Duo merges urban and rural elements, representing the essence and unity of Mexico. It is a unique and distinctive union, where differences complement each other through formal and material harmony. This collection of furniture does not simply blend styles—it embodies a national identity built on coexistence, connection, and contrast.
At the heart of Mexico lies a powerful duality between the urban and the rural. These two worlds have long shaped the country’s cultural, social, and visual identity. Rather than seeing them as opposites, Duo embraces their complementarity. The proposal is not to choose between them, but to celebrate their convergence—where the modern and the ancestral meet to weave the rich cultural fabric of the nation.
The Duo manifesto commits to an inclusive vision of Mexico. It reframes duality not as a division, but as the very force that drives identity forward. The urban—bustling, structured, industrial—brings rhythm, geometry, and innovation. The rural—serene, tactile, ancestral—offers warmth, texture, and tradition. Together, they form a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The circle becomes a central metaphor in Duo. It symbolizes the essential unity behind these dual elements—not two separate forms, but variations of the same shape. This concept is carried into the visual identity: the logo uses circular variations to represent unity in diversity, and the icon highlights the furniture’s structural joints—connections that physically and symbolically bind the collection together.
Each furniture piece in Duo explores this fusion in its own way—through materials, silhouettes, and construction. The visible joints, for example, aren’t hidden but emphasized, underscoring the honest encounter between rural tactility and urban precision. The color palette also reflects this balance: earthy neutrals and contemporary monochromes come together with elegance and simplicity.
Ultimately, Duo is a call to recognize what makes Mexico resilient, diverse, and beautiful: its contrasts. In a world that often seeks to homogenize, Duo is an affirmation that identity is not forged by similarity, but by meaningful coexistence. By uniting opposing worlds into a shared design language, Duo offers a poetic and functional vision of Mexico—rooted in the past, shaped by the present, and open to the future.





CREDIT
- Agency/Creative: Alan Osorio , Daniela Marquez , Paola Sanabria , Paula Maluf , Elena Ruiz , Eugenio Ortiz
- Article Title: Duo by Students from Universidad Iberoamericana Translates Mexican Duality Into Furniture Design
- Organisation/Entity: Student
- Project Status: Non Published
- Agency/Creative Country: Mexico
- Agency/Creative City: CDMX
- Project Deliverables: Industrial Design
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Keywords: WBDS Student Design Awards 2025/26 , Furniture/Interior Design/Manufacture/Industrial Design/Product Design
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Credits:
Teacher: Emiliano Molina
Educational Institution: Universidad Iberoamericana









