Hasta La Ideas

Austin’s furniture collaborative crafts elegantly upcycled designs

What happens when two sustainable design outfits specializing in distinct materials team up? In the case of Rad Furniture and Hatch Workshop (both also fabricators), the partnership is geared toward “thoughtful and well-crafted” furniture with material integrity. The two Austin companies’ latest and largest retail project for a local startup, sustainable building supply and resource center TreeHouse, is no exception.

A visit to their Austin studios might find John Lee Hooker, The Talking Heads or Mother Falcon (a local Austin band, of which members help out in the shop) playing to inspire their designs. All of the projected fixtures and furnishings for TreeHouse epitomize Rad/Hatch’s sustainable philosophy, to “minimize waste during production and maximize the lifespan” of their products.

Working primarily with reclaimed objects, repurposed wood (Hatch’s material of choice) and steel (Rad’s specialty), the designs for TreeHouse maximize the value of material through clever application. Examples include a dynamic table built from salvaged sprinkler pipes and elegant screen walls constructed from recycled slats of wood.

Although designs for TreeHouse are mostly in the development stage, the work promises to “walk a line between deliberate and over-designed.” The effect of this combines beautifully raw materials with intelligent design.

Keep an eye out for Rad/Hatch Collaborative’s final designs for TreeHouse. In the meantime, browse both sites for a look at their beautifully finished work in their respective media of choice, like Rad Furniture’s sleek Barbara Stool with backrest and Hatch Workshop’s ingenious Comal Counter for kitchens. See more images of their independent projects after the jump.