Rituals: Craft as Architecture

Rituals is a fifteen piece collection conceived as a direct extension of RF Studio’s architectural work at Yayasan Bali Purnati, a nine-room residence dedicated to the performing arts in. Bali.

Developed specifically for the site, the collection is shaped by teak, burnt teak, tiger bamboo, and lava stone, and produced entirely through handwork led by a small team of Balinese artisans. Each object emerges not as a standalone design gesture, but as a continuation of the spatial and material logic of the architecture itself.

LEARNING FROM PLACE

Over the five year development of the Yayasan Bali Purnati project, RF Studio founder Rafael Freyre immersed himself in local craftsmanship, ancestral building knowledge, and indigenous materials. Working closely with architects Djanti Soerkino and Made Suartana, Freyre engaged directly with artisans, allowing traditional expertise to inform both architectural decisions and interior elements. Djanti Soerkino supported the process through design development and cultural mediation, enabling a dialogue in which materials and techniques were carefully examined before being pushed into unfamiliar territory.

Rather than replicating known forms, the process introduced new challenges through complex geometries, hybrid assemblies, and experimental constructions. These ideas were tested through prototypes and repeated iterations, ensuring that innovation remained grounded in material intelligence. One of the most demanding explorations involved the joint development of bamboo and volcanic stone, a combination that required technical precision and a deep sensitivity to the character of both materials.

EXPANDING CRAFT TRADITIONS

The collaboration did not aim to reinvent local craft, but to extend it. Traditional skills were reinforced while being opened toward new structural and expressive possibilities. In this exchange, a subtle dialogue emerged between Latin American and Indonesian craft traditions, where textures, symbols, and making techniques converged into a coherent architectural language. The result is work that feels rooted and contemporary at once, resisting exoticism while embracing specificity.

The collection includes seating, tables, and lighting conceived for both interior and exterior environments. Each piece is made to order, with a production timeline of six weeks or more, and is available for international shipping.

ARCHITECTURE SHAPED BY LANDSCAPE

The architectural project at Yayasan Bali Purnati by RF Studio was conceived to work with its surroundings rather than impose a new aesthetic. Built partly from materials sourced directly on site such as salvaged wood, bamboo, volcanic stone, and handmade terracotta, the structures weave around existing trees, follow the contours of the terrain, and open toward the stillness of the surrounding rice fields. Architecture and landscape are inseparable here, with nature guiding both form and experience.

Within this context, Rituals becomes more than a furniture collection. It operates as an architectural extension of place, material, and collaboration, translating the ethos of the site into objects that carry the same sense of restraint, craft, and quiet permanence.

Project Credit

Name: Rituals
Designer: RF Studio