Omar Perez
RISD '84 [Bachelor of Architecture]
About MuNiMulA: The manufacturing process, from the
extrusion of the aluminum through to final anodizing contributes to the
inherent elegance of
MuNiMulA's objects, and its design approach. All cutting, machining,
welding, and finishing is done by hand at our facility in southern Michigan.
Our location has also allowed us to
establish strong partnerships with area suppliers for extruding, anodizing, and
etching. We understand the material
memories and traces of the process of making to be an integral part of the
beauty and value of our collection. Any consideration of technologies and techniques to be applied in the
design and manufacturing of our products is guided by these notions.
Both the industrial and the
handmade qualities of each object display a critical essence that is heavily
informed by a sense of economy that
evolves from the immediate relationship with the processes of manufacturing.
The result engages the senses as
the work reveals its own history.
An understanding of both the
intrinsic virtues and limitations of materials is indispensable to MuNiMulA's
designs. The manipulation of materials becomes a means to explore, and ultimately reveal, uses and
functions. MuNiMulA's primary material is aluminum, a metal whose core material
comprises 1/12 of the earth's crust. It is a material that is lightweight,
durable, accepts a wide variety of finishes, and is 85 to 90% recycled. Aluminum
is created by chemically refining bauxite ore into alumina, and then
electrically separating this white powder into molten aluminum and carbon
dioxide. Recycling saves not only the material itself, but also the energy
needed to produce it. MuNiMulA's designs further the notion of conservation by understanding
the importance of time and place in the life of our products.
They remain open and encourage adaption of
use, thus embracing a state of becoming, prolonging its useful life and
relevance. Without
relinquishing authorship or responsibility for the form, time and chance are
fundamental concepts for MuNiMulA's notions for design, endorsing customization
and chance over time by addition or subtraction. We believe that noble materials, clear details, and
adaptability in space, present a responsible alternative to planned
obsolescence.
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