An appreciation for the outdoors is accompanied by respect for the environment. Shift Space Design understands this relationship, and operates in a conducive manner to marry enjoyable design with sustainable manufacturing.
We had the opportunity to interview the founder and CEO of Shift Space, Mario Gentile, and get a more in-depth perspective on the rare and refreshing mission behind this company.
The majority of your products are made from stainless-steel. How does this fit into your business based on social responsibility?
SHIFT_DESIGN has placed a significant emphasis upon its company’s environmental strategy through the power of design, thus reinforcing local manufacturing and waste-reduction methods by choosing materials that are made from recycled content and are 100% recyclable after a long life-cycle.
What have been some challenges when operating as an eco-friendly and sustainable business?
Manufacturing locally is costly due to higher labor rates, and not all the time do customers understand this trade off for helping to grow a local economy. We hope they love well designed products, our mission, and not mind paying a premium. Our fabrication model is based upon nodal manufacturing within a range of 120 transport miles, which directly affects the products’ carbon footprint. Finding these partners takes some legwork and time to develop working relationships.
What does a team of architects bring to the product design world?
The way we architects look at mass-customization may differ in regards to outdoor products, especially how these attach to existing and new buildings. Our approach to material and life-cycle expectations is counter to a consumerist society – our stainless steel products will last 100 years or more.
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