPHOONHAIYAN
SURVIVORS FOR THE BETTER
When Typhoon Haiyan
hit the Philippines in 2013,
thousands banded together
to help those in need. For
Bernardo Urbina, a Cebu-
based Costa Rican furniture
designer who has worked
in New York and Milan, its
devastating effects signaled
a turning point in his career.
Seeing the destruction
wrought by the typhoon, he
created Tacloban Prevails,
a furniture line produced
using debris bought
from those affected
by the typhoon. A
key element of the
company’s ethos
is the involvement
of survivors in
transforming such
scraps into sleek pieces
with character. They
receive 10% of the
proceeds from sales.
At a time when
there’s a growing clamor for
his unique and eye-catching
designs, Bernardo revisits
his experiences and reveals
a few details of Tacloban
Prevails’ next offering.
What sparked the idea
for this foray into the
repurposing business?
Repurposing materials has
always been something I’ve
wanted to do. It wasn’t until
I was in Cebu that I saw
the opportunity not only
to repurpose and upcycle
materials but to give back to
society and create a bridge
of communication between
the end user and Filipinos
affected by the typhoon
through furniture.
How has it been since?
The first time we went to
the outskirts of Tacloban
to scout for debris, we had
no idea what to expect. It
was quite exciting to walk
around the villages and talk
to the locals, taking them
out of their daily routine
and explaining to them why
we wanted their debris for
furniture. Now that I have
a clear idea of what kind
of debris I want, it makes
it harder to find — but
once I find it I feel inspired
by it. I design around the
debris in order to expose its
imperfections and its story,
trying to maintain the fact
that it had a previous life.
What are the more
unusual bits of debris
you’ve come across?
Did it take some
unusual design tricks to
transform them?
One of the most unusual
scraps that inspired me
to design an item [a wine
rack] was the cart of a boy
named Francisko. It took
several weeks to find the
right design that we felt
would be appreciated. I
knew it was going to be
something special but I had
no idea what I was going
to do with it when I bought
it. The ideating, constant
sketching and searching for
the right design is a long
process. The Grace coffee
table, for example, has it own
personality, not only because
it’s made from a broken
headboard but because of
the thought behind it. It was
extremely important for
me to have a gap
between the edge
of the glass and
the part of the
headboard that serves as the
legs. This creates a visually
interesting coffee table since
the glass is also held from
underneath. Usually with
tables, the glass is just placed
on top of the legs.
Any favorites among your
designs?
Each time we get back
from scouting debris, the
Bernardo
with the
Christopher
rope lamp
