apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

From the Tord Boontje lighting (he was there too, to talk about his process) to the flat pak lights and recycled glass carafe's that have made Artecnica a recognized brand, the showroom is a welcomed addition to the La Cienega design community. Overall Artecnica, though decidedly high design, has it's roots in common practices and ideas and is committed to sustainable design. Not only do they design with shipping in mind, trying to design things to be able to ship flat to cut down on the difficulty in transporting objects from here to there, but they've also started a program that they call Design with Conscience which seeks to reintroduce traditional craft into high design. Each piece in the collection is a collaborative effort art directed by Artecnica, conceptualized by designers like Tord Boontje, and handcrafted by artisan communities across the globe. This helps to stimulate the local economy and teach a valuable skill. Plus much of Artecnica's design is born from figuring out new uses for items destined for the landfill in these areas. They've used glass bottles, old tires and just plain old clay (this was more a local resource). Check out their TransGlass products and their TaTu table.