Exploring materiality and why it matters at Cosentino with designers Bu Shukun, Patricia Ho Douven and Paul Yeo

In celebration of International Design Day in April, Tatler Homes Singapore collaborated with surface material company Cosentino to hold the Material Matters panel discussion. The panel comprised Bu Shukun, founder and design director of ARTG Design Group and Architology Interiors; Patricia Ho Douven, founder and principal of White Jacket Studio and Studio P; Paul Yeo, founding partner of PI Architects, and was moderated by Tatler Homes Singapore editor Asih Jenie.

Founded in 1945, the Cosentino Group is a global family-owned Spanish company that specialises in innovative and sustainable surface materials. And so, it was a natural conclusion to hold the Material Matters panel at Cosentino City Singapore—after all, we were there to talk about why materials, well, matter.

“At Cosentino, we see materials as a starting point for dialogue. Material Matters is about bringing the design community together to exchange ideas and explore how materials shape the way we live,” shared Patricia Lyon, regional marketing lead at Cosentino. “Through Cosentino City Singapore, we aim to create a platform where designers, architects and creatives can connect, collaborate and be inspired.”

The panelists presented their takes on the power of materials in concise slides. Bu opened the discussion by asking a question: what if materials could speak? Given from the perspective of materials, Bu’s cheery presentation explored the idea of nature, authenticity and emotional connection with materials.

“Some of our projects are large-scale, but it always starts small. We try to look at materials in its own essence, we challenge what can be and what should be, and we tease out an emotional connection between the material and the occupant, the visitor, and the user of a space,” Bu said.

The choice of materials and the feelings it evokes, Bu added, is crucial in influencing the direction of a project, even if the subject matter is the same. He brings up the example of two EV showrooms that his studio worked on in the past. One brand chose to use metallic accents and “a very snazzy finish to bring out the slickness of an EV car”, while the other chose to use warm wooden finishes to evoke a family-first, lifestyle-oriented branding.

He then went on to touch on how clients often ask for timeless designs when they go to him. But the idea of timelessness differs from person to person. “All my clients say, ‘I want something timeless; I want something that I won’t get bored of.’ To that, I ask ‘What are your measures of allowing materials to be kept in your home, in your life, across the years? Are you able to take a scratch, a tarnish, or a stain?’”

Bu concludes, “The first scratch when you get a new phone, a new car, or a new bag is very painful. But sometimes every scar bears a memory.” Read the full article here. Thank you Tatler Asia for the feature.