When he was twelve or thirteen—he doesn’t remember exactly—Kugelmass took a course in graphic design. “I realized I had a knack for the creative side.” In high school, he took a sixth-level architecture course, and when he got to college, he decided to pursue Industrial Design. He received his bachelor's degree in 2015.
“I think what excited me most about the program was being able to turn an idea into something tangible,” he said. “Being able to take an idea from my head to paper, from paper to 3D, and from 3D to a finished product—and being able to be part of the entire process—was what I enjoyed most.”
Kugelmass pointed out that, “since it’s such a broad field,” he had several options when it came to choosing a specialization. “As an industrial designer, you can create anything from a spoon to a lamp or even a car.” This variety of fields “provided some peace of mind” when thinking about entering the workforce.
He said it was during his studies that he decided to become a furniture designer. “At first, I planned to focus on something more related to automotive or product design, but over time I realized that I enjoyed working with furniture the most and felt most comfortable in that field.”
Creating products with more than one function has always been one of my goals; I want users to be able to use the products in different ways. I don’t want things to be made just for the sake of it; I want every part to be in its place for a reason, and every piece of furniture to have a concept behind it. I believe all of this adds value to the piece.
Surdico: The Beginnings and Growth
Surdico emerged from theIntegrador Project, where it developed the Skandinavia line (which was originally called Surdico) in collaboration withZona M. “It was a very positive process, during which three RTA (ready-to-assemble) products were designed in ash and Hanex, a signature material the company uses in its projects that offers a wide range of options due to its thermoformability.”
Kugelmass said that during his studies, he had always been interested in the possibility of gaining professional experience abroad. That’s why, a few months after graduating, he decided to move to England. “I chose London because, on the one hand, it’s one of the leading centers for design and creativity, and, on the other, my sister Nicole had been living there for several years.”
“After gaining experience at a furniture design firm, I decided to seek out local manufacturers to start establishing Surdico in London,” he said. “After a while, my sister—who works in finance—decided to join the project to help grow the studio from a more strategic perspective.”
Surdico currently sells its Skandinavia line at Zona M in Uruguay. In Brazil, it was part of the collection of Uruguayan designers called Di.Se.Ño. for Tok & Stok. The Stela lamp is available both online and in stores throughout Brazil. The online store for the entire United Kingdom is currently up and running in London. On May 22, Surdico will officially debut in London at Clerkenwell Design Week. “In addition to showcasing our products, we’re going to host a launch event to capitalize on the media coverage the event generates,” the designer announced. “Clerkenwell is an area in central London known as a hub for furniture design, home to several world-renowned studios and brands,” he noted.
“I think the world of design is more complex than many people outside the field imagine,” said Kugelmass. “For things to turn out well, it takes a lot of effort and dedication, and you have to trust that what you’re doing is on the right track. I’m building a business doing what I love most; this serves as motivation and gives me the confidence I need when I encounter obstacles—which every entrepreneur faces—to keep going, knowing that, little by little, I’ll achieve both my creative and commercial goals.”