The architect and furniture designer Felipe Zorzeto – from the cast of CASACOR Brasília – won the Home and Furniture category of the DMP Design Master Prize 2025 with the buffet Palafita. The award is promoted by the Farmani Group in the United States and announced the winners in November. Just like its counterpart in architecture, the Architecture Master Prize (AMP), the DMP emphasizes the influential role of design in a variety of sectors, such as products, communication, and graphic design. The goal is to highlight design through the talents and brands behind it, as a dynamic force in the creative community, promoting collaboration and innovation by bringing together professionals, brands, and specialized media on a unified platform. The victory at the DMP now joins another significant international title already present in the architect's resume. In 2024, Palafita was also recognized by the judges of the DNA Paris Design Awards by winning the Product Design/Furniture & Lighting category of the award.

Brazilian Design

To be inspired by the elevated constructions of stilt houses — typical of flooded regions — to give life to a piece of furniture with elegant lines and a striking presence. This was the provocation that guided Felipe Zorzeto in creating the buffet Palafita, a piece that translates traditional construction systems into a contemporary object of desire.

With a solid wood structure and suspended modules that repeat rhythmically and lightly, the furniture combines construction rigor with a fluid and sophisticated look. The homogeneous design on all sides allows for multiple arrangement possibilities: flush against the wall, as suggested by conventional use, or positioned in the center of the projects — almost like a functional sculpture.

“I wanted the piece to carry a sense of permanence, like the stilt houses that transcend time and withstand the flooded surroundings, but also to express the visual lightness of this system. Without a doubt, this is one of the most important pieces of my career,” Zorzeto states.

Customization is another highlight: the buffet is available in four sizes — from 135 cm to 270 cm in length — and can have finishes in natural freijó, honey, coffee, or ebony (black), as well as custom lacquer variations. Internally, each module can hold shelves or drawers with concealed slides and doors with a dampening system.