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Victoria design studio launches line of picturesque puzzles

Puzzle Lab jigsaws locally designed and crafted
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Puzzle lab offers a series of locally designed and crafted, high-quality puzzles. (Courtesy of Robazzo design studio)

Tired of flimsy cardboard pieces and tacky finished products, a Victoria-based design company has launched a line of puzzles that is both durable and pleasing to the eye.

Puzzle Lab is the creation of Robazzo, a multidisciplinary design practice, and uses custom-made algorithms and high-quality, locally sourced woods to produce perfect pandemic pastimes.

Puzzle lab offers a series of locally designed and crafted, high-quality puzzles. (Courtesy of Robazzo design studio)

“So many puzzles aren’t made to last—just cheap cardboard. Puzzle Lab puzzles aren’t just durable; they are also gorgeous to look at and challenging to complete,” said co-founder Andrew Azzopardi.

The idea came to Azzopardi and co-founder Tinka Robev after having to switch the majority of their projects and services online when COVID-19 hit.

“We really missed that physical, tactile nature of the built work,” Robev said. Both designers have backgrounds in architecture and Robev said the work that has always gotten them the most excited are physical installations. Creating Puzzle Lab has given them an outlet for that passion.

Tinka Robev (left) and Andrew Azzopardi (right) are the founders of Victora design company, Robazzo, and its offshoot enterprise, Puzzle lab. (Courtesy of Robazzo design studio)

Each one of Robazzo’s puzzles has 100 pieces and measures 18 centimetres by 23 centimetres upon completion. Flora and Fauna, Abstract and Landscape puzzles can be purchased on the Puzzle Lab website.

Robev and Azzopardi only launched the website a week ago (Nov. 21), but Robev said if it goes well they’ll consider designing more high-quality, sustainable toys and games.

“We’re always thinking up new products,” she said.


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