“If I can make it myself, I’ll make it,” said Cruz on the construction process behind each piece of furniture.
Gabe is a furniture designer and the technical half of the studio. As a graduate of industrial design and someone who describes fiddling with materials as his version of “doodling,” he’s always gravitated towards making things by hand. Even in his spare time, he likes keeping himself busy by fiddling with whatever materials he finds lying around.
He presents himself as a very easygoing person. But with the precise and straightforward way he talks about his creative process and the high standards he’s set for any work the studio puts out, it’s obvious that there’s a lot of passion for creation under the surface.
He and his brother photographer Geric Cruz have worked together since around 2015 to make their design dreams come true.
“We also saw it as a way to try and make something that could be a tangible representation of a feeling or emotion… something that can play with senses and [we enjoy seeing] how people react to it,” Gabe explained.
Though furniture making has always been on the table for the duo, the path to concretely forming Bubk was not as straightforward as making a single decision.
Gabe recalled, “I had just left my [design] job [at Estudio Ruiz] and wanted to take a break and during that time. I would just design my own furniture, making 3D models and scale models.”
“We were given the opportunity to consign a chair that we had made in 2019. So, we took that as a sign that maybe we can actually try and start this thing we’ve been talking about for a while.” The chair in question was the BC-01 Chair, a geometric, mahogany structure with stainless steel accents.
After creating their chair, what came next was the steel desk lamp, a result of the brothers’ fascination with the affects of light.
“We’ve been thinking about making [a lamp] for a while, and we were also interested in how light can alter the atmosphere in a room, by changing its temperature and luminance,” Gabe said.
“Growing up in Malate and seeing the old houses, buildings and being surrounded by that type of beautiful, busy, grungy energy of the place is something I draw influence from. Spending summers as a child in my lola’s house in Bacolod. I also think that living in the US for a few years also allowed me to experience the place and the culture,” he said.
The final piece was moving back to the Philippines to work at industrial designer Stanley Ruiz’s design consultancy Estudio Ruiz. His time there taught him about the design process and the practical tools of the trade.
“If I can make it myself, I’ll make it,” said Cruz on the construction process behind each piece of furniture.
Gabe is a furniture designer and the technical half of the studio. As a graduate of industrial design and someone who describes fiddling with materials as his version of “doodling,” he’s always gravitated towards making things by hand. Even in his spare time, he likes keeping himself busy by fiddling with whatever materials he finds lying around.
He presents himself as a very easygoing person. But with the precise and straightforward way he talks about his creative process and the high standards he’s set for any work the studio puts out, it’s obvious that there’s a lot of passion for creation under the surface.
Both brothers have an inclination towards creating, with Geric choosing photography as his medium and Gabe, design. For the younger Cruz, what drew him into furniture is the joy of creating something functional with his own hands.
“We also saw it as a way to try and make something that could be a tangible representation of a feeling or emotion… something that can play with senses and [we enjoy seeing] how people react to it,” Gabe explained.
Though furniture making has always been on the table for the duo, the path to concretely forming Bubk was not as straightforward as making a single decision.
Gabe recalled, “I had just left my [design] job [at Estudio Ruiz] and wanted to take a break and during that time. I would just design my own furniture, making 3D models and scale models.”
“We were given the opportunity to consign a chair that we had made in 2019. So, we took that as a sign that maybe we can actually try and start this thing we’ve been talking about for a while.” The chair in question was the BC-01 Chair, a geometric, mahogany structure with stainless steel accents.
After creating their chair, what came next was the steel desk lamp, a result of the brothers’ fascination with the affects of light.
“We’ve been thinking about making [a lamp] for a while, and we were also interested in how light can alter the atmosphere in a room, by changing its temperature and luminance,” Gabe said.
“Growing up in Malate and seeing the old houses, buildings and being surrounded by that type of beautiful, busy, grungy energy of the place is something I draw influence from. Spending summers as a child in my lola’s house in Bacolod. I also think that living in the US for a few years also allowed me to experience the place and the culture,” he said.
The final piece was moving back to the Philippines to work at industrial designer Stanley Ruiz’s design consultancy Estudio Ruiz. His time there taught him about the design process and the practical tools of the trade.
The design or theme aspect of ideation usually starts with Gabe. He works on his initial ideas and then discusses them with his brother.
“Sometimes it starts with an idea or something interesting that we come across. Other times we start by being drawn to a certain material so we start experimenting with it or other times ideas occur when we play with samples and other objects lying around the studio,” he explained.
But the process isn’t always linear. According to Gabe, even when a project is mostly done or completely finished, there are still improvements to make. In their dynamic, Geric acts as a sounding board, while he goes and pieces things together thanks to his technical experience.
After the piece is complete, he then hands it over to Geric to photograph.
After A-11, Bubk’s organic approach to things continued when they were able to consign with lifestyle boutique shop Guava Sketches through his friend fellow designer Therese Regalado. Aside from designing and building his own furniture, Gabe shared that he also works with Regalado on some of her pieces.
Their focus on word of mouth doesn’t mean they don’t acknowledge the power of a concrete strategy and social media, though. Gabe confessed it’s just not their forte.
“We don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a strategy and all that but sometimes, that can hinder you from moving forward. Sometimes it can discourage you,” he said. “We just do our thing, see where it takes us, and then kumbaga, we move from there.”
“The chair wasn’t as challenging because you have standard measurements. But this one, we didn’t really have much experience,” he admitted.
The lamp is a low fixture with a layered disk of resin and glassine paper surrounding a central bulb. The disk sits atop a cylindrical stainless steel base. When switched on, you can turn the lamp’s knob to slowly spread light, warming the room and changing the atmosphere.
He shared that unlike the mahogany and stainless steel chair, the lamp had many technical design aspects that needed to be polished and perfected. Nonetheless, it felt special to the duo because of the journey it took them on.
“At first, the look of that lamp wasn’t really like that. It was kind of different. So when we made the [prototype], we were like, ‘Crap! Okay. The light doesn’t diffuse properly’ or it wasn’t what we thought.”
Instead of fabric, though, they went with hand crumpled paper and manually poured resin. Even the electrical wiring of the lamp was done by Gabe as a personal challenge to himself. The only component they had help with was the steel base, which they had fabricated by metal workers.
Ultimately, they wanted to make the lamp an experience in itself, which is no easy feat. Gabe saw the romantic, mood-changing quality of light and wanted to make sure this feature was amplified, hence the option to tweak its intensity through the knob.
The journey doesn’t just end with making the lamp, though. Natural wear through age and time were also considered during the design and crafting process.
“Just the small things that some might not notice but they’re the things that make a difference. We really value that,” he added.
The duo behind the designs say that while there’s no planned and paved route ahead, longevity is something that they’re hoping for. When asked about what his hope for the future of Bubk looks like, Gabe gave a simple answer:
“[I hope] that it’s still there. That it’s still relevant. And that it still keeps its quality.”
Creative direction by Nimu Muallam
Art direction by Levenspeil Sangalang
Produced by Andreiana Yuvallos
Special thanks to Guava Sketches
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