SNOC has deep expertise in aluminum casting, and in sand casting in particular. The technique has a long history, and for a designer it is fascinating to have the chance to work right next to the foundry that produces these cast parts.

The ALFA light is the result of a simple brief: create a shade whose form showcases the sand-casting technique and could not be made with more accessible methods such as metal spinning. With that goal in mind, the thinking began on paper.

The search for ideas led to asymmetrical forms, or forms with details such as flat facets, to add complexity to a rounded shade.

As often happens in a design process, things become more defined and more complex. Sometimes that means accepting a step back. In the case of the ALFA shade, the search for simplicity ended up steering the thinking toward the aesthetics of folded paper.

This paper aesthetic, with its crisp edges that gradually fade away, became the key to the design. That direction was then worked out in detail to make room for the assembly hardware.

Cardboard prototypes were used to validate certain approaches, and along the way the design came into focus.

The simpler a form, the more its details stand out. This meant giving special care to the shape of the top of the ALFA shade, even though it is rarely visible once installed.

One of the distinctive features of the ALFA light is the considerable thickness of the shade's visible rim. This detail was deliberately calculated to meet the original goal: showcasing the sand-casting technique.

After casting, the shades are carefully finished by hand before being painted, assembled and packed. The quality of this handwork is part of the character found in every aluminum piece cast by SNOC.

Each shade is hand-poured into moulds made of compacted sand. Excess aluminum and the sand itself are recovered and reused in a production cycle that is as rudimentary as it is ingenious.