Furniture Architecture: Marcenaria Baraúna
Marcenaria Baraúna was created as an extension of Brasil Arquitetura’s Studio. In 1986, after a few years of practice in architectural designs, summoned up the energy to set up a new path, meeting a strong demand pulsated in us for some time: manufacture our own furniture designs.
Our purpose was not only to design furniture and wooden objects, but also to follow up its execution, experiment different techniques, types of joints and finishes – we wanted to decrease the distance and time between the drawing board and the finished product. So we started a new scale of work – with obligatory in loco monitoring – without, off course, abandoning the lato sensu architectural projects from the studio. On the contrary: we designed everything, from beginning to end. Everything was architecture.
It was and continues to be. At Baraúna, we project “architectects” furniture, if we can say so. The reasoning, the concepts, the way of approaching each issue are the same as those we adapt in our edification and urbanism projects: the logic of structure, of balance, of behaviour and strength of materials, of comfort, of economy of means and inputs, of essentiality, with nothing superfluous or constructive disguises. Furniture intended to last must be economic and beautiful while explicitly stating its purpose, that is to respond the needs and aspirations of its time.
Dive into the world of woods is fascinating. It reveals textures, colours, smells and most interestingly, different properties that make it suitable for multiple functions: weight, density, fibre length, flexibility, hardness and other variables guide the most appropriate application. And in the specific case of Brazilian flora, its diversity provides a vast field to explore.
As well as our architecture, in designing furniture we reflect and seek inspiration in Brazilian colonial history, in the vernacular experience, in the national and international modern pioneers.
We look around us, in time and space, without however making it a prescription, with no prejudices against innovations and novelties, wherever it comes from, but averse fashion or style-isms.  
We do not assume the role of original creators or invertors; we don not even call ourselves designers, since this concept, full of meanings on the English language, has been extremely banalized in Brazil. We are architects who project furniture.  
 
Francisco Fanucci and Marcelo Ferraz