After participating in Bilbao Design Week, Artile was one of the projects exhibited as part of the Talentu Gazteak initiative, which goal to give visibility to young design talents. Sara's project fit in terms of sustainability and she was encouraged to apply for the iF Design Student Awards. "Months later I was notified that I had been one of the winners worldwide. It was a big surprise," she confesses.

Excited by the recognition of such a " staff" project that was born as a way torefund somethingrefund to the place where I come from", she tells us in depth what her work consists of:

1. How did you feel when you received the iF Design award ?

It was very special to see that such a sincere proposal , which seeks to promote the value of an almost forgotten resource such as the wool of the Latxa sheep, could obtain this subject of recognition.

2. Why 'Artile', what does it consist of, and with what word would you define it?

Artile means "wool" in Basque and gives its name to a project that reinterprets the Basque shepherd tradition, transforming it into an immersive experience of connection with the landscape.
The Basque shepherd, as a reflection of the traditional way of life of the region, both for its deep relationship with nature and its nomadic lifestyle, became the guiding thread of a research whose goal was to help reconnect with the natural environment of the Basque Country.

Their Latxas sheep, native to the area, require two changes of pasture per year due to climatic conditions, which forces the shepherd to travel for days along traditional routes in an ancestral internship known as trasterminancia (a variant of transhumance characterized by seasonal short-distance journeys, which is practically disappearing in Gipuzkoa).

During these long journeys between pastures, shepherds used to weave with their own wool or carve wood, developing craft skills. Imitating that custom, participants harness the wool as they create a felted Latxa wool mat, walk the GR-34 transhumance route and embroider their journey using natural elements, turning each piece into a unique manifesto of the landscape. I think one word that defines it is reconnection.

3. What is the importance of storytelling in the project?

I think the project has a very didactic character and the final result depended a lot on the storytelling, on how I told it so that it could be understood. In the end, when you try to approach in an internship way concepts as abstract as heritage or the preservation of traditions, the design is in charge of making sure that what you have in mind is understood by other people, and the storytelling becomes an indispensable resource to achieve it.

4. Do you see yourself reflected in 'Artile'?

Of course. Just because of the geographical and cultural context in which it is set, the project has a very familiar imaginary for me: green mountains, farmhouses, roads, cheeses, sheep, wool... And, on the other hand, it is accompanied by that factor of creation in movement that I like so much.

5. What is the weight of sustainability in this project?

Artile is about sustainability: transforming an endangered tradition into an immersive experience, giving meaning to a now discarded resource , and contributing to the preservation of pastoral routes.

6. Having met architects and designers from all over the world, what is your balance of the experience?

It was very enriching to share those days in Bilbao with people from different parts of the world. It was really inspiring to meet the rest of the winning projects and to be able to participate with them in the different activities that were organized.

7. Do you take into account what you have learned at the School in your professional projects?

I think it is inevitable to keep in mind what I have learned, not only in terms of knowledge, but also in terms of the criteria acquired, the self-criticism and the way of managing the work. These are some of the most valuable lessons I take away from the School.