Ravi Raj and Mike Jozewicz are the winners of our 2019 furniture design competition. Together, they will create new modular seating for 1014’s diverse program formats. Read on to learn more about their professional backgrounds and design philosophies.
Ravi Raj and Mike Jozewicz are designers and architects with emerging design studios in Brooklyn and L.A.. Having met originally in architecture school at Washington University in St. Louis, their relationship spans 20 years. They share many interests in their profession, including residential and small-scale interventions, craft and fabrication, as well as cross-cultural exchange.
Ravi Raj’s work centers on craftsmanship through material exploration and innovation. Since opening his Brooklyn-based studio in 2017, he has focused primarily on residential and small-scale interventions throughout the greater New York area. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Ravi has worked on a wide range of projects from art institutions to bespoke retail. Most recently, he worked for the international architect David Adjaye (Adjaye Associates) as the Project Lead on both an artist’s residence and residential tower in Brooklyn. In addition to his practice, he also teaches a digital fabrication and design studio at CityTech in downtown Brooklyn.
Ravi grew up close to nature outside of the city, having lived in upstate New York and Colorado when he was younger. His affinity for the outdoors informs his own design philosophy, primarily through material re-use and passive design strategies. The son of Indian immigrants, Ravi’s interest in cultural heritage has also led him to travel extensively to host design workshops in India, Finland and Brazil. In particular, his research in Mumbai, India, centered on how informal systems of education can be empowered through design. Ravi holds a masters’ degree from the Pratt Institute and a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Mike Jozewicz is a multifaceted design professional passionately investigating the intersection of place, objects and manufacturing. He has eleven years of professional experience, including five years in architectural practice and six years in manufacturing and fabrication. His professional experience includes residential design, institutional architecture, custom metal fabrication, as well as cabinetry and furniture manufacturing at multiple firms. Additionally, he has three years of experience in roles in design academia.
Mike was born in Poland and grew up in the Piedmont of North Carolina. He received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute. As a proponent of urban life, his life, work and education have taken him to major urban centers such as New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. With an avid interest in travel and foreign cultures, he has collaborated on design work in Guyana, Costa Rica, Colombia and Japan through a project called FAR FOUND.