Nominator: Zlatko Kapetanović

Nominator's statement

Jakov Habjan (1997) is a young product designer situated in Zagreb, who studied at the Design Department of the School of Architecture, University of Zagreb, receiving his Bachelor Degree in 2019, and Master Degree at The Royal Academy of Art in Den Haag, 2022. As a designer he manufactures his ideas in his own workshop. His works show clearly his orientation towards ecology, responsible use of materials, human oriented products, and do it yourself culture.

For better understanding please see:
Jakov Habjan, HAUS, Instagram, Facebook / Studij Dizajna / VIZKULTURA intervju Jakov Habjan

TALES IN TILES

Tales in Tiles is a series of tables that came out of a collaboration with my sister Klasja Habjan, who is an illustrator and grahic designer. I was given the tiles, which Klasja made during a residency in Portugal at Viuva Lamego, and each of the tile sets became a brief for a specific table.

I was really motivated by the connection of illustrated ceramics (which almost have an eternal lifespan in my mind) and a piece of furniture that can be used throughout generations. So all the tables were designed compliment and work in dialoge with Klasja's tiles, but they were also designed and fabricated to be robust and long lasting. Each material (steel, oak and naturally coloured MDF) gave me an intimate connection with its nature and construction during the design and fabrication process.

PHONE JAIL FOR THE HUMANITIES GRAMMAR SCHOOL IN ZAGREB

Humanities grammar school asked me to design a shelf for the student's phones to store during class. The design comes from a need for the teacher to quickly count the number of phones, but also gives a playful architectural connection of Greek temples, as the students are learning Greek and Latin in this school.

The materials used are: birch pywood and pine dowels for the shelf, and perforated sheet steel for the doors, keeping the shelf open and airflow possible.

BUNK BED FOR LUCAS

The client for this project was a 5 year old boy, who has an uneasy sleeping habit and needed an imaginative shelter in his room. The inspiration for this project came from the idea of having a house inside a house, a space he can claim and decorate and change.

The material choice is birch plywood, for the feeling of warmth, and tactility of a soft natural material. The "window" blinds are rotatning shingles that can open or close, and the whole roof is easily removeable for the moment in which he outgrows the structure.