Prestigious recognition for Dalila Leone, Design graduate at RUFA, who with the project “TAI” wins the Archiproducts Design Awards 2025, one of the most renowned accolades in the international design landscape.
The wooden and concrete washbasin, created for NIC, was awarded in Milan in front of an international audience of architects, designers and creatives, standing out for its balance between material research, tradition and contemporary language. The jury – composed of architects, interior designers, creative directors and journalists from all over the world – recognised in “TAI” a formal purity capable of combining craftsmanship, innovation and an essential design poetry.
“TAI”: a dialogue between material, philosophy and artisanal memory
“TAI” draws inspiration from the komebitsu, the ancient Japanese rice containers made of paulownia wood, reinterpreted by Leone through an elegant and contemporary approach.
The project is composed of three elements – storage tray, basin and support surface – made of cement paste or Corian and set into a wooden structure equipped with a full-length drawer. The encounter between cement, with its rough and vibrant texture, and natural wood recalls the wabi-sabi philosophy, where beauty arises from imperfections and craftsmanship.
“TAI is the result of a path that intertwines nature and craftsmanship, in a search for essentiality and harmony”, says the designer. The washbasin is part of the Mini Living line, designed for contemporary spaces with compact dimensions, where functionality and aesthetic sensitivity interact in a fluid and discreet way.
Dalila Leone: a thoughtful voice in Italian design
Born in 1990, graduated with honours in Design at RUFA, Dalila Leone has collaborated with Italian studios and production companies such as Skylab Studios, Officine Roma Makers and Inntex. Her design practice combines attention to materials, product culture and a vision that integrates tradition and experimentation.
Winning the Archiproducts Design Awards 2025 confirms a coherent path of growth, in which Leone stands out as one of the most sensitive voices in contemporary Italian design, capable of connecting craftsmanship, aesthetics and sustainability.
