Humanize the territory
Larus has been developing urban furniture, sustaining its activity in Design research. It supports its communication, the development of new products and the philosophy of its strategic management.
Only the project diversity and quality allow Larus to assert itself in other world regions, where the company has been awarded prestigious distinctions that recognise it as one of the highest references in urban furniture.
Larus provides global solutions addressing local needs, while respecting culture, history and identity.
HISTORY
In 1988, Larus initiated its activity, installing itself in an old rural school, recovering the architecture and involving environment.
Design allowed Larus to create value, investigate and develop new products. Larus has become a lab for the innovation of the artifact, devices and cultural services drawings, developed coherently with the values behind the brand, based on ecology and freedom. Design influenced the organization, supporting the strategic management philosophy, built upon environmental, economical, cultural and social sustainability.
Following the production of kiosks and esplanades, other urban equipment progressively disseminated the brand mainly after collaborating with Expo'98 (world fair), by providing the Signage System.
In 2001, Larus moved its installations to a new office with 2,5 hectares, preventing the future industrial growth, with the creation of a building equipped with exhibition, museum and auditorium rooms.
CULTURE
The culture of the brand is based on values of sustainability and nature conservation, present in the ritual celebrated with external designers, who are invited to plant a tree in the surroundings of the headquarters.
External designers and architects develop solutions for their projects. The company’s close relationship with these authors is enforced by the respect for the authorship and for the project.
MISSION AND VALUES
Larus’s philosophy is expressed on its image, on the peaceful and informal relationship between collaborators and clients, on the concern with improving the customer's business and developing affectivities with the company. Side by side with its competence in the management domain, the responsibility that surrounds Larus’s orientation is demanding in relation to a solid sense of comprehension, of human solidarity.
Design is the interdisciplinary process that helps to develop new products, associating them to the strategy, and culture development – the set of values and principles that inspire and influence its collaborators on their day life habits and practices, encouraging new procedures that improve the activity and organization results - image, company technical and human resources and to its market, assuming all means (of product, communication, environment and also the design management assumed in the company’s global strategy).
Larus develops equipment with ecological, integration and public space respect concerns, with citizenship and democracy spirit and that aims to trigger feelings on the users.
IDENTITY
The acquisition of transversal knowledge to other cultures, has allowed Larus to develop projects supported in the study of the history and identity of places, respecting and valuing them.
Urban furniture, signage and lighting systems exemplify the ability Larus has to be open to other cultures, favoring integration and removing barriers.
TECHNOLOGY
Larus has been using a wide range of construction processes: fibreglass, rotomolded plastic, metal casting, concrete conforming and others such as metalworking or carpentry thus preserving the design of industrial constraints, adopting them according to efficiency, cost control and creativity of the final solution.
This allows Larus to overcome the industrial constraints with greater efficiency, cost control and creativity.
EDUCATIONAL ROLE
The collaboration with universities, amongst others the supervision of the Master in Design, enables Larus a continuous reflection on its own practice, along with a renewed social and aesthetic vision of consumers, commonly referred to as consumer trends.
Larus is recognised as an exemplar company in design management and one of the most prestigious urban equipment design brands.
AWARDS
In this context of constant innovation, the successive national and international awards that Larus has been awarded over the last 25 years, constitute meritorious public recognition, institutional accreditation and consequently the creation of future trust reserves in our work.
‘91 - National Design Award
‘93 - Design Stamps, Product Awards
‘94 - Nomination for European Design Award
‘98/99 - National Design Award (Design Global Management)
‘98/99 - National Product Design Award (Expo’98 Signalling System)
‘07 - Hall of fame (ICSID Design edition)
‘07 - Honourable Mention at the DME Award, Design Management European Award
‘08 - Red Dot Design, Award Product Design 2008, lighting and illumination category
‘09 - Sena da Silva National Design Award, winner in the company category
‘09 - Sena da Silva National Design Award, winner in the product category - Rua Series
‘10 - Bid 2010 (Ibero-american Biennal) Tom paper bin, Vesúvio bollard, Rua line
‘10 - DME Award, European Design Management Award
‘11 - Red Dot Design Award, Honourable mention, Tom paper bin
‘11 - Red Dot Design Award, Winner, + line
‘11 - Face to Face, Best Conference Award
‘12 - Honourable Mention in Bid 2012 (Ibero-american Biennal)
‘13 - Nomination for German Design Award 2013
‘14 - Red Dot Design Award with Sheet paper bin and Souto Moura insert (Alba)
‘15 - Nomination for Daciano da Costa National Design Award
‘15 – Litoral Award
‘16 – Bid 2016 (Bienal Iberoamericana) Ária bench (Finalist)
‘16 – Bid 2016 (Bienal Iberoamericana) Y product line (Finalist)
‘22 – Bid 2022 (Bienal Iberoamericana) Hydra drinking fountain(Honorable Mention)
‘22 – Bid 2022 (Bienal Iberoamericana) Verde bus shelter, (Finalist)
‘24 – IF Design Award with Hydra drinking fountains