Mariel Nina Z. Lazo is a furniture designer based in Manila, Philippines. Growing up in a family of doctors, she knew she was different because she wanted to be a carpenter - a dream she told her friends during her teen years. In 2008, she pursued her dream and studied industrial design at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, USA. She uses paper and cutter as her main design tools making it easier for her to come up with ideas and be able to create a variety of form and function.