URBAN OASIS

There aren't many interior designers working today who use physical models to guide their decision-making and develop their schemes. Yet for NY designer Giancarlo Valle, these tools are not just key to his studio's day-to-day operation, but also represent a constant state of flux and experimentation, and a continuation of ideas between each project. This approach to design has remained consistent since he founded his eponymous studio in 2016, as his projects have grown in scale and ambition. 'It's quick, it's intuitive, it's malleable,' he says of the clay model-making process. Here, Howarth talks about Valle putting his own spin on the country's traditional craft heritage.